Even though it is ancient history, it has been done before.
As Kahuku prepares to meet Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas on Saturday, it can take some comfort in the fact that it is not the first Hawaii team to travel to beat the Gaels and return to the islands a winner.
Farrington did the trick way back in 1968, when a team that included Randy Cadiente, Onosai Tanuvasa, Russ Onaga, Wilfred Makaehu, Howard Ilae and Cliff LaBoy made the trip and beat the Gaels 26-7 despite a decided lack of speed compared to their mainland counterparts.
The Governors finished that season 8-3-1, not losing until its final three games.
Farrington was hardly playing the top team in the nation back then, Bishop Gorman didn’t win its first state championship until two years later. Hawaii teams struggled when traveling to Nevada after that, not beating a team on its home turn there until Saint Louis beat Green Valley in 1998.
Kahuku’s players can still be groundbreakers, becoming the first team from the North Shore since 1992, when they beat Provo, to jump on a plane and come back a winner. The Red Raiders have invaded the mainland three times since and lost each time, with only the first time ending up being a close game.
Here is a list of Oahu teams making mainland trips. Report any errors in the comments.
2016
Centennial (Ore.) 35, Aiea 26
2015
Punahou 22, Del Oro (Calif.) 15
Liberty (Nev.) 76, Mililani 53
Radford 74, Mt. Tahoma (Wash.) 6
2014
Kamehameha 25, Del Oro (Calif.) 17
Parker (Calif.) 22, Radford 20
2013
Punahou 10, Helix (Calif.) 6
East High (Utah) 38, Kahuku 15
2012
Radford 21, Cresent Valley (Ore.) 17
2011
Punahou 19, Vista (Calif.) 7
2008
Punahou 42, Central Kitsap (Wash.) 19
2006
Punahou 23, Eastlake (Wash.) 19
2004
Skyline (Utah) 27, Kahuku 8
2001
Kailua 29, Snow Canyon (Utah) 28
2000
Skyline 24, Kahuku 21
1999
Saint Louis 56, Salt Lake City West (Utah) 13
1998
Saint Louis 55, Green Valley (Nev.) 6
1996
Torrey Pines (Calif) 31, Punahou 14
1992
Kahuku def. Provo at BYU stadium
1977
Kamehameha 13, Rancho Alamitos (Calif.) 7
1974
Galileo (Calif.) 35, McKinley 20
Wooster (Nev.) 22, Kalani 18
1973
Punahou 42, Orem (Utah) 6
Radford 0, Provo (Utah) 0
1972
Farrington 24, Sierra (Calif.) 7
Kamehameha at Clark High (Nev.)
1971
Western (Nev.) 35, McKinley 7
South Salem (Ore.) 14, Punahou 8
Proctor Hud (Nev.) 14, Roosevelt 0
1970
St. Francis (Calif.) 6, Kaimuki 0
1969
Saint Louis 49, Los Gatos (Calif.) 19
1968
Farrington 26, Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 7
Medford (Ore.) 24, McKinley 14
1966
Kaimuki 39, St. Francis (Calif.) 14
Correction, my junior year at Kahuku 1992 was the first time Kahuku traveled to the mainland. We went to Provo, Utah under Coach Doug Semones and played Provo High School at BYU Stadium and beat Provo. The match up was called the Rumble in the Rockies.
I don’t think BG was as good as they are today. Scouting high school football talent and having kids transfer from different states was probably non existent.
Thanks, JustAfuam, I have confirmed the Rumble in the Rockies but not the score yet. It has been edited into the story along with Kailua’s win over Snow Canyon in 2002.
The Torrey Pines game against Punahou happened here (Punahou’s campus). Also, Iolani played Central Kitsap in Tacoma, WA, and lost 30-27 (2005).
1972 Clark High (Nev) 21, Kamehameha 14