Three-time defending Hawaii state champion Saint Louis (11-0) ends the 2018 prep football season ranked No. 7 in the country in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25.
The football season ended on the mainland with North Shore (Tex.) winning the 6A D-I state championship on a game-winning TD pass on the final play of the game against Duncanville to finish as the MaxPreps national champion.
The Crusaders, who have won 26 games in a row, finished at No. 7, which matched the highest ranking they received all season.
Saint Louis, which finished No. 12 in the final USA Today Super 25, declined at invite to play in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series on Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz.
Eastside Catholic (Wash.) shut out host Centennial (Ariz.) 17-0 in the West Region game. St. Frances (Md.) defeated Lee County (Ga.) 43-14 in the other game.
The Crusaders had nine players selected to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State first team, including defensive player of the year Faatui Tuitele.
Five Saint Louis players also signed with Division I schools on the first day of the early signing period — Tuitele (Washington), OL Ben Scott (Arizona State), DL Gino Quinones (USC), OL Arasi Mose (Hawaii) and DL Isaiah Filisi (Army).
The cupboard is still plenty full looking ahead with defensive player of the year candidates Jordan Botelho and Nick Herbig returning at linebacker.
Botelho is the top-rated prospect in the state out of the junior classic and Herbig is in the top three with six offers already (Stanford, Washington, Wisconsin, USC, Utah, Hawaii).
Quarterback Jayden de Laura returns after throwing for 2,368 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 more rushing TD’s.
Only No. 2 Mater Dei and No. 3 St. John Bosco finished higher than the Crusaders in the West Region in the MaxPreps rankings. Saint Louis was fourth in the West Region in the USA Today 25 behind No. 11 De LaSalle (Calif.).
Well deserve Crusaders, congratulations to everyone on the team and all the coaching staff and Saint Louis School.
@ilh, well deserve or Well Deserved ??
You sure you’re ILH edumacated😂
big ups to the person who writes the recruiting checks for STL. without that guy, Cal wouldn’t be able to buy any players
Players just want to play for a program that is already established. St. Louis was going pretty good with winning seasons, state championships, being in the state finals a few times even after Cal retired from STL in 2001. STL lost a few games even with recruits. So no other school in the state recruits players, or ask families to apply for district exemption and transfer their kids except for STL? Hard to believe.
Bro why don’t you send a football athlete at st louis and see if he has a full ride bull shit everybody hates when teams like st Louis dominate it’s the coaches the school and there program that’s separate from other schools punahou gives scholarships why you guys not crying about that because they can’t beat st louis
your “coach” broke high school football by stealing all the kids from their districts and holding them back until they’re 19 years old. the only reason why GEs and people transferring and recruiting is because your boy “coach” cal started it all. the only reason why STL has an established program is because he built the program out of stolen players
your “coach” losing games even though he buys an all-star team every year shows how bad he is at actually coaching. STL should win every year with the kind of team he buys every season but they don’t and that’s really sad
Funny when Kahuku had a winning streak and Mililani, Leilehua won state championships, the haters were quiet and stop complaining. Every great team have unexpected loses. It is called “upsets”. Remember when Cal Lee lost 2x against Kahuku, and lost 4 years ago? STL is beatable like any great team. So haters should stop complaining about this stealing all the kids. Just be like those Kahuku, Mililani, & Leilehua teams that won the state championship with great coaches and players that “chose” to stay where they are. You should talk to the parents who “choose” to leave. Silly how haters will keep posting negative things until their team get back their glory.
#6 Notes: Oh boo hoo hoo…wah wah wah…sounds like u need some cheese to go with all that whining
Lol @ notes. How many ILH championships has Cal won since he came back to St. Louis? How many state championships has Cal won since he came back to St. Louis? Do your homework before saying crazy stuff like “Cal doesn’t win every year and that’s sad.”
Same Ol’ sour grapes again. Get a life peeps Football season is over.
i agree with #4. If it wasnt for the coaching at STL what big time colleges would bother coming to the islands. Education and development!!!!!! Why you think kids go to Bama or UW over UH? support, development and exposure. stop crying ppl the ILH is good for kids. Hell see the Herbig brothers from Kauai.