Hawaii Prep World editor Billy Hull and KHON2 Sports Director Rob DeMello preview the OIA playoffs with a look at players to watch in each division, plus talk about the best rivalries in Hawaii high school football. Have an opinion? Chime in in the comments section below.
The 2018 season was glorious for Na Menehune of Moanalua for nine weeks. After nine wins, however, Moanalua fell in the OIA Division I playoffs to Castle. This time around, Moanalua has the top seed in the playoffs again, and the matchup with Kailua won’t be easy. The teams played a thriller early in the season, a 19-18 win by Moanalua. Moanalua Coach Savaii Eselu and senior wide receiver Rudy Kealohi chatted with Hawaii Prep World after practice on Wednesday […]
Back in the day, there was a certain way to play linebacker in the trenches. Blaze Soares was the epitome, his picture next to “linebacker’ in the dictionary. Soares was a fixture of Castle’s defense during an OIA championship season in 2002. The following year, the league split into Divisions I and II. Soares went on to a big role at Hawaii, and now, at 31, he’s a family man. He is also a first-year defensive coordinator at No. 5-ranked […]
USC running back Vavae Malepeai will have knee surgery, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Malepeai, the former Mililani star who ranks second on Hawaii’s all-time list of leading rushers, was enjoying a successful season as a starter for the Trojans. “Vavae is a warrior,” USC coach
In a perfect world, the offense has balance. In Sterling Carvalho’s reality, Kahuku does what it takes to win games. This year, Kahuku has run the ball 76 percent of the time, more so since losing at Mililani to begin the Open Division schedule. Carvalho, in his second season as head coach, chatted with Hawaii Prep World on Wednesday about the return to heavy-run offense, and a home playoff battle with Campbell and its head coach, Darren Johnson — the […]
It took, very possibly, the best and toughest efforts by all of the Mililani Trojans to rally past Moanalua 15-25, 28-26, 25-13, 21-25, 15-10 in the final of the OIA Division I girls volleyball playoffs on Wednesday night at Na Menehune gym. Falanika Danielson was tremendous again, pounding 24 kills and scoring four of her team’s final six points in the fifth set. She had 21 kills in a semifinal win over Kahuku on Monday, and on Wednesday, she revealed […]
There was no obvious sign that Falanika Danielson was woozy. Or struggling with sinus infection. Or asthma. The powerful outside hitter simply played through and delivered once again for No. 4-ranked Mililani. The senior crushed 24 kills, adding a block along the way, as the Lady Trojans defended their OIA Division I crown with a resounding 15-25, 28-26, 25-13, 21-25, 15-10 win over No. 5 Moanalua in the home gym of Na Menehune on Wednesday night. Danielson was clutch with […]
ILH champion Kamehameha is the top seed in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships beginning Monday. Mililani earned the No. 2 seed in Division I after knocking off Moanalua in five sets, 15-25, 28-26, 25-14, 21-25, 15-10 for its second consecutive OIA championship, becoming the first team to repeat as OIA champion since Na Menehune in 2014-15. BIIF champion Kamehameha-Hawaii earned the No. 3 seed and MIL champion King Kekaulike is the fourth seed. The first round is […]