Football

Just about a decade has passed since Doug Semones left Hawaii to continue his coaching career on the mainland. All the while, his devotion to the islands — Kahuku High School, in particular — never drifted far from this thoughts. Since relocating, Semones coached high school football in Idaho, crossed the country to take a job as an assistant at Yale before crossing back to take over as head coach at Occidental College in California. Throughout his travels, Semones made sure to […]

The first Hawaii Grown section of the 2016 fall season was published in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Profiled was former Kahuku and New Mexico State defensive back Kawehena Johnson, who had to retire from football due to a neck injury. Johnson had 130 tackles, four forced fumbles and three interceptions in 26 career games with the Aggies. At Kahuku, he was the Star-Advertiser’s choice as defensive player of the year in 2012 and went 46-2 in his high school career on […]

Close your eyes for a few seconds. Take yourself back to the 1970s. Maybe even the ’60s. Your TV? You’re lucky to have basic cable. USA Network is still a few years away from its NBA contract. Michael Jordan has yet to drop 63 points on the Boston Celtics during the playoffs. No, it’s the ’70s. High school football in Hawaii is still about the Prep Bowl. Larry Ginoza and the wing-T at Waianae. Cal Chai and the sky-blue accented […]

This is not your ordinary Hawaii high school team going off island for a football game on the mainland. This is the Kahuku Red Raiders going to Las Vegas. To the team itself, it’s another game, to be taken as serious as any other game. This ain’t no foolin’ around. For the citizens of the North Shore hamlet we call Kahuku, this is a carvival-like thing. Hawaii Prep World reported a few weeks ago that 2,000 tickets, the Red Raiders’ […]