The Star-Advertiser duo of Billy Hull and Paul Honda talk about the final two games of the Hawaii high school football season. Saint Louis and Kahuku clash for the D-I title while Kapaa and Radford face off for the Division II state championship.
The final four teams remaining in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships can all play defense. That might mean many of the following lists don’t change following Friday night’s doubleheader at Aloha Stadium. Here are the best performances in the game that matters most every year. The first list is for Prep Bowl and Division I state title games while the second is strictly the Division II state title games (since 2003). Division I (Prep Bowl and state championship […]
Cal Lee doesn’t have a lot of quick answers, if any, about many of the things that teenagers care about. Favorite movie? Pause. “I just don’t have the time for that,” he explains. Favorite TV show? Pause. “You know how old I am? I gotta think way back,” Lee said before practice on Wednesday afternoon. “These are tough ones. Like taking the SAT. I like Family Feud.” For many of the Crusaders, there is no off-field hobby. There is schoolwork. […]
With the First Hawaiian Bank / HHSAA state football championships coming up on Friday, let’s play a little bit of extreme fantasy football. The difference in this, however, is that is is completely and utterly subjective from the beginning to the end. The big game got us to thinking, what would a matchup of all-time teams for Kahuku and Saint Louis look like? What if they all gathered together in their prime, took over the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park and […]
At least two Kapaa players are in the Division I college category, according to Warriors head coach Phillip Rapozo. So, fans in attendance Friday night in the Division II state championship game, if they want, can take an extra look at offensive tackle Morris Unutoa and linebacker Mosese Fifita. Sure, lots of Kapaa players have had a hand in the success of the team over the past two Kauai Interscholastic Federation championship seasons, but these two have the size and […]
Saint Louis’ historic run of Prep Bowl titles ended only because of a format change. The Crusaders had won their 13th consecutive Prep Bowl in 1998, sliding past Kahuku, 28-20. A year later, the first Hawaii high school state tournament was put together by the HHSAA and featured eight teams. It didn’t slow Saint Louis down as the Crusaders won the first official “state championship” shutting out the Red Raiders in the final, 19-0. From then on, things quickly began […]
Kahuku coach Vavae Tata is counting more than wins. Shortly after dismantling Mililani in the OIA championship game, Tata’s first response to Paul Honda was ‘That is seven, right? Seven shutouts?’ Sure, the Red Raiders defense blanked the Mililani machine, but the Trojans scored six on a fumble return. Whether it is truly a shutout is a matter of debate, but with those points or without them Tata has his defense on a historic run. Kahuku has to hold Saint […]
In the frenzy of postseason football, the Radford Rams found another identity. The Rams (12-0) aren’t just a run-first, no-holds-barred-defensive minded team. When pushed to the limits, they can adjust on the fly. Saturday’s 48-46 win over Konawaena pushed Radford someplace a bit uncomfortable, yet the result was soothing. Radford threw the ball on the quick Wildcats, and when necessary, they rammed the ball between the tackles on the game’s most crucial drive, taking more than 5 minutes off the […]