Football

Contrary to rumor, Nanakuli is not forfeiting its win over Kaiser. Oahu Interscholastic Association football coordinator Harold Tanaka said on Tuesday that Nanakuli is playing in the OIA White title game next week. “There’s nothing going on to my knowledge,” Tanaka said of the rumored investigation into possible ineligible players who participated in last week’s 28-21 win over Kaiser. Over on the Big Island, what’s fact and not rumor is that Ka‘u has forfeited this weekend’s game against Kamehameha-Hawaii. ESPN […]

Well, now what? Honokaa 78, Ka‘u 0. That happened over the weekend. That follows Konawaena’s 91-8 win the week before. The critics who accused Konawaena of running up the score haven’t said much — yet — about Honokaa’s 78-point margin of victory. If you examine the Konawaena-Ka‘u game video (highlights) (courtesy of Sportz Viz) and the analysis of Konawaena’s game management by Wildcats assistant coach Brad Uemoto (see below), it seems very clear that Ka‘u is simply a tough, gritty, young […]

OK, that’s a bit extreme, but in the world of Division II football in Hawaii, Nanakuli’s amazing 28-21 comeback win tonight over Kaiser — at the Cougars’ field — is the upset of the year. Kaiser led Nanakuli 21-0 and, frankly, it really didn’t feel like the Golden Hawks were up to the challenge. But they had the will to stay in the game, and they let their great athletes make plays. Dezmond Kaaihue blocked a punt and recovered in […]

Here are some extra photos from three Friday night football games. Punahou beat Saint Louis 38-0, Leilehua defeated Moanalua 29-3 and Mililani beat Campbell 42-14.

Saturday, 2:10 am: What a night. I saw Kapolei battle Farrington toe to toe for three quarters, and during that game at the Ticky, we heard updates from the Kahuku-Waianae game, which Waianae led for much of the way. I actually didn’t know exactly who won that Kahuku-Waianae game until I sent my game story (after the lights were turned off at Ticky) and asked. I’d already tried to imagine a postseason without Kahuku, but as well as Waianae had […]

8:20 p.m. Here’s the podcast from Josh Pacheco’s interview with Konawaena coach Cliff Walters on ESPN 1420 AM earlier today. Josh asks Coach Walters about the “payback” comment by former Ka‘u coach Greg Rush. However, there is speculation that the forfeitures by Konawaena this season (three wins, including one BIIF D-II game) were started out as formal complaints by Ka‘u. 3 p.m. So what to make of lopsided scores and, in the words of one coach, “demoralized” kids on the […]