There have been deeper, larger and bigger teams in the storied gridiron history of Kahuku football. There may not have been, however, a squad this balanced from position to position in some time.
. (Full preview of football teams in the OIA White.) Smaller schools like Kalaheo can endure all the challenges of academic issues and low turnout numbers. Yet, when August comes around, things change in a hurry. Though the Mustangs were so few back in the offseason that they had to cancel a game at Lahainaluna, they could ascend and compete for the title in the Oahu Interscholastic Association White (Division II) Conference. “Waipahu’s going to be tough. Pearl City and […]
Football season started around the state on Friday with a slew of games, including Saint Louis’ win over Roosevelt and Mililani’s tough victory over Kaimuki. The Star-Advertiser’s FL Morris was on hand to shoot the Saint Louis game while Jamm Aquino trekked to Mililani. [showtime]
Some observations from two scrimmages I saw recently. Waianae @ Pearl City Missed the first 15 minutes, but caught the rest. Waianae is still evaluating players, so they lined up in the shotgun most of the first half (if not all). Not much success there. Pearl City did a fairly good job finishing defensively. Sound fundamentally, tacklers getting low and wrapping. Good team pursuit. Pearl City’s offense didn’t do a whole lot either in the first half. Second half, Waianae […]
Some quick notes as the Tour resumed on Wednesday and Thursday. And yes, there’s nothing better than driving around the island on gorgeous, sunny, pristine August afternoons. I’m a fan of daytime football, and I’m a fan of daytime driving. The sights are so glorious. Driving back from Kahuku, Windward side, with the sky still lit, is natural beauty at its finest. Driving that route late at night, be careful. • Damien. The Monarchs are still fairly big up front, […]
Darnell Arceneaux has quite the brain for this game of football. The former Utah and Hawaiian Islanders quarterback is more than an offensive thinker, though. Balance has always been one of his priorities, and if that means meshing the X’s and O’s with renewed enthusiasm, so be it. Across the recently redone turf at Saint Louis’ field, the former Mililani coach barks, encourages and corrects through an afternoon practice on Monday — the team’s first in full pads. It’s the […]
With new coach Joseph Cho, the McKinley Tigers have a new approach this season. They have 42 on the roster and former head coach Bobby Grey remains as an assistant. Another former head coach, William Moeava, is the running backs coach. Cho, a former all-league linebacker at McKinley, coached in Oregon for 38 seasons before returning last month. The question now is whether there’s enough time for the Tigers to learn the nuances of Cho’s offense, which has some fly […]
At Kalani, hope is eternal. How else could anyone explain the robust turnout for the Falcons junior varsity team — in excess of 40 players each of the last three seasons — despite struggles in the win-loss columns? Quarterback Wilkins Kato is one of the seniors who have ridden Kalani’s recent run back into competitiveness. Scores have been closer in recent years, and with the addition of Ron Lee to head coach Greg Taguchi’s staff, Kato sees the offense moving […]