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Kana Loa Kaluna had a choice. He could have followed older brother Kaulana, who had a superb football career at Kaimuki under then-coach David Tautofi. Kana Loa’s dream, though, was elsewhere. After a cancelled junior year and the chance to play more as a senior, the Kahuku running back made his biggest impact on Thursday night. Kaluna rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries as Kahuku dethroned Saint Louis, 49-14, for the Open Division state title. Making […]

In every possible environment, Kainoa Carvalho has stepped up. Placekicker. Kick returner. Wide receiver. Even a little running back. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound playmaker bided his time as Kahuku used defense and special teams to take an early lead over Saint Louis. When the Crusaders changed its look in the second half, Carvalho got single coverage and wound up in the end zone twice. He finished with six receptions for 135 yards and two TDs. He sent three wind-aided kickoffs out […]

Thursday morning was different for Leonard Ah You and his neighbors in Laie. He was still asleep when the loudest of noises blared through the neighborhood. “I was woken up at 7 o’clock this morning. Auntie Peni Toilolo, she was blasting the tomahawk chop song driving through the community, telling everybody to wake up on the loudspeaker,” said Ah You, who had a state championship football game to play in another 12 hours. “I was like, oh man, the pressure’s […]

Where there’s one to begin the job, there’s another to finish it. When coaches say a game can change on three or four plays, they’re also inferring that elite players like Liona Lefau and Leonard Ah You are on the field. Lefau and Ah You capped a perfect season for Kahuku with scintillating plays on defense, offense and special teams in a 49-14 dusting of No. 2-ranked Saint Louis on Thursday night. Big Red’s perfect 10-0 season was punctuated by […]