The Kahuku football team will play in Las Vegas for the second year in a row, interim head coach Makoa Freitas said today.
On Sept. 9, the Red Raiders will play Utah Division 5A state champion Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) in the inaugural Polynesian Football Classic as the second game of a doubleheader at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Alta (Sandy, Utah) will go against Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) in the opener.
“It’s a good opportunity for the kids, and they’ll get the exposure and a chance to show the nation what they can do,” Freitas said.
Freitas was named the interim coach last month when the Kahuku administration decided to not bring back two-year head man Vavae Tata.
The Red Raiders went 11-2 last season. The only two blemishes were 35-7 at eventual national champion Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and 30-14 to Saint Louis in the inaugural Open Division championship game.
In 2007, Kahuku visited Utah and lost 27-0 to Bingham.
Liberty, the Nevada team playing in the opener, played two Hawaii teams in 2015, losing to Saint Louis 43-16 and beating Mililani 76-53. The Patriots had 13 players from Hawaii on their roster for those games.
“The Polynesian Football Classic will be an outstanding platform to celebrate culture and provide additional exposure for our student-athletes,” Freitas said in a news release.
Added Alta head coach Alema Te’o in the release: It will be a great cultural experience and an exciting day of football.”
A concert featuring Grammy-nominated Polynesian performer Fiji the Artist will be held in between games at 6:30 p.m.
Freitas has been attending offseason workouts with his Red Raiders.
“We have a great turnout,” he said in a phone interview. “The kids are happy and excited and it’s always good to have that.”
Tickets for the Polynesian Football Classic will go on sale June 1 via UNLVtickets.com.
For more information, go to PolynesianClassic.com.
Polynesian Football Classic
Sept. 9 at Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
>> Alta Hawks (Sandy, Utah) vs. Liberty Patriots (Henderson Nev.), 3:30 p.m.
>> Bingham Miners (South Jordan, Utah) vs. Kahuku Red Raiders, 8 p.m.
THE TEAMS in 2016
>> Alta Hawks (head coach Alema Te’o): 11-2 record, Utah Division 4A state semifinalist.
>> Bingham Miners (head coach John Lambourne): 14-0 record, Utah Division 5A state champion.
>> Liberty Patriots (head coach Rich Muraco): 12-2 record, Nevada Division 4A state runners-up.
>> Kahuku Red Raiders (interim head coach Makoa Freitas): 11-2 record, Hawaii Open Division state runners-up.
Wooohoooo!!
Cheehooo! 2nd round! Heawikooo!
RRFL!
Red Raiders always scheduling quality opponents! I love it! Best of luck up there,boys!
great opportunity not gonna lie my raiders struggle against utah teams hopefully they bring home a w
Definitely a win for experience and greater exposure at the next higher level of football for Red Raiders Varsity along with kick starting future mainland recruitment.
Awesome! Kahuku & STL should go every year. Islands two best teams…. I’ll be there!
Utah football bout to smash on Hawaii football once more. Good luck to both teams! 801 Taken it in both games!!
How do you get tickets?
@Fo’o … u wish boy.. that Kahuku team u when “smash” last time was in a rebuilding down year for them. SMASH NAAAHTIN!! 808ALLDAY !! Come play one HAWAII STATE CHAMP in Hawaii sometime Bingham.. we see who going get “SMASHED” 😉
@RootedNotRecruited We make Kahuku come here because you haven’t proven you can hang with the mainland. Youre not even the state champs. Ya’ll got SMASHED by St. Louis. Stop with the rebuilding excuses already….EVERY team EVERYWHERE is a rebuilding team due to graduates its HIGH SCHOOL!!! Thats just a poor sport excuse from the 808!! Every time ya’ll play a Utah team you get smashed and say its a rebuilding year! Good football programs know how to deal with losing starters and have other players step up EVERY YEAR not just every so often. Ya’ll soft! Bingham gonna smash you guys MARK MY WORDS!!! Wait and see! Haha I’ll be here after ya’ll lose! The funny thing is….Alot of teams would beat Kahuku and St Louis from Utah. Not just Bingham! Haha Ya’ll trash!
Well let’s see Utah come Hawaii and play then stop the talking and let’s see. Traveling has everything to do with it And and remember our QB is not playing. No blanking us out this time for sure if we played 2 years ago it would’ve been a different story RR4LIFE!!!
Well let’s see Utah come Hawaii and play then stop the talking and let’s see. Traveling has everything to do with it And and remember our QB is not playing. No blanking us out this time for sure if we played 2 years ago it would’ve been a different story RR4LIFE!!!
Alta couldnt beat Liberty?? haha Y’all trash @Foou Laho oops i mean @Foou Laho… auwe It doesnt matter
I am proud of the boys. RR4L. They did good. We only lost by 17. Barely a smash here in the islands. Kahuku could do so much better. But Kahuku doesn’t suck. (TO all those haters) one lost does not define them.