At one point in history, Kahuku and Waianae had combined to win 11 consecutive OIA titles.
The Red Raiders have won more OIA championships than anyone else — 24 to be exact. Next on the list? Waianae with 18.
Some will say it’s hard to call it a rivalry when Kahuku has won 15 consecutive meetings, but the atmosphere at Carleton Weimer Field on Friday night when the fourth-ranked Seariders face the top-ranked Red Raiders will definitely show otherwise.
Kahuku versus Waianae is a rivalry worthy of a name, especially now that the teams have played at least once every season since 2009.
But as it turns out, it’s a rivalry that might already have one.
Back in 1975, the Seariders slugged their way to a 13-6 win over the Red Raiders. The two teams had played three times in two years alternating victories. Prior to that, the last regular-season meeting took place in 1969 when Kahuku hosted Waianae and played to a scoreless tie.
Before losing by a touchdown in ’75, then-Kahuku coach Chuck Meade dubbed the game the “Crunch Bowl” for all the vicious hits that took place.
Waianae coach Larry Ginoza responded, saying. “He can talk like that because he’s got the people to crunch people. If we had people like that we could say the same thing.”
Surely, Ginoza was simply being humble to his former assistant, because his Seariders that season were the real deal. They went on to win the OIA championship and were 12-0 before losing in the Prep Bowl to Kamehameha. Despite the 20-14 loss to the Warriors, Waianae finished the year allowing just 5.4 points per game (4.2 ppg excluding the Prep Bowl).
That 0-0 tie in ’69 is the closest Waianae has come to winning a game at Kahuku in 50 years, but the Seariders have had opportunities since. Waianae is 0-6 on the North Shore since that game with all six contests happening between 2003 and 2013. Kahuku has averaged 28.3 points in those six wins while holding the Seariders to 10.2 points per game.
You’d think Waianae would have gotten its shot to return the favor at Raymond Torii Field on the West side, but as it turns out, the two teams have not played in Waianae since the night Meade dubbed the rivalry the “Crunch Bowl.”
The next 24 meetings all took place at Aloha Stadium until Kahuku hosted Waianae and won 41-8 in 2003. The two teams played four more times at Aloha Stadium before Kahuku hosted five consecutive meetings. Friday will mark the seventh time since 2003 Kahuku hosts Waianae, yet the Red Raiders haven’t made it to Waianae’s field in more than 40 years.
The rivalry has become one-sided since the beginning of the state championship era in 1999. Kahuku has won eight of the 17 Division I state championships while Waianae, which hasn’t won an OIA title since 1997, has only advanced to a state final once — and that was only after Kahuku had to forfeit its season. The series history between the two schools shows that as well. Kahuku has won 15 consecutive meetings since Waianae’s last victory — a 12-7 final on Sept. 22, 2000. Overall, the Red Raiders lead the series 26-13-1 in the Prep Bowl and state championship eras, but before that game on Sept. 22, 2000, it was Waianae which held a 13-11-1 advantage.
Kahuku won both games last year without allowing a point, but a 13-0 win in the state semifinals was probably the toughest game the undefeated Red Raiders had all year.
The recent trends all favor Kahuku, but the Seariders have a lot going in their favor. Waianae has already knocked off two ranked teams this season with both wins coming on the road. The Seariders have an experienced quarterback in two-year starter Jaren Ulu. Kahuku will start a freshman in Sol-Jay Maiava at quarterback. The Seariders have already been tested this season. Kahuku (49-15 vs. Leilehua, 50-7 vs. Aiea) hasn’t.
Rarely do we get a regular-season game in late August with as much buildup and hype as this. Waianae is telling all of its fans making the trip to wear blue, while the home crowd will undoubtedly be a mass of red and white.
A bowl game atmosphere in late-August? Sure, we’ll take it. We’ve even got a name for it that is still pretty fitting of these two schools some 41 years later.
The Crunch Bowl is just two days away.
ban jeezy and educationfirst ipaddress, they contribute nothing to these posts. A lot of RR fans complain and cry but atleast we hold some weight to our arguments, the other guys are just hate mongers.
Um, no @jeezy33 we’re built for the sport, and when we don’t qualify academically we play rugby…. another sport we are built to play, it’s simple math…. per capita in the United States, it’s like having 30 kids from Honolulu in the nfl. And trust me, it’s a culture shock to come here from the mainland and see how easy it is to get sushi, Chinese, Korean, thai, filipino, Vietnamese food here…. RICE is everywhere here especially McDonald’s and 7/11 lol.. did Kamehameha eat his food rice??? And yes the Locals and Hawaiians have pretty much linked up more with the Asian community…. everywhere u look here, sashimi, musubi, fried noodle, katsu, teriyaki, adobo… L&L is not Hawaiian bbq… there is only one hawaiian word on their menu “Lau Lau”. Nvm….. you wouldn’t understand, I’m on the outside looking in…. but I’m not from waipahu!!!!
Alpha, please write a post to me AFTER you study hard and get your GED. Maybe your writing skills would’ve improved by then and I’ll be able to make out coherent thoughts and sentences in whatever drivel you think passes as writing. Until then, have a great life!
@jeezy33, ok, twist the words around like everybody can’t read my post. Your the one who’s not getting it…
OK everyone, this has all gone way too far. I’ve deleted some posts.
I really don’t want to have to start banning people around here. Knock off the silly stuff or we’ll start banning IP addresses. Simple as that. Keep it clean and fun. We really don’t want to play babysitter around here, but some of these comments are ridiculous.
I used to think ILH had alot of class but some of these post are crazy! More I gotta root for OIA.
@Billy Hull
Amen to that! Most of the post ain’t even about football, if you wanna talk about your life there’s a section for that!
It’s called Dear Abby……
Education1st is unreal. Unbelievable the things people can say about others anonymously. Must feel real good throwing arouns trashy comments.
@YouWeesh, right on and you right about the English major “Education First”, he’s more like Education First Grade or even upgraded to EGO FIRST sure sad when they’re over qualified
and they take it personal; eh like this is only the Star Advertiser and not the Democratic Convention; he must be in bed by now charging up his numbers and letters. RR4LE.
@87, you got my vote on banning jeezy and education/egofirst!?!?
Man… Some people on these blogs are terrible… Very Sad… Remember these are KIDS! Good luck to BOTH Teams, should be an exciting game!
I take offense to that 87. I am the only person on here to put empirical data to cement facts. You guys spit opinions with no evidence what so ever. You just rant and rave with barely or little supporting evidence.
I put links to documents to show credible and accurate information. I have cited the Hawaii Department of Education’s SBAC scores for data. I have cited US World Cities Education Report to provide more evidence regarding academics and assessment.
Let me ask you this 87:
1) How does saying the academics at Kahuku is low, then providing ELA, Math, and Science scores to strengthen my argument hate? So you are saying anytime someone provides facts that illustrates a huge need based on very low test taking scores, then they are hating?
2) Telling the Kahuku community that they have failed their children since their test scores are so low and the percentage of students-athletes who get a full college scholarship is very low is hating? Let me guess you are going to blame the DOE system and teachers out there for the low scores right? Parents are never responsible for lack of academics right?
Let’s be real. I am by far the most intelligent contributor on here. You guys often misspell words (and I am not talking about accidentally pressing the incorrect key and just forgetting to proofread). You guys often write in the wrong form. You use past tense and then present tense in the same sentences. Composing run on sentences seems to be the norm. Creating an unorganized piece of writing where thoughts at not clear and precise if common.
My writing should be a model that all you fans appreciate and look at as a model. And, it’s free. You get to read (assuming you can read) scholarly writing free of charge.
You guys should say thank you. But instead of looking at the origin or root of the problem which is lack of accountability with regards to academics, you guys get angry and point fingers.
Didn’t your parents teach you the first finger should always be pointed at yourselves? Numbers don’t lie my friend. But if you could sell a state trophy for say, $5,000,000 then maybe it could work.
But last time I checked, I don’t think you could trade the state trophy for a bowl of soup so you guys are kind of in a rut if you don’t improve on your academics. Luckily the government cares and provides things like free and reduced lunches and welfare. Could you imagine what would happen to that community if they didn’t?
The football team would be decimated since I am confident many students wouldn’t be able to compete for lack of food and government assistance to keep their families operating.
Donald Trump on high school blogs now? Geez.
87, when I am half asleep spitting nonsense, it is still far more academic and scholarly than anything you could compose on your best day with the help of your mommy (and my mommy too if need be).
I contribute facts like how bad Kahuku is at taking standardized tests. I even will cite sources and provide data.
Do you even know how to do this? If you play your cards correct, I might help you one day.
@JEEZY! Touche my brother! That was one of the best written posts ever on here. Too bad I am the only one who understood what you wrote.
@Jeezy! Great writing!
@Auwe great advice about Dear Abby especially for Education Numero Uno; noticing that he’s got a captive audience of readers and if you read his ego comments, them are not comments to enjoy but similar to lecturing down on 4th graders; if he’s local home grown he may be over educated or over qualified for comments among his peers but if he’s imported, then his own Dear Abby column would be more suitable; lastly, not all witty people have wisdom to elaborate and understand what our local flavor lives by so he may excused for going over our heads. Good luck to either team and for the game winning nation, drive safely on the way home tonight like best to celebrate hard tomorrow without the pads on, it’s safer.
Actually this Waianae team has a lot of high GPAs. There are a bunch of 4.0 student athletes on this team as I’m sure there is on Kahuku. There are actually like 5-7 starters that are in calculus and physics. And a whole bunch in trigonometry. True education has changed, but the numbers are what they are.
@Education First
You should try being HUMBLE FIRST!!
You would get more outta life being humble instead of putting other people down or Try to make them look stupid!!
Gotta be honest, you the only one coming across sounding ignorant! That’s all I got to say about that!
As far as football is concerned, wish both teams a good and safe game.
Good Luck!!! Go Big Red
Great game and awesome defense by the Red Raiders and the offense short ground attack was unstoppable; Kahuku 28 and Waianae 0 is a good closing score so remember to drive home safely and leave the celebration for tomorrow and please don’t do anything that will compromise your LV trip; how sweet it is and so rest up, heal, and be ready. Congratulations to Tata and Hao Inc. and especially the varsity men. RR4L