AFter his brilliant prep career,George Ornellas would have been excused for laying an egg in his last all-star game. The Saint Louis star wasn’t having it, though.
The rugged West defense held the state player of the year to minus-8 yards in the first half, including a loss of 10 yards thanks to Waianae linebacker George Burress, of a rugged affair at the Building Trades Council Goodwill Football Classic in front of a crowd of 3,814 at Aloha Stadium.
Ornellas then scored eight points in the fourth quarter and the East beat the West 15-9. He started his show with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Iolani’s Micah Blanton with 3:22 left for his 69th touchdown in 41 games.
Ornellas added a two-point conversion after Kahuku’s Mike Nuga nailed future NFL player James Fenderson of Miliani and forced him to cough up the ball at midfield. Fellow Red Raider Paulo Kamakeeaina scooped it and scored.
The East had 14 of the 24 players on the Star-Bulletin’s all-state team that year.
In my opinion the best football player in Hawaii high school history. Would anyone else like to second that.
I could support that argument. I had the pleasure/pain of coaching against him. He was amazing…my grandmother gave George a high compliment; she said she hadn’t seen a player like him since her brother – Herman Wedemeyer, another StL alum.
Follow up, she didn’t compare him to my Uncle Charles because she didn’t see him play in HS at Punahou, but others who have said that’s another comparison.
Yes I would definitely second that. I went to St. Louis and the only guy that could compare to him was dawg aka “Gerald Welch”. I played with Gerald since the 8th grade but George was a faster and more elusive Gerald. Which is crazy because they are cousins.
Second that. George made it look effortless. Every time he touched the ball you knew something special was going to happen.
Best? Good but not the best.
How about Agbayani? Acohido? Kaipo Mcguire? Kealoha?
And thats just some Crusaders during Georgies era.
There have been many good players, but if I had to point out one GREAT player in modern times, it would be TUA man, and I am not even a Crusaders fan.
No hate on Georgie, he was a human highlight film but there have been MANY good receivers from Kalaepohaku. I dont think that makes him the best football player in HS history.
My 7 cents.
Ornellas was exciting but if you say The BEST football player, I would choose Waianae’s “Kurt Gouveia”!!
Not only did he play both ways but was the OIA West Offensive Player of the year & State Defensive Player of the year. Could do it all & do it great.
Never seen Ornellas play defense so we’ll never know!
Hands down the GOAT!💯🤘🏼
Wait til you see his Nephew Trech Kekahuna and Chyler DeSilva play… They both get chance to be better then George and Gerald..
Ornellas was great, but the best is very hard to judge. A few to consider from the 90’s on since I’m not old enough to know prior.
Chris Kemoeatu, Timmy Chang, Joe Igber, Blaze Soares, Gerald Welch, Manti Te’o, Kaluka Maiava, Jordan Dizon, Samson Satele.
He was absolutely one of the most dynamic and electrifying players to watch.
imho, i believe, and this is saying alot considering i’m RRFL!!!, one of the best, if not the best prep player in Hawaii history is Chris Paogofie of Waianae. You can stick him at pretty much any position(except line). Him, and Manti Teo.
RRFL!!
Chad Owens, Danny Padello, Joe Igber were great athletes, maybe different positions
What happened to George Ornellas/? He kind of disappeared.
CrusaderDad, seems you are a Kamehameha grad.
Hands down the best. alot of people dont know especially the younger generation. But George Ornellas just made incredible plays , saying to yourself, how the hell did he just do that, i mean he was amazing. If you go on youtube, they dont have his full career highlights but has the prep bowl ones against Kahuku, and let me tell you, he made the Kahuku Defense look silly lol. And thats when Kahuku supposedly had a great defense with Steve Lauulu and Vai Natoa. BTW can anybody get his career highlights? I know they had one before and it was so fun to watch. He just made incredible play after play. AMAZING.
Charley Wedemeyer was a good one.
Charley Wedemeyer from Punahou in the early 60s was a good one, QB and DB. Went on to Michigan State and played slot back, then on to coach high school in CA before succumbing to ALS.
Georgie Boy was the best Hawaii high school football I had ever seen. What he did against arguably the best Kahuku team ever was simply amazing. I’m a proud Red Raider and have no qualms about saying that.
Everybody has their own opinion but NO one will ever know who was the best Hawai’i HS FOOTBALL player!!
NOT EVEN CLOSE, the best of all time, hand him the ball 25 times a game, and his touchdown record would’ve never been broke, compare his touchdowns and his touches a game, it was unbelievable, what about his 8 touchdowns in the state championship games(prep bowl back then) scored them by Kick off return, punt return, receiving and rushing, and for kicks and giggles, 1st team all state punter too, DA GOAT
Every comment here shows such great knowledge and history of Hawaii prep football. I have never seen a more dynamic HS player than George Ornellas but I agree that Kurt Goveia, Pagofie, Igber with undersized lineman and Charlie Wedemeyer and others mentioned were awesome. We might never know who was best but we can be proud that we have great prep football in the 808
The arguing starts at 2nd place. Anyone who saw George in 93 and 94 knows there couldn’t possibly have been a better high school football player in any era.
What happened? He played a little bit for UH but clearly his heart wasn’t into it. He realized what it was going to take to play in the NFL and figured he didn’t love the sport enough to keep going. I figure if he had he would have had an ok career. Return specialist, backup slot receiver type for a few years.