Back-to-back wins by less than 10 points, including a 30-22 victory over an unranked Kapolei team in the state of Hawaii on Friday, has caused Saint Louis to plummet in the USA Today Super 25 released today.
The Crusaders, winners of 20 consecutive games, dropped all the way down to No. 17 in the poll. Saint Louis dropped just one spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 to No. 11.
Six undefeated teams jumped ahead of Saint Louis, including Pickering Central (Ohio), which moved up a spot with a 17-14 win over unranked Hilliard Davidson (Ohio).
The Crusaders were No. 11 in last week’s poll and played Friday’s game without starting quarterback Jayden de Laura.
It was an interesting week in the poll with Bingham (Utah) dropping five spots to No. 22 despite a 45-7 win over Westlake (Calif.). Good Counsel (Md.) fell five spots to No. 24 despite winning 55-0.
The reigning national champion, Mater Dei (Calif.), took over the top spot ahead of St. John Bosco (Calif.) after its 28-24 win over IMG Academy (Fla.), which dropped to No. 3.
Up next for Saint Louis is a trip out to Ewa Beach to play Campbell on Friday night. It’s the first meeting ever between the two schools.
ALL STL fans PLEASE don’t panic, it’s just a stupid National Ranking.
Until you play 3-4 Nationally Ranked teams a year you will NEVER be ranked in USA Today Top 5!!!
Even when STL had a 55 game winning streak they were never ranked in USA Today Top 5.
But You’re still Hawaii’s best team right now.
I’d say the top 5-8 schools on that list are indeed in a league of their own, everyone else falls into thee “best of the rest,” category. Kind of like a Boise St or CFU thing in college.
Don’t know why HPW keeps doing this weekly post. If you don’t play top 25 USA teams, it irrelevant. The next move would be the administration at STL. to fund road games to Cali.
no comment
Coach C its called marketing. Its in the best interest of the paper to keep the ILH schools names at the tip of our tongues.
all G. don’t need to be on that list to 3peat. red and blue comin thru
The top 10 in USA (plus STL in Hawaii) recruit and have 19yr old seniors…and then there is everyone else.
Awrite, so true. Sad, but true, the win-at-all-costs mentality of schools like Bishop Gorman, St John Bosco and St Louis. I was watching De La swale vs Bishop Gorman 2 weeks ago and DLS has way more Samoans and popolos than they had 15 years ago. I guess they figured they had to step up the recruiting if they wanted to keep up with the top football schools on the West Coast. IMG doesn’t even call themselves a “school”. They are an academy dedicated to turning out better athletes. I was checking the ILH status last night. I figured St Louis was already in the state Open tournament cuz Punahou already has 2 losses. But no, there is still a playoff and St Louis has to beat Punahou again, when it counts. Oct 28. I figure Punahou gonna beat Kamehameha in the #2 vs #3 game. Punahou got the athletes to beat St Lulu.
19yr old recruit excuse is a joke, always has been.
Players that level up will be facing grey shirts, red shirts, medical red shirts, 21 plus year old freshmen for spots on the depth chart, scholarships, etc.
The NCAA rules are wide open for grown men. Too much money involved for students, university, NCAA and the NFL.
Why wouldn’t students/parents/coaches strategize the best plan for themselves??
The constant narrative here and everywhere else is nobody likes smart people (I was a 17 yo grad).
Who really cares about these National Rankings? STL will 3-peat and are loaded with talent for the next few years. With another Heisman trophy coming to the slopes in 2 years the winning tradition will continue…
JS, the slopes of Mililani? Milton does more with less then the stacked Al. team. Just saying.
Charles I agree with you. Tua being held back and graduating from STL as a 19 yr old senior is the difference that will have him making millions when he goes #1 in the draft. If he graduated at 18 in 2015 he would not have participated and won the 2016 Elite 11 QB camp that following summer, along with the 2016 state title his hype and stock was sky high which set him up at Alabama. He is talented beyond belief but that extra year to mature in high school helped to build the momentum.
I dont see why its a no-no topic for mainstream media to talk about kids that are heldback. OC16 loves to talk about what kids transfer where, heck, Filipi Ojastro even goes as far to say where the kids were born. Hows about he start talking about if they are 18 (turning 19yr) old seniors playing in the playoffs.
Imagine if the seniors on Kahukus 2015 state winning team (Anae, Gilman, Santiago, Tapusoa, Lefau, Latu) were held back and Tua had to see them again in 2016? Different outcome I guarantee.
Holding the kid back a year to mature is a smart move, but OIA parents dont think to do it until they realize in middle school that their kid is a phenomenal athlete and then the only way to hold them back is to transfer to an ILH school and sit out one year. The ILH get that much stronger with these heldback kids, and the OIA lose those phenomenal athletes. Thats why the ILH have so many advantages on the field and I am not impressed with their athletic programs.
If you want to hold them back in 7-8th grade just have them get 4-5 F’s and they will be held back.
No need transfer ILH!
@Just Saying
Another STL Bandwagon fan that doesn’t understand STL should win every year, what’s the BIG deal? As long as Cal & The Real HC Ron is there STL has a 95% chance of winning it all.
It’s so funny as all the other posts have no comments….just the ones with Kahuku and Saint Louis. All the Kahuku nut huggers talking smack, then the same nut huggers talking smack about Saint Louis.
Bbwwaahhaahhaahhaa!
@Coach C
Make up your mind? You talk about STL being the cream of the crop with recruiting and winning traditions and OIA cannot hang, Cal Lee best coach and earned having 90 top players, than you talk about Milton(OIA) winning Heisman over Tua(ILH) cause Alabama is stacked and Milton has less to work with🤭
It’s FUNNY that you never say STL is stacked?
They just work hard and win😂
Go back to coaching your 5 and under Park League Flag Football Team and leave this blog to adults with football common sense!
Coach C
Word is that St. Louis is banned from traveling. IMG wouldnt mind traveling here. This year wouldve been the year for St. Louis to challenge the top 3 schools in the rankings. Because next year they lose tui on the Dline. Both bosco and Mater Dei Starting QB are only juniors so next year, knowing Coach Cal he not going schedule those two Cali powerhouse
???, If Cal is the best coach, how come Kalani never bring the Koa in 2012? Because public school no recruit. Cal only won after he didn’t shake hands with StL.alum coach Tata. Poor sport. But he got the green light from admin to recruit at all cost. Look at all the OIA players that left StL. Why? Because 100 players not going play. The second string will play at other schools and possibly get tape and looks from colleges. Even this “stay back”, one year? Not allowed in public school. No make the grades, No football.
Cal Lee not afraid of playing any body, play the best to be the best, thats what you need to do, and not like some other schools here playing soft teams on the Mainland, you need to play good quality teams, if you lose, it only teaches you how to be better.
The kids at all schools work hard, its the alumni and coaches that look for ways to cheat and the ILH take the cake.
I don’t understand why people are so bitter about kids going to private schools especially to play sports. Why y’all so mad?
Truthfully. All high school athletes work hard. It’s the adults and alumni that feed their ego with the kids sweat and blood.
All haters of the Crusaders, go, go Saints
Go Saints!
When the Saints (ST Francis) go marching in😂
Funny to listen to all the “conspiracy ” theories as to how , what, where this player or that, should play, should be held back, shoulda…..coulda……woulda….. The primary reason this kid or that goes to school is for an education. True, football is a means to higher education at schools their parents might not be able to afford, I guess even at the high school level, but again EDUCATION is the goal.
Too many parents think their sons are destined for the Pro’s. They fail to understand just how low the percentages are to achieve that level, given all the factors involved. Everything from grades, injuries, physicality, arrests, or just an unforeseen pregnancy. It is estimated that 90 % of the very best never make the Pro’s because of those pitfalls. The bottom line, make sure to take advantage of Your education along the way.
Good points Awrite!!
Also held back HS athletes DO NOT always equal better.
Played with older guys in high school and college…some studs, some scrubs.
Kahuku has been the most gifted athletes on the field. The difference is the coaching systems and the players commitment and faith in that system year in/out.
I listen to the same crap every week I no coach cal personally st louis is not giving scholarships to athletes look over the years how many guys go to public schools from st louis ask mililani kapolei and others you want to talk about recruiting look at punahou witch you guys never say a word about it coach cal coaching staff is the best look at kahuku three coaches in three years if they loose again they be looking for another coach at the end of the day we should support every player no Matter what school there from they all represent hawaii and by the way coach cal will play anybody that’s a fact
Hammer is right the amount of sports scholarships being given out at STL is in the few to none. The school has branded themselves to the point the parents will gladly pay for the “brotherhood” experience (sometimes it’s the parents that like being part of the brotherhood more than the kid), because the education there is honestly something you can get a public school. I used to sub there and currently sub DOE and that is a fact.
Hammer – I was one of those that said Cal was afraid to travel to the mainland, Im glad other posters cleared the air about STLs travel ban. I didnt know the incident (2002??) in vegas caused the travel ban.
The fact still remain that even if a top 5 team came to Hawaii to play STL its still on HIS turf under his terms. Visiting teams suffer jet lag and unfamiliar stadiums, routines etc…In recent years Kahuku and Mililani traveled to play the #1 team in the nation, got spanked but gained some respect.
There are a handful of coaches at Saint Louis that still coach and teach but the rest of the coaching staff is trash. They do nothing to get the kids ready for the next level. All they are doing is chasing wins by putting the most athletic players on the field then taking credit like they did something special. That’s not coaching.. Come over to the parking garage and see for yourself.
6to 8 years ago when punahou was winning everybody went after them now st louis is winning you guys talking rubbish again If st louis coaches is not doing a job then tell me why so many athletes go there and look how many guys went to the NFL when coach cal was coaching around 4 and how many prep bowls and state championships he has so don’t tell me that st louis wins just because they got all the players
I cant respect Cal (as a coach) until he closes his mouth and just “do work”, every year he says stuff on camera or in the paper to influence changing of schedules, leagues, policys..etc….Thats what politicians do. Yes, he is complaining. Why? because hes got a multi-million dollar private school and alumni hanging on to his coat tail. I understand, but does it make it right? Nope, its unethical.
Catholic schools in general are on a decline and STL as an institution survives off its football popularity. Previous STL coaches did not win ILH titles because they did not have the best talent. Talent = Titles.
You cant say John Hao was not a good coach at STL (2008-2010), you can only say that he did not have the best talent. Those years Punahou had the best talent in the ILH (6 starters from Kahuku and yeah Kahuku fans were vocal about PUNS recruiting too!). In 2015 John Hao is the OC for Kahuku and they win the title. He had better talent at Kahuku then at STL.
Cal Lee is all about gathering the best talent at his school in order to win titles and he has shown to cross ethical lines that the previous STL coaches didnt want to, even Kale ane at Punahou limits himself to take a little talent here and there to be competitive but hes not going to go all out, which we know Punahou has the money to do.
The problem with the aggressiveness of Cals football program to be #1 every year is that he is indirectly lowering the opportunities to surrounding public schools and athletes. “Win-at-all-costs” mentality is good for STL, but not good for the greater community and state. Think of monopolies in business.
Lets say a new state of the art hotel pop up in Waikiki that is the tallest structure in the world (160 stories) has bigger luxurious rooms and very aggresive pricing. 5 star dining and amazing experiences for visitors and locals…yet they have crushed the local market by putting smaller hotels out of business, not only that but periodically the overload of occupancy cause sewer spills into the alawai canal polluting the aina. This hotel pays fines every year but they bite the cost because annually they profit 50x as much as they pay in fines. The executives and shareholders laugh all the way to the bank every year.
That is called bad business ethics, they have a responsibility to be good patrons of their community but greed is greater.
Heisman trophies, state titles, Top10 ranking, is all good for the brotherhood but not good for anyone else. Dont try to convince yourself that all the attention is good for all of Hawaii cause nothing in the ILH is done if it dont benefit them FIRST…believe me I know a few brotherhood and that is how they think.
OIA and ILH are distinctly two different monsters. Dont compare teams or coaches. Stay in yo own lane! ..but too late the ILH had to come in our lane and cramp our stylez!
If you cant get what you need out of your public schools its nice to have options by way of a private school. No one trying to monopolize nothing.
ILH got the bread, Kahuku got the bread fruit. jk!
Coach cal don’t talk much who ever said different is lying let talk facts look at the schedules the ILH got to travel to the OIA schools look at kahuku field is horrible like so many others and let’s look at there schedule they play only waianae Campbell and the guys from kalihi now look at the state tournament last year st louis was ranked number one in the state all year in the tournament they had to play mililani then the next week kahuku we all no that number 1 plays 4 2 plays 3 did you see coach cal crying what he did like he been doing for decades is keep winning just like Donald Trump is doing I am tired of hearing excuses what’s next the way coach cal dresses buy the way punahou used a lot of the money from the carnival for scholarships there’s nobody like coach cal and ron when you are good your good why don’t other coaches do what coach cal is doing nobody can because he’s simply the best better then all the rest
Simple answer for Hammer!
If you had 5 basketball players from Kalani HS & I I grabbed 5 best players from around the state, who would win 99.9% of the time?
Best Coach? 😂😂
So let weigh this out so nick sabian from Alabama must be a horrible coach to because everyone wants to go to Alabama he’s cheating like all you guys is saying No there’s no difference if people wants to go to a good program don’t blame the Coaches when coach cal retires and st louis is not the team to beat you cry babies will cry and make excuses about why the another team is winning like I said if is so easy why not every school is not doing the same and for the person that made a comment about kids from kalani don’t have a clue about coaching you can’t win the Kentucky derby with donkeys
The comment section has now dumbed down to the lowest form. Donald Trump has nothing to do with high school football.
I am tired of explaining I was trying to make it easily for people like you that don’t have a clue about what you are talking about look at the rest of the coaches when ask about coach cal they have the most respect for him all of them is trying to be like them you want to talk about people playing football that’s older what about Byu Utah when they go on there missions come back in there mid twenties as men and playing against young men all you cry babies st louis is the best team in the state period once coach ron get offense on the same page if the defense aloha 3peat one more thing kahuku always claim they must talent every year so with that been said then why is it that they keep firing the coaches three in three years
Every new coach at Kahuku has gone to the state title game, TaTa winning it all, proof they have talent and coaching is secondary. I think York has been the best high school coach the past 10 years, goes to show what he can do with just 3 or 4 recruited players, while Cal Lee has 90 recruited players and barely beating a homegrown Kahuku team the past 2 state title games.
@Hammer
you can’t win the Kentucky derby with donkeys!
You just answered my question in your own silly way!!
Comparing Alabama to STL is a stupid comparison because STL can and does recruit the best and the OIA CANNOT! What don’t you understand? Would it be fair if only Alabama could recruit? “NO” but every college CAN recruit!
If coach Look was at STL he would win Every year too! WHO’s The Donkey Now?
???…..I think your a donkey! Oh I forgot your an IDIOT!
bbwwaahhaahhaahhaa
Coach Look Hahahaha bunch of jokesters! Desperate little trolls making up stories.
@ALLILH
Give back your ILH diploma.
It’s YOU’RE not YOUR.
TRUE DONKEY😂
Bro look at OIA you can go to any school you want you don’t know what the hell you are talking about 6 to 7 years ago st Louis was losing to punahou when coach cal came back they beat every body you think it’s easily what coach cal have done over the years you never coach a day in your life
At least we know now ALLILH went to St Louis.
I coached 5 year olds in flag football that were smarter than you.😂
NUFF SAID!!
@Hammer
Change your name to NAIL cause Everybody on this blog Hammer’s 🔨 you daily!!
Fag football I coach and I am a strength coach for over 20 years I am tired of wasting my time with jealous scrubs keep your ass coaching fag football I am done with crap
Vae used the Saint Louis mentaility with the Elephant package to please the village and win the ship. Does very little for football IQ unless you plan on Army or Nebraska. Hao knew this and his QB resume speaks for itself. Maybe Sol Jay would’ve stayed???
The heart of RR football is Coach Santiago…DEFENSE wins games. Big turnovers,TFLs all have a huge impact.
When Cal came back to STL he knew he had to tap into the outer islands so he brought with him..
konawaena DB – Luca Vartic
maui DE – Tristan NIchols
Waipahu LB – Jordan Iosefa
Kaiser LB – Isaac Matautia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC_07oToRuM
Where were all the transfers when Hao was coaching at STL? Cal has many friends that look up to him thats why he is the #1 recruiter in the islands. Imagine having elite talent from all 5 islands.
Cal built his name in the 90s as a guru but little did people know all he did was exploit loop holes in the system (recruiting and holding back kids). People cannot admit that he only wins with advantages. Other STL coaches wont go there but its Cals thing so no one thinks its wrong.
Talent = Titles
Cals brother Head coach at Baldwin helping to send the elite from Maui to STL
Ron Lee run-n-shoot- is great at the HS level and he does have a track record of helping develop WR and QB’s. I can see why kids want to get into his system at STL, props to that. But without linemen, linebackers and DB’s you cant contend for titles, that is where Cal lee come in and try to get DBs from Kahuku, Linemen from Kalihi and linebackers from ewa beach.
Kahuku vs. Hawaii rematch coming November 17
HOW ABOUT THEM ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDERS – 6 -1 record! The best record in such a long time. AND, they got a great former STL coach, and two STL boys who transferred and enrolled at RHS. Kudos to the coaching staff, the football players and many supporters who helped make their football program a huge success!