Hawaii Prep World will be releasing summer previews of all 29 Oahu varsity football teams in advance of the 2017 season that kicks off in early August.
13TH IN A SERIES
KAHUKU RED RAIDERS
>> 2016 record and finish: 11-2 (7-0 OIA Blue); beat Leilehua 63-0 in OIA D-I quarterfinals, beat Waianae 38-0 in OIA D-I semifinals, beat Farrington 44-8 in OIA D-I championship game, beat Kapolei 54-7 in state Open Division semifinals; lost 30-14 to Saint Louis in state Open Division championship game
>> Number of returning starters: 7 offense, 5 defense
>> Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State selections lost to graduation: Vili Fisiiahi, first-team OL; Aliki Vimahi, firt-team DT; Sioeli Naupoto, first-team LB; Kekaula Kanio, first-team CB; Stokes Nihipali-Botelho, first-team CB and RET; Kesi Ah-Hoy, first-team S; Elvis Vakapuna, second-team RB; Harmon Brown, second-team RB; Codie Sauvao, second-team S; Vaka Fale, third-team OL
>> Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State selections returning: Miki Ah You, second-team LB; Samson Reed, third-team DE; Sekope Latu, third-team P
>> Among 2017 key offensive returnees: Sol-Jay Maiava, QB; Enokk Vimahi, OL, Cire Loo, OL, Sekope Latu TE.
>> Among 2017 key defensive returnees: Siaosi Lauhingoa, DL; Samson Reed, DL; Cedric Iafeta, DL; Samson Kapule-Siilata, DLl; Miki Ah You, LB; Toalei Lefau, LB/FB; Kaonohi Kaniho, DB.
>> Red Raiders with Division I FBS college offers: Samson Reed, DE; Sedric Iafeta, DE, TE; Siaosi Lauhingoa, OL/DL; Sekope Latu P/DL; Izaya Vimahi, OL; Miki Ah You, LB; Nalu Emerson, LB/S; Enokk Vimahi, OL, DL; Kaonohi Kaniho, DB; JL Lavea, LB; Sol-Jay Maiava QB.
>> All-time state championships: 8 (all Division I — 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2015)
>> All-time Prep Bowl (1973-1998) championships: None
>> All-time OIA championships: 25 (*including one co-championship; all Division I — 1943, 1944, 1947, 1956, 1959, 1969, 1972, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001*, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016)
>> 2017 conference: OIA Blue (D-I)
>> 2017 state tournament declaration: Division I-Open
Head coach MAKOA FREITAS on the Red Raiders’ outlook for 2017:
“Things are going good. We’ve got a lot of kids off at camps and we’ll get them back here in a couple of weeks. And then we’ll get them ready for the season. We start July 17 with helmets. Summer workouts are going on now, but by the rules it’s not mandatory.
“We’ve got about 70 kids if I count everybody based on the sign-in charts. And JV has about 60. I really enjoy their work ethic and watching them work. That’s the big satisfaction.
“Nothing is broken, so there is really nothing to fix. We’re just trying to keep the pride and trying to keep the bar high for the program. We want to have that good running game, and want to have a defense that sets the tone, an aggressive, fast defense. (Defensive coordinator) Sola (Soliai) and his staff will do that. It’s stuff Kahuku has been known for and we want to keep it that way.
“We brought in a QB coach (Brian Ah Yat) to help the QB (Sol-Jay Maiava) develop. Hopefully, we’ll see more passing. On the O-line, we lost three good seniors, but we have four guys coming back with starting experience. I’m happy about that. We’ve got young guys and we’re going to have to coach them up and get them up to par.
“Championships are always expected here at Kahuku. For me, if I can get these kids mentally tough, where they’re able to show up every day, have the same mentality on the field as they do in the classrom and if I can not only get them in college but stay in college and graduate, I’ll consider it (successful). That last one (graduating college) will be judged over time.
“For the O-line and run-game wise, nothing really changes. There’s a bunch of different ways to do it and none of them are really the wrong way. I’ll give my assistants everything they need to be successful to coach the kids.
“The players have gotta be ready every down, mentally ready to play. They cannot take any downs off. If you turn it off, it’s hard to turn it on.
“I’m looking forward to the season and excited for these kids. They’ve been working hard and are excited to go out there and show everybody what they can do.”
2017 Kahuku football schedule
Subject to change. Click here for the latest schedule updates.
Thursday, July 27
>> Kahuku at Kamehameha (scrimmage)
Friday, Aug. 4
>> Mililani at Kahuku (scrimmage)
Friday, Aug. 11
>> Leilehua at Kahuku
Friday, Aug. 18
>> Kahuku at Waianae
Friday, Aug. 25
>> Moanalua at Kahuku
Friday, Sept. 1
>> Kahuku at Aiea
Saturday, Sept. 9
>> Kahuku vs. Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), in Las Vegas
Saturday, Sept. 16
>> Kaiser at Kahuku
Saturday, Sept. 23
>> Radford at Kahuku
Friday, Sept. 29
>> Kahuku at Campbell
2017 Kahuku varsity football staff
>> Head coach: Makoa Freitas (first season)
>> Defensive coordinator: Sola Soliai
>> Defensive line: Paepae Falemalu, Matt Faga
>> Offensive coordinator: Faaesea Mailo
>> Offensive line: Peni Holakeituai
>> Tight ends and offensive line: David Vimahi
>> Quarterbacks: Brian Ah Yat
>> Running backs: Nate Ilaoa
>> Wide receivers: Jarrett Kaniho and Spencer Hafoka
>> Linebackers: David Te’o
>> Safeties: Keala Santiago Sr.
>> Cornerbacks: Nihoa Pule
where is Vavae Tata now?
Looks like a nice mix of RRFL and others on the coaching staff. Bringing in Brian Ah Yat should be good in the development of Sol-Jay and the other qbs.
RRFL!
Once again, hands down the team to beat in the OIA & possibly states.
Tata can now be found in Carson,California
63-0 Leilehua
38-0 Waianae
44-8 Farrington
54-7 Kapolei
Kahuku smashed every OIA team last year but all you hear from pro ILH people is that the top OIA teams should merge with the big 3 ILH teams to have more competitive games and prevent blow outs.
Wrong!
1. Thats an excuse and opportunity for the ILH to get out of their boring and unattractive 3 team league
2. Kahuku is the only team doing all the smashing, the rest of the OIA is pretty evenly matched. Any OIA supporter that wants a merger is really only wanting to get rid of Kahuku, similar to why the neighbor island leagues voted for the Open division (that they never intend on entering) as a way to avoid playing the big dogs.
3. All you ILH fans saying that the OIA should just “GET BETTER” to keep up with STL/PUN recruiting dominance, well guess what! I think we should use that same mentality for the OIA teams in their own league against Kahukus dominance…just get better! We dont need a merger to prevent blow outs, we just need the other OIA teams to get better!
anywaays: nobody cares about what you’re babbling about. this article is about kahuku’s offseason, not your weird hatred of anything ILH
OH Hey if its not Education First who changed his name to BG Grad and is too chicken to use his real Almamater Punahou and Lowell HS in San Fran. Thanks for caring enough to respond to my posts and yes everything I say is true!
BG Grad is Education First masquerading as a Bishop Gorman grad. Same MO, chooses a screen name that makes him seem somehow superior to hide real life self-esteem issues. Samo samo rants…little man syndrome regarding Kahuku, etc. He brought up Kahuku in a thread on the Iolani preview article when know one else even MENTIONED Kahuku. Some issues there for sure. The guy doesn’t realize a real BG Grad wouldn’t know or care about what goes on here. A FAIL in every way. Hit the road, ma’am. LMAO.
Happy 4th peeps!
If you guys only knew my nephews that came back to dawn the Red and White, Kahuku will be scary this year in demolishing their way to an OIA title and ultimate State title, sorry STL but this is our year.
Congratulations coach Makoa Freitas you will join the short list of Two other Hawaii High School Head Coaches that won a state title in their first year. Who are the other two? former Kahuku coaches Reggie Torres (2004) and Vae Tata (2016)
hard to accuse anywaays of sharing multiple screen names with another account, because not very many people posting are as idiotic as him. I really think anywaays needs to see a psychiatrist for his irrational hatred of ILH. He’s so unhinged that on a positive article about Kahuku’s offseason, he goes off on a rant about ILH recruiting and this and that. Then to top it off, he’s paranoid and thinks anyone who disagrees with him must all be a single person using multiple user names trying to get him.
Seek help, anywaaays. I mean, I know you probably didn’t read what I wrote because you can’t read, but I’m concerned about you. we all are.
This new coaching staff seems legit, all alumni or community members. I hope we dont have anymore coaches that are “out of their element” or traveling far from town. ALL IN! HERE WE GO!!
Hey so I am back from my vacation. The Webmaster can do the following:
1) “Fake” Education First; BG Grad, and Yo Mama are not me. The admin can easily authenticate that I am a different person.
2) anywaaays, too meke, good story, philharmonic, are all the same clown.
phILHarmonic July 3, 2017 at 1:12 pm
BG Grad is Education First masquerading as a Bishop Gorman grad. Same MO, chooses a screen name that makes him seem somehow superior to hide real life self-esteem issues. Samo samo rants…little man syndrome regarding Kahuku, etc. He brought up Kahuku in a thread on the Iolani preview article when know one else even MENTIONED Kahuku. Some issues there for sure. The guy doesn’t realize a real BG Grad wouldn’t know or care about what goes on here. A FAIL in every way. Hit the road, ma’am. LMAO.
Happy 4th peeps!
—————–
This guy is such a wanna be. How does callng myself Education First make anyone superior? Anyone who doesn’t think Education should be first in an idiot, such as yourself.
For the record dumbass, that other Education First isn’t even me. That’s how dumb you are. Anyone can use a screen name. Man, you are so dumb.
As for caring, I do care. I care that so many of you don’t care that so many schools are failing their students academically. It’s a shame that you are such a fool to think that anyone who feels like using someone else’s screen name is always the same person.
Notice, I did the same thing in the post above.
Finally decided to come out of the closet huh! I mean not about your gayness because you did that already when you and Jeezy went to dinner last year but about hiding behind so many fake screen names.
Anyway this is a Kahuku article and us civilized fans are talking Kahuku happenings so maybe if you are miserable and cant find company you should go to alamoana beach park and ask the old men wearing speedos out for dinner.
*This idiot EDU1st will reply speaking about anything but football.
I have to confess I did use the name RRFL.
BUT I DONT CARE ABOUT WHAT ANYONE THINK. @education first your not alone
@anyways! You need to understand education first. Yes, he hates kahuku and wants to put there players down but he’s knows best because education is first not football!
Jeezy MMMMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
FFaakkkkkkk!!!!n Killin me, now you using Jezzy33 name, EDU1st you take the cake for stupidest baton this earth
@anyways! Im not education first I don’t hate kahuku like he does but stop hating on him, he is like a badass butterfly
brrrrrrrrraaaaaaaahhhhhh… it’s only July… just go relax and come back in 6 weeks.
btw – I live mainland – easily verified.
edu last just came back from his vaca with Jeezy at Halawa.
goooooood night.
LOL, Ed First is “back from vacation”. More like “I was outed as BG Grad so I need switch screen names yet again”. Hey buddy, the jig is up. You’re not even bright enough to change the tone of yours posts. OIA/Kahuku bashing pseudo-big time persona. You know what they say, guys who play up themselves on the internet have real life self esteem issues.
StL and Kahuku will meet again for championship.
phILHarmonic July 6, 2017 at 10:03 am
LOL, Ed First is “back from vacation”. More like “I was outed as BG Grad so I need switch screen names yet again”. Hey buddy, the jig is up. You’re not even bright enough to change the tone of yours posts. OIA/Kahuku bashing pseudo-big time persona. You know what they say, guys who play up themselves on the internet have real life self esteem issues.
StL and Kahuku will meet again for championship.
———————-
Come up with a new one anywaaays..oops I mean ph(wannabe-ILH)armonic.
Like I said, the moderator can easily prove that I am the one and only. I don’t need to make up a second or third username to handle you fools.
So back to the topic of why you follow little boy sports so much? Let’s examine:
1) living in the past?
2) couldn’t make the team so you have to blog?
3) mommy never hugged you?
4) only way you were part of the team was washing their jocks?
5) you like being close to sweaty high school boys?
6) living through your kids since he’s more talented than you ever could be?
7) sacred to use one name for fear of retribution?
I could go on for days, but I know it hurts and I don’t want you to hurt your self. Take a deep breath, put down the knife, and please take your pills before you hurt someone or yourself.
Chee w/Jeezy at Halawa! HAHAHA, that’s a good one.
I find it hilarious after posting so much data about how terrible the academics is at Kahuku, that no one has yet to post any scientific data to prove me wrong.
But I guess when you are all a bunch of dumbasses (and the numbers prove it and you know it), you have to resort to name calling.
But hey, keep living your Al Bundy lives where the best thing you ever did was watch a high school football game. But you can barely read or write. HAHA, nice life!
@education first you go boyl! Pour out your feelings and let them know your a legend beneth my wings.
@education first do you do online gaming? Join my clan my username is 808_Pogi
omg guys, don’t you guys know that the more we respond to his comments the more we feed the fire. just ignore and he’ll hopefully stop. he craves all these comments so let’s just try to ignore him. Have a beautiful day!!!
I’m looking forward to the Waianae and Campbell games and the Mililani scrimmage, but the toughest game on the schedule by far is the game against Bingham. They are one of Utah’s top teams every year. Should be epic. Hopefully the game will be broadcasted or streamed for those of us in Hawaii who cannot make the trip. On a side note, It is good to see so many Hawaii kids getting recruited. Top D1 programs are recognizing the great football talent here and that is a tribute to those who went before. Best of luck to all Hawaii schools this season. Continue to make us proud and put Hawaii football on the map!
I agree Atatiava – too bad it wasn’t last year when Bingham had arguably the best HS D-Line…ever. Seriously. They were unreal. (I’m biased cuz my neph was one of them).
My BIL said they’re not as good this year…
But…Bingham reloads just like KHS does. Should be a great game.
Aaaannnddd… I got my tix! Plus FIJI in between games? Gonna be awesome!
To the Moderator: You have done it before, can you do it again and let us which knuckleheads are who? I am so interested to see who is the FWAM that is using everyone else screen name but their own.
BTW, Phony Phil, better let your team know to pump the brakes. Cannot work out 6am in the morning along with afternoon practices 5x a week and not expect them to burn out. Those kids are beast but rest is a part of the process physically as well as mentally. We all want them to be healthy in the championship game so there are no excuses.
* let us “know” which knuckleheads………..
I thought most of the polys on the Punahou roster were from the North Shore. Admission not based on academics. All on tuition free Diversity Scholarships. Many of the alumni and parents of non-athlete students are concerned about the “win at all cost” mentality and the integrity of the admissions process.