Waianae FINALLY gets Kahuku at home

Last year before the regular season game between then-No. 1 Kahuku and Waianae, we wrote about the long rivalry between the two schools.

Kahuku vs. Waianae: The Crunch Bowl?

Since then, Kahuku went on to win its 25th OIA championship, extending its lead over Waianae, which has 18. Kahuku also beat Waianae in the OIA playoffs, making it 17 straight wins against the Seariders.

Maybe even more impressive is the four straight shutouts Kahuku has logged against Waianae. You have to go back to the final play of a 2014 game when Kekoa Kaluhiokalani threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jurick Valdez as time expired to find the last Searider score in the series.

It’s not looking good for a Waianae team that has managed one touchdown in eight quarters this season and was shut out by Kapolei last week.

But there is reason for hope for the Seariders. Friday night marks the first time since 1975 — yes 42 years — that Kahuku has to make the trip out West. The teams have played 39 times since Waianae’s 13-6 win that year with 32 of the 39 meetings happening at Aloha Stadium and the other seven going down on the North Shore.

Kahuku has not won in Waianae since 1974.

Despite its first 0-2 start since 2011, Waianae can accomplish something special on Friday. Beat the Red Raiders on home turf and it would without a doubt go down as one of the biggest wins ever for a school that has had plenty of big wins in its time.

Defense always dominates when these two schools meet up, so here are the top offensive performances players have had in the rivalry.

Kahuku best passing against Waianae: Inoke Funaki, 268 yards in 2000
Kahuku best rushing vs. Waianae: Jason Keo, 279 yards in 1995
Kahuku best receiving vs. Waianae: Spencer Hafoka with 183 yards in 2003
Waianae best passing vs. Kahuku: Kekoa Kaluhiokalani with 240 yards in 2013
Waianae best rushing vs. Kahuku: Reed Aken 150 yards in 1985
Waianae best receiving vs. Kahuku: Ikaika Gilman 134 yards in 1995