OIA starts playoffs
By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinThe Oahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs begin tomorrow with seven games scheduled at seven different sites.
An eighth game, Mililani at Waipahu, will be played Saturday.
The only question in these playoffs is: Can anybody stop Kahuku?
The nationally ranked Red Raiders (No. 18 in USA Today) roared through the Red Conference schedule (6-0) after beating two traditionally strong California programs (Morse and Banning) in preseason.
But the game that will be most closely watched tomorrow will Kalaheo at Kailua.
The Surfriders (6-0), led by running back Rocky Alo (901 yards on 130 carries), put up 2,540 total yards and gave up only 1,001 in sweeping through the White Conference season.
Kalaheo (5-1), the Blue Conference runner-up, led its conference in total offense with 1,894 yards. The Mustangs were also tops in defense, allowing only 620 yards.
Reyn Gibson, who has 585 of Kalaheo's 1,143 yards on the ground, is the focus of the Mustangs' rushing game.
Kahuku opens at home against Aiea (3-3), the Blue Conference's fourth-place finisher.
Na Alii are third in offense and defense in their conference.
But Kahuku, which has outscored Red Conference opponents, 287-32, has amassed 2,580 yards of total offense (430 a game) while allowing only 669.
The Red Raiders' ground attack is led by Talamoni Talamoni, who is averaging 118 yards a game and has eight touchdowns.
Power runner Dre Manumaleuna also has scored eight touchdowns for the Red Raiders and is averaging 44 yards per game.
Two-time defending league champion Waianae (5-1) will host Moanalua (2-4) tomorrow.
The Seariders have averaged 243 yards a game and allowed 221.
Duane Miller is Waianae's rushing leader with five TDs and an 89-yard per game average.
OIA playoffs
Friday
Varsity: Aiea at Kahuku; Kaimuki vs. Leilehua at Kaiser; McKinley at Roosevelt; Kalaheo at Kailua; Moanalua at Waianae; Campbell at Castle; Farrington at Radford, 7:30 p.m..
Junior Varsity: Roosevelt at Kahuku; Leilehua vs. Moanalua at Kaiser; McKinley vs. Mililani at Roosevelt; Kaimuki at Kailua; Aiea at Waianae; Nanakuli vs. Campbell at Castle; Farrington vs. Pearl City at Radford, 5 p.m.
Mililani at Waipahu, 7:30 p.m.
ILH standings
W L T PF PA St. Louis (4-1) 1 0 0 77 42 Punahou (2-3) 1 0 0 23 0 Pac-Five (1-4) 1 0 0 12 6 Kamehameha (4-1) 0 1 0 6 23 Iolani (3-2) 0 1 0 42 77 Damien (1-4) 0 1 0 0 23Pac-Five at Iolani, 3:15 p.m.; Damien vs. St. Louis at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.; Kamehameha vs. Punahou at Aloha Stadium, 7:45 p.m.