Thursday, November 8, 2001
Duels for OIA’s There can be only ... two?
dual titles tomorrow
Kahuku meets Aiea, while Castle
goes up against Kailua for the
right to be called co-hampionsBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comTwo teams will have the right to call themselves Oahu Interscholastic Association football champions tomorrow when the league holds dual title games at Aloha Stadium.
Three-time defending OIA champion Kahuku takes on Aiea in the first game at 5:05 p.m., while Windward Oahu powers Castle and Kailua meet at 7:35.
The co-championship was necessitated by the postponements following the Sept. 11 attacks. The final week of the playoffs were eliminated so the league could complete its regular-season schedule.
"It's just the way it's got to be this year, for real good reasons," Kailua coach Darren Johnson said. "We're lucky to still have a football season. Under the circumstances, you just have to accept it. Whoever wins ... I'm sure they would rather go at it and play for which team should really say they're the champions. But I think the (athletic directors) and the principals did a tremendous job at salvaging our season."
The first game pits the only two undefeated teams in the OIA. Kahuku went 8-0 in the OIA Red Conference and is 10-0 overall. The Red Raiders extended their current winning streak to 19 games with a 42-18 win over Roosevelt in last week's quarterfinal round.
Aiea, the OIA White Conference champion, advanced to the title game by beating Waianae 21-10 last week. Na Alii also enter the game with a 10-0 record.
None of Kahuku's opponents have been able to slow down the Red Raider offense this season. The thunder and lightning combination of running backs Earvin Atuaia and Mulivai Pula is more than most defenses can handle. But concentrating on stopping the run only opens the passing lanes for quarterback Inoke Funaki and receivers Loga Fonoimoana and James Kammerer.
"We're preparing to try to defend all of them, even though it's hard to do," Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "We're having our kids understand that every one of those guys can come up with a big play and can hurt you."
Aiea will counter with a passing attack led by quarterback Lole Laolagi and his 33 touchdown passes this season. But the Red Raiders will be ready after facing run-and-shoot schemes against Castle and Roosevelt.
"It's kind of the same type of offense," Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said. "Roosevelt has a great quarterback. (Castle's Joel) Botelho, you can't find anybody who's more elusive and can make big plays like him. Laolagi is just about the same style as these guys."
The second game features a heated Windward Oahu rivalry.
The last two meetings between Castle and Kailua have been classics. Castle put up a goal-line stand to preserve a 7-6 win in last year's OIA playoffs and rallied to a 36-29 win on Oct. 19.
"Because of the close proximity of the schools, it's a rivalry to begin with and I think it's made even more so by the significance of this game," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "Over the past several years, this rivalry has become very intense."
Castle escaped with a 14-13 win over Waipahu last week, while Kailua rolled to a 34-13 win over Mililani, led by Brenton Harbottle's 284-yard rushing performance.
Containing the Surfriders' running game, led by a beefy offensive line, will be a top priority for the Castle defense, which came up with three fourth-quarter turnovers last week to halt a Waipahu rally. Harbottle rushed for 174 yards the last time he faced the Knights.
"We need another big game from our defense," Maeda said. "If the defense struggles, it's going to be a long night, because they have the capability to control the clock and run the ball."
The Kailua defense is all too familiar with Castle quarterback Joel Botelho. The Knights' signal-caller passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to lead Castle to a homecoming win over the Surfriders.
"I think everybody has tried to contain him and keep him under control, and nobody has been able to," Johnson said.
All four teams have already qualified for the state tournament, which opens Nov. 16.
The higher seed of the co-champions will be awarded the OIA's top spot in the state tournament. The higher of the losing teams will be the third seed. Kahuku entered the OIA playoffs as the top seed, followed by Castle, Kailua and Aiea, in that order.
Championship Friday will also extend to the neighbor islands with state tournament berths on the line.
Lahainaluna and Baldwin will battle for the Maui Interscholastic League championship at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku.
Lahainaluna won the first half of the MIL season, but lost to Baldwin 26-7 in their second-round meeting on Oct. 20. Both teams are 7-1 in the MIL and 7-2 overall. The winner takes on the OIA's top seed in the state quarterfinals.
A little farther down the island chain, Konawaena faces Waiakea at Wong Stadium in Hilo for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation title.
Konawaena enters the game undefeated in the BIIF at 7-0 (8-1 overall), while Waiakea is 6-1 (7-2 overall). The winner claims the BIIF's berth in the state tournament and will host the OIA's second seed next week.
The OIA's third seed travels to Kauai to take on Waimea, and the fourth seed meets Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion St. Louis at Aloha Stadium.