HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
No. 4 Kamehameha gets Redlands next
Farrington rises to No. 5 after losing to the Warriors
The kings of Kalihi won't have much time to enjoy sitting on their thrones.
Kamehameha went to the hilt and outlasted Farrington 7-6 on Saturday night in one of the most physically impressive defensive efforts by two teams this season. Superior size, speed and strength were all part of the package for the Warriors' and Governors' defensive units.
Despite the loss, voters recognized the merit of Farrington's effort and boosted the Govs one spot to No. 5 in today's Star-Bulletin Football Top 10.
Kamehameha remained at No. 4, but there is no time to dwell on the win. The Warriors will host Redlands East Valley (Calif.) on Friday. Redlands went 10-1-1 last season, including 7-0 in the Citrus Belt League, and features quarterback Ronnie Fouch. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior is being recruited by a handful of Pac-10 universities, but gave a verbal commitment to Washington during the summer.
"We made some progress this weekend, that's the good news. The bad news is, we have a long way to go," veteran Warriors coach Kanani Souza said. "The kids are really learning to play hard, to play as a team, and that's the most important thing."
The Warriors' fierce defense sacked Governors quarterback Elijah Filifili 10 times. On the other side of the ball, Farrington's pass rush resulted in six sacks of Kamehameha quarterbacks. Souza doesn't think outstanding defense ends with Farrington.
"Saint Louis comes after you, too. They play really good defense," he said.
Emerald gem: The Punahou Buffanblu were in the feature matchup of the five-game Emerald City Football Classic on Saturday in Seattle. They came away with a clutch 23-16 win over Northwest power Eastlake (Wash.) at Qwest Field.
Kahuku also fared well against mainland competition, downing Narbonne (Calif.) 25-6 on Friday. Both teams, as well as No. 3 Saint Louis, have this weekend off.