HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Kahuku, Saint Louis renewing their rivalry
The D-I state football pairing is familiar, but the D-II final has a non-Oahu flavor
This begins with a salute to football wives, or rather, football coaches' wives.
After all, if a coach's wife ain't happy, nobody's happy. At least not in the football family.
"It's good that I'm busy, or I'd be home all the time irritating her," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said, just half-kidding, about his wonderful wife of 21 years, Lita. "We make 22 years in March."
Lita Torres has been there through thick and thin, not just in football, but through Reggie's two-decade coaching career in wrestling.
"She's the team mom and does everything she can for the kids," he said.
When Kahuku takes on top-seeded Saint Louis tomorrow night in the Division I final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships, it won't be the only championship that involves a doting wife.
King Kekaulike will take on Kauai for the Division II crown tomorrow at 5 p.m. For first-year King Kekaulike head coach J.W. Kenton, Hawaii was about as far away as imaginable not so long ago.
Born and bred a Florida Gator fan, he married his sweetheart Sandra, a Minnesota native, with the expectation of moving to the cold North. Instead, she wanted out of snow country, and they wound up in Hawaii.
Fast-forward and he opens up the Hula Bowl football camp, which became the Just Win Camp in recent years. After several years as an assistant at King Kekaulike, he was promoted when Dennis Dias retired last year.
In a sport that has everything to do with commitment and perseverance, it's no surprise that Torres and Kenton, men from different ends of the country, are playing for state titles in the game they love. They owe a lot of it to their wives.
They also owe a lot to ingenuity. Kahuku and King Kekaulike could easily be watching the finals from home this weekend. Both teams needed creative, last-second plays on offense to pull out miraculous wins.
Kahuku's "double pass" play -- a toss from quarterback Richard Torres to quarterback-turned-safety-turned-temporary-wide-receiver Shiloah Te'o, who aired out a 43-yard touchdown to Pele Soliai -- answered the prayers of Red Raider brethren near and far.
"Sterling (Carvalho), our offensive coordinator, got a lot of credit for that," Torres
said. "But our DC, Kimo (Haiola), was also telling me a while back to use that play. He suggested that we use Shiloah."
King K got a wild flea-flicker that nearly went bust when quarterback Shelton Bangasan fumbled, retrieved the loose ball and connected with Randen Abafo for a winning touchdown against Iolani.
That was enough to make King Kekaulike coaches, players and even wives happy, at least for one more week.
Here's a look at tomorrow's matchups:
Division I
No. 1 Saint Louis (11-0) vs. No. 2 Kahuku (10-2)
Just three years ago, Kahuku edged Saint Louis for the state title, 27-26. Torres was an assistant coach, and Darnell Arceneaux was the head coach for the Crusaders then.
Saint Louis last won the state title in 2002 under current coach Delbert Tengan. The Crusaders also won the state crown in 1999 under Cal Lee. Go back a little further, however, and Torres has vivid memories of epic Kahuku-Saint Louis battles.
"Darnell Arceneaux's sophomore year, he's the third-string quarterback. Saint Louis is struggling. We were getting to the quarterback," Torres recalled. "They brought him off the bench because he's mobile. He won the Prep Bowl and they wound up winning three straight with Arceneaux at quarterback."
That's one reason why Torres isn't surprised by the depth and talent at Saint Louis, including backup quarterback Tamatoa DeMello.
"Once he settled down, he drove them for that game-winning field goal," Torres said.
Kahuku, the defending state champion, has won four titles since the inception of the state tourney in 1999.
For the Crusaders, two state titles and 14 Prep Bowl crowns are memorable for alums, not so much for current players.
"For our kids, even our seniors, they haven't been in this situation before," Tengan said. "It's been a tough season, but it's prepared us for this moment right now. We'll face an excellent Kahuku team, but we've faced excellent teams all year long. Leilehua, Castle, McKinley, Punahou, Kamehameha. We have the experience that we're comfortable with coming into the game on Friday."
On paper: With the stellar line play of Nai Fotu and Kaniela Tuipulotu, both prized recruits, Kahuku's defense has been superlative this season. Again.
This was the worst possible time for Saint Louis to lose quarterback Micah Mamiya to injury. Or is it? The Crusaders came into the season with a reasonable expectation that their defense would be a cornerstone, and that special teams would be consistent.
Mamiya, who had an outstanding season, was sidelined by a collarbone injury during last week's 10-7 semifinal win over Waianae.
"The whole first quarter, we played in a daze. For myself, it's in the back of your mind that you lost your starting quarterback, and how are your kids gonna react to that? We talked about it at halftime to let everybody know that we need to rally around Tamatoa," Tengan said. "Even though Micah was a major player in us getting here, if the other 10 guys do their job, that'll make Tamatoa's job easier."
Mamiya's absence brings Saint Louis back to Point A. In other words, Tengan is expecting a low-scoring battle. With defensive end bookends Solomona Aigamaua and Scott Smith, middle linebacker Jacob Barit, and a seasoned secondary, Saint Louis has a stalwart, versatile defense.
"They're a well-balanced, well-coached team," Torres said. "In the three phases of the game, they're well-coached."
Kahuku's I-formation, double-tight-end set is all about physical domination. With starters and reserves that go anywhere from 260 to 320 pounds, the Red Raiders have opened many a hole for running backs Lehi Aumua and Junior Mataafa.
Aumua, the senior, is the smaller, shiftier runner. Mataafa, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound junior, uses brute strength to break tackles at the first two levels, then turns on surprising breakaway speed for long runs. His 80-yard touchdown against Baldwin last week was the most recent in a series of late-season, game-changing plays.
"Kahuku has anywhere from 15 to 20 potential Division I (college) athletes. On defense, they swarm to the ball real good, not unlike the Waianae team we played last week," Tengan said. "On offense, just like Waianae, they're gonna pound the ball at you. They're gonna do what they do best. They're not gonna be fancy about it. If you can't defend against that, it's gonna be a long night. If you can, you have a chance."
X factor: Manoa Latu, one of the top athletes on the Crusader defense, offers tremendous run support from his safety position. He puts a good lick on many ballcarriers, but Kahuku's ability to connect with tight ends deep -- Richard Torres threw a touchdown pass off play-action in the win over Waianae -- will be a huge factor.
"We need to create more balance on offense," Torres said. "That's the biggest thing. Everybody knows we run. After Baldwin, they see that we have the ability to pass. It's a matter of us getting in position to use our play-action passes a lot better, but we have to be able to establish the run."
Tengan won't hesitate to pin the Red Raiders with Barit's punts.
"The X factor is not turning the ball over and giving Kahuku great field position," he said. "Winning the special-teams battle will give us a chance in the end."
Placekicker Kenton Chun and linebacker-punter Barit have been invaluable. "Kenton has been steady for us all year long. Barit has pulled us out of a lot of holes in the punting game with our backs in the shadows of the end zone," Tengan said.
Division II
Kauai (9-0) vs. King Kekaulike (7-3-1)
King K's incredible 38-37 win over Iolani on a flea flicker-nearly-gone-bust play in the final seconds last week underlined a key note about Na Alii.
Forget the D-II tag. They can play with anyone.
A season that included matchups with run-first Lahainaluna and run-and-shoot Baldwin gave King K plenty of preparation for anything in the postseason. Though they gave up 28 points in their second matchup with Baldwin, it was a far cry from a first-round blowout.
Na Alii also gave up big points to Iolani, but their familiarity with the four-wide set will help against the pass-happy Red Raiders.
Kauai won its fourth KIF championship in a row, solidifying coach Kelii Morgado's philosophy and approach. Long before the titles and high expectations, in the midst of Waimea's dynasty, Morgado went out of his way to build the Red Raider program up from the ground, brick by brick. Camps, trips, tri-scrimmages across the state, like the one at Keaau, were the building blocks of a program that has become the gem of the KIF.
On paper: This is run-first, run-second, run-third football of King Kekaulike against Air Kauai.
Kauai doesn't have behemoths at the line of scrimmage, but they have more depth and better all-around size than in previous seasons. What the Red Raiders do on offense, prolifically, is find opportunities for quarterback Andrew Renaud and wide receiver Pono Matthews to make big plays.
Renaud overcame a season-ending injury last year to give Kauai the big passing game it likes. Matthews, a versatile athlete who took over at quarterback last year -- a runner more than a passer -- had a 200-yard game as a receiver this year.
The Red Raiders will be ready if and when King Kekaulike shifts its defense to focus on Matthews.
"If they jump him, somebody else is open," Morgado said.
Kauai's 17-6 win over Waipahu last week was a battle against bad weather as much as it was against the tough Marauders. That's where the Red Raider defense got its chance to shine. Justyn Jumawan-Perreira returned two picks for touchdowns, accentuating Kauai's notable defensive play this season. The same unit shut out Waimea 30-0 in one of their three battles this season.
"They're very talented and very fast," Kenton said. "Very disciplined, very similar to Baldwin. They also seem very similar to us. Different style offenses, but they work very hard."
Kenton wants a solid game from his secondary, in particular.
"If our secondary can slow them down and we can make them punt a couple of times, it'll be a real nice football game for us," he said. "Iolani's quarterback (Ryan Dung) was incredible, very efficient. This quarterback (Renaud) is efficient as well."
Shannon Kamakaokalani led the Maui Interscholastic League in rushing, but the shifty tailback isn't a one-man show. Fullback Michael Douglas bulldozed his way to 159 yards on 25 carries against Iolani's defense as the two backs combined for 299 rushing yards.
"Shannon, he's our lightning and Mikey D, he's our thunder. When he comes roaring in there, he doesn't juke anybody. He goes straight through the pile," Kenton said. "You gotta deal with the speed and the toughness, and it's always on the field together."
Morgado did his share of scouting for this game.
"Their tailback is one of the most dangerous I've seen. They have an incredible offense that puts up big numbers even against teams like Baldwin, Lahainaluna and Iolani. They're an excellent football team with an experienced coaching staff. Offensively, they're a force to be reckoned with. Defensively, they bring the house on you. They bring everybody."
X factor: Kenton loves wide-open football, but modified his concepts to fit his personnel. King K's version of the Wing T offense has its deceptions and quirks, but only when Kenton pushes the button. Last week, it came on the game's final play. This week? Who knows.
Both coaches realize their young players might be unfocused once the steel pillars and FieldTurf of Aloha Stadium are in sight.
"The X factor is Aloha Stadium," Kenton said. "The two neighbor-island teams that come in here, which one stays the calmest is gonna win."
Morgado has seen plenty of evidence to warrant reason for an early arrival. The Red Raiders arrive today, paying their own way for an extra day of travel and hotel expenses.
"Three years ago, when we played Kahuku in the quarterfinals, they acted like 5-year-olds running through the turf, throwing the ball in the locker room in amazement of how big it was," Morgado said of his team. "They were fascinated about how they could get a golf cart all the way up on the upper deck. I mean, you can't come in on Friday and play a state championship game that way, so it was necessary for us to come in."
Morgado got support from his administration to leave school a day earlier. The HHSAA subsidizes travel costs, but flies teams in on game day. Boosters and players are pitching in to pay for the extra day.
The opportunity to practice today on FieldTurf can't be understated.
"It's huge. We're not on turf normally. On Maui, they have a field (with turf). On the Big Island, they have one. You can trip yourself up if you don't watch your step. Of course, when you're in Aloha Stadium, it feels bigger, so we have to get accustomed to that, to ignore the stadium around them and focus on the game."