Monday, August 20, 2001
[ PREP FOOTBALL ]
It wasn't particularly crisp and sometimes downright sloppy, but it was football. And that's all that mattered for local high school teams last weekend. Prep powers hit the field
wanting to improveBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe first week of preseason games gave the players a chance to hit someone in a different color jersey, and left coaches with a laundry list of areas needing improvement before their regular-season openers.
"We need to polish up a lot of things," Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said after his team defeated Skyline High of Utah Friday night. "We know our strengths and our weaknesses and we just have to keep working on our weaknesses."
For Kahuku and the rest of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, the improvements will have to be made quickly as the regular season opens Friday.
The season's opening weekend also provided a boost for state pride as Hawaii schools went 3-1 against mainland opponents. In addition to Kahuku's 19-14 win over Skyline, Waianae beat AJ Dimond of Alaska 27-14, while Kailua traveled to Utah to beat Snow Canyon 29-28 on Saturday. Lutheran (Calif.) beat Hawaii Prep on the Big Island for the lone win by a mainland team.
Four more mainland squads arrive this weekend for games against Interscholastic League of Honolulu teams. On Friday, Iolani hosts Kearny (Calif.) and Kamehameha faces Timpview (Utah) at Aloha Stadium. Pac-Five takes on Dana Hills (Calif.) in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Aloha Stadium. St. Louis plays San Clemente (Calif.) in the second game.
Kahuku returned to the field for the first time since its triumph in last season's state championship game and scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 62-yard sprint up the middle by Mulivai Pula. After building a 19-0 lead, the Red Raiders held on to avenge last year's loss to Skyline in Utah.
Punahou also earned some redemption Saturday by beating Waimea, which knocked off the Buffanblu last August on Kauai. Kauai High School picked up its first victory since 1999 by stunning Maui on the Valley Isle on Friday night.
The weekend also marked the beginning of the end for St. Louis coach Cal Lee. The Crusaders routed Nanakuli on the west shore 42-0 in the opening game of Lee's final season as head coach.
Preseason, week 1
Friday
>> Kahuku 19, Skyline (Utah) 14
>> St. Louis 42, Nanakuli 0
>> Kauai 21, Maui 13
>> Mililani 50, Pearl City 13
>> Kaiser 20, Kalaheo 10
>> Konawaena 31, Waialua 7
>> Campbell 22, Roosevelt 21
Saturday
>> Punahou 24, Waimea 14
>> McKinley 32, Radford 8
>> Farrington 20, Pac-Five 14
>> Waipahu 20, Leilehua 12
>> King Kekaulike 3, Kapaa 0
>> St. Anthony 40, Damien 30
>> Kailua 29, Snow Canyon (Utah) 28
>> Waianae 27, A.J. Dimond (Alaska) 14
>> Kohala 35, Kalani 0
>> Waiakea 13, Lahainaluna 7
>> Lutheran (Calif.) 28, Hawaii Prep 6
>> Iolani 22, Kaimuki 0
>> Kamehameha 21, Baldwin 6
>> Aiea 20, Castle 14
Hawaii School Web Sites