[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]

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Surfriders’ offense
off and running

Schedule
Finally, De La Salle

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

The Kailua football team measures success in 4-yard intervals.

The Surfriders figure if they can gain 4 yards every play, they'll keep the chains moving and eventually reach the end zone.

So by that measure, or any other, David Kaihenui has been phenomenally successful this season.

Kaihenui, a 6-foot, 170-pound senior, leads the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference in receiving and scoring with 12 catches for 432 yards and seven touchdowns.

He averages 36 yards per catch and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.

"That's what our receivers coach tells us to do," Kaihenui said. "Once you catch the ball, what you have to think is end zone."

Kaihenui has played a large role in Kailua's blistering start this season. The Surfriders have scored 142 points in the three games and average 535 yards per outing.

Castle will be the next team to try to slow down the Surfrider attack when the teams meet tomorrow night at Kailua's field with Windward Oahu bragging rights at stake.

"They present a multitude of problems offensively," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "For us to have a chance to win we have to play almost a perfect game."

Kaihenui displayed his quick-strike ability in last week's 41-14 win over Farrington when he scored on an 81-yard run and receptions of 25 and 93 yards. He scored four touchdowns in the season opener against Campbell, all on plays of 40 yards or more.

"We like an up-tempo game," Kailua coach Darren Johnson said. "We like to try to believe that every time we touch the ball we have to score.

"Our golden rule is if you can get us 4 yards we've had success. When big plays happen you take them because they're bonus."

Kaihenui has already exceeded his yardage and scoring totals of his junior season and his play has helped Ranson Kepa make the transition from fullback to quarterback.

"I think he's playing better now because he's a lot more mature, he's a lot stronger, he's a lot faster," Johnson said.

Kaihenui is just one of the weapons for Kepa. Running backs Bronson Kamaka and Kekoa Sua combine for 178 rushing yards per game and receiver Brad Ching is second in the conference in receiving with 100.5 yards per game.

"Ranson's a good quarterback and he's really stepped up," Johnson said. "Our offensive line is playing real well, the defense is getting the ball for us, so it's really a tremendous team effort all around."

Castle had a bye last week after scoring an 18-14 win over Farrington on Sept. 6. The Knights enter the game with the conference's top-rated defense, giving up just 168 yards per game.

But the numbers won't mean much once the teams take the field for one of the state's most intense rivalries.

"Some of our people say there's two seasons. There's the game against Kailua and the rest of the season," Maeda said.

The game will be broadcast live on radio on KUMU 1500-AM.

This week's highlights around the state

Tomorrow

Kaimuki vs. Kapolei, at Pearl City: The winner of this OIA White battle will stay in the hunt for one of the conference's two playoff berths. The loser will need some help.

Both teams are coming off their first league losses of the year. Kaimuki was upset by Kaiser and Kapolei lost a heartbreaker to first-place Pearl City 14-13.

Punahou vs. Kamehameha, at Aloha Stadium: Thanks to the quirky ILH schedule, Kamehameha will finally make its regular-season debut tomorrow night.

The Warriors went 5-0 in nonleague contests. Punahou has had two weeks to recover from its 49-0 loss to St. Louis.

Saturday

HHSAA Football Classic, at Aloha Stadium: Believe the hype. De La Salle and Long Beach Poly are ranked first and third in this week's Student Sports Fab 50 and St. Louis and Kahuku figure to have some surprises in store for their California guests. Be there for this one.

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Schedule

Junior varsity games start at 5 p.m., varsity games to follow unless noted.

Tomorrow

OIA RED EAST
Castle at Kailua (Live on KUMU , 1500-AM)
McKinley at Roosevelt
Farrington vs. Kalaheo, at Castle

OIA RED weST
Campbell at Mililani
Aiea at Waipahu
Radford at Leilehua

OIA white
Kaimuki vs. Kapolei, at Pearl City
Nanakuli vs. Kalani, at Kaiser

ILH
At Aloha Stadium
Pac-Five vs. Iolani, 4:45 p.m.
Punahou vs. Kamehameha, 7:30 p.m.

BIIF
Hilo at Kohala
Waiakea at Honokaa

KIF
Waimea vs Kapaa, at Vidinha Stadium

MIL
At War Memorial Stadium
Baldwin vs. King Kekaulike, 5:30 p.m.
Lahainaluna vs. Maui, 8 p.m.

Saturday

HHSAA Football Classic
At Aloha Stadium (Live on KUMU 1500-AM)
Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) vs. Kahuku, 5 p.m.
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m.

BIIF
Konawaena at Keaau
Kealakehe at Hawaii Prep, 2 p.m.

Hawaii School Web Sites