COURTESY PHOTO / 1948
This 51-yard run was one highlight for Kauai quarterback Richard Hadama in a 1948 game against the Western All-Stars.
Kauai remembers Richard Hadama and Hisa Oyama played their final high school football game more than a half-century ago. But the Kauai High graduates can still relate to what players at St. Louis and Kahuku are feeling this week heading into their games with two California powers tomorrow.
big game of ’48
The Red Raiders nearly beat
The Streak and The Ankle
a team of California all-stars
Carter's loyalties tornBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com
Hadama and Oyama led Kauai against a team of California all-stars on Dec. 19, 1948, at Honolulu Stadium. Kauai lost 13-12, but the pride of representing the state against a mainland squad continues to echo through their memories.
When: Tomorrow -- 5 p.m.: Kahuku vs. Long Beach Poly; 8 p.m.: St. Louis vs. De La Salle
Where: Aloha Stadium; parking lots open at 2 p.m.; gates open at 3 p.m.
TV: KGMB (time TBD)
Radio: KUMU 1500-AM
"It was a big challenge and we were up to it," Oyama said. "We lost, but I think we really proved we could compete against anybody.
"There's a lot of emotions and a lot of pride that go into it because you're representing your school and your state."
Kauai, under coach Edmund "Ticky" Vasconcellos, swept through the 1948 Kauai Interscholastic Federation season and defeated Roosevelt and McKinley before losing its regular-season finale to Farrington.
Hadama played quarterback for Kauai and was one of "the greatest athletes the island of Kauai ever produced," according to Charles Nishimura, who covered the Red Raiders for the school newspaper and the Garden Isle newspaper.
Hadama excelled as a runner, passer and punter for the football team and hit .615 for the baseball team his senior year. He was also a gifted sprinter on the track and field squad.
"Richard was the true high school all-around athlete," Nishimura said.
The game with the Western All-Stars, comprised primarily of players from the Bay Area, came about through connections Vasconcellos had made as a standout athlete at San Jose State.
"This was something very different," Hadama said. "Even to come to Honolulu was something special in those days and playing an all-star mainland team was especially exciting."
According to Nishimura's account of the game published in the school yearbook, the All-Stars outweighed Kauai by more than 40 pounds per man across the line. The sheer size of the California players remains the most distinct memory of the game for Oyama, then a 148-pound offensive guard who also played linebacker and defensive end.
"With that amount of height and weight coming at you, that we were able to be close was something," Oyama said.
Vasconcellos decided to use the Red Raiders' speed to offset the All-Stars' advantage at the line of scrimmage.
Hadama and halfback Mitsuru Sasaki thrilled the estimated crowd of 4,000 by exploiting the perimeter of the All-Star defense in the second quarter and led the Red Raiders on a 72-yard drive capped by Sasaki's 1-yard run.
"We had some quick backfield people, so instead of pushing through the large guys on the line it was more trying to sweep the ends and quick tosses," Hadama said.
The All-Stars tied the game late in the second quarter and took a 13-6 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
The Red Raiders' hopes dimmed as they faced fourth and 25 at the All-Stars' 49 with 10 seconds left. Hadama's desperation pass toward the end zone was tipped by a defender and caught by Kauai receiver Mamoru Kaneshiro for a touchdown with four seconds left.
However, the Red Raiders missed the conversion attempt and the All-Stars escaped with the win.
Vasconcellos went on to earn a place as one of the state's most respected prep coaches after leading Roosevelt to three consecutive Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships in the 1950s. He passed away in 1996.
Hadama continued his playing career at the University of Hawaii and was on the squad that defeated Nebraska 6-0 in Lincoln in 1955.
The contest against the Western All-Stars was Oyama's last, but his play earned him a compliment from legendary Iolani coach Father Kenneth Bray after the game. Oyama opened his own business, Oyama Appliance, in 1964 and went into semi-retirement two years ago.
Several of their Kauai teammates have since passed on, but the memory of their last game together remains a cherished piece of their past.
"It's something that will stay with me," Hadama said. "I still think it was something unique."
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Whether The Streak makes it out of Hawaii could depend on how The Ankle holds up tomorrow night. Drew’s health
big for SpartansBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comDe La Salle (Concord, Calif.) brings a national-record 126-game winning streak into its game with St. Louis at Aloha Stadium. But questions remain about the status of star running back Maurice Drew, who suffered an ankle injury last week.
"He's progressing well, so I'm anticipating he's going to be ready Saturday," De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur said after Drew sat out most of Wednesday's practice at the stadium. "He's not ready to go now, but we'll see on Saturday. He's a competitor, if he can do it he's gonna."
Drew, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound senior, rolled his left ankle late in last week's 24-0 win over Archbishop Mitty, but not before rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown and returning a punt 55 yards for a score. The rest of the young De La Salle offensive unit accounted for 120 yards.
"He's definitely a special player," Ladouceur said yesterday. "He can do everything -- run, block, catch and he's a good defensive player. He's one of those rare players who has a real feel for the game."
Drew burst upon the national scene last October with a four-touchdown performance in the Spartans' 28-16 win over Long Beach Poly. The powerfully built back ran for 736 yards, averaging 12.8 yards per carry, and scored 22 touchdowns as a junior.
"The scary part is there's people there," St. Louis coach Delbert Tengan said. "He makes people miss and he's strong enough to run through tackles."
While Drew tries to rehab in time to make life miserable for the St. Louis defense, Ladouceur knows he may need other people to step forward if the Spartans are to add the Crusaders to their list of victims.
"I'm anticipating that and I'm challenging them to contribute more to the success of our team and pick up the slack," Ladouceur said.
Senior quarterback Britt Cecil completed 4 of 14 passes for 48 yards last week, but his job will be to distribute the ball in the Spartans' ground-based veer attack. Jackie Bates, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound junior, is another speedy running back.
"We're still working on a lot of things, we're still green in a lot of areas," Ladouceur said. "Even though it's a big game for us, it's still our second game."
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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Siuaki Livai, left, will try to lead Kahuku to an upset of Raul Lara's Long Beach Poly team in tomorrow night's first game.
Michael Carter is torn, sort of. Former Rainbow Carter
jazzed up about gameBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comAs a local resident and part-time assistant coach at Kapolei High School, Carter hopes the local teams in tomorrow's HHSAA Football Classic perform well against their California counterparts.
But that hasn't stopped the Long Beach Poly graduate from breaking out his Jackrabbit gear and buying 10 tickets in the Poly cheering section for its game with Kahuku.
"I'm elated about this game, I couldn't be more excited," Carter said. "I'm driving my wife crazy talking it about it all the time, pulling out all my old game tapes and game jerseys."
Carter was a star quarterback at Poly before enrolling at the University of Hawaii. He led the Rainbows to their first Western Athletic Conference championship 10 years ago and ranks second on the list of UH's all-time leading rushers with 2,528 yards.
He is among several Poly graduates who matriculated to UH, including Mark Odom, Chris Roscoe and Daniel Ho-Ching.
Carter's reputation still carries weight in Long Beach and Poly coach Raul Lara has asked him to speak to the Jackrabbits before tomorrow's game.
"I'm just going to talk to them from the heart as a guy who's been down the same road they're going down," Carter said.
"I'm pretty sure (the players) are going to be attentive and listen to what he has to say," Lara said. "Being here in Hawaii they're going to see, 'Wow this guy must be for real because everybody still talks about him.' "
Carter played with Lara's brother, Miguel, in high school and grew up about five minutes away from the Laras.
He recalls idolizing Poly players as a youngster in Long Beach and waiting for his turn to wear the green and gold.
"It's tradition, it's almost like you're born into the program," Carter said.
David Toloumu will be another former Rainbow pulling for the Jackrabbits tomorrow.
Toloumu's son, Jeremiah, is a junior fullback at Poly, but work commitments didn't allow him to accompany his family to the game this week. His wife, Anna Tai, and 13-year-old son, Johnny, arrived here Sunday and are staying with family members.
"I'll be all alone in front of the TV yelling and hollering and screaming," he said.
Toloumu was a standout UH running back and kick returner from 1978-81 and still has fond memories of Aloha Stadium.
"That's still my house," he said. "I love that place, I really miss that place. It's just unfortunate I wasn't able to come up for this game."
Jeremiah grew up in Village Park, attended Wheeler Intermediate School and played Pop Warner ball for the West Waipahu Warriors before the Toloumus relocated to Long Beach in 1999.
One of his teammates growing up was current St. Louis receiver Jason Rivers. He is also related to former Kahuku lineman Toniu Fonoti and former St. Louis linebacker Taualai Fonoti.
"It's a big game for us and it's big for me coming back to the island," Jeremiah Toloumu said.
Although Jeremiah plays the same position his father did, the similarities between them stop there.
"He's a much bigger player than I was," David Toloumu said. "Even through college I weighed 190 soaking wet. He's up to 230 and he's still a growing boy. He doesn't have quite the speed the old man had, but he's definitely strong and I've been working with him on trying to pick up his speed."
Jeremiah said he appreciates the tips his father passes along and enjoys watching tapes of David in action on old game tapes.
"I like watching him and Gary Allen run," Jeremiah said.
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