Looking ahead to 2015 Hawaii high school football

[HighFlyer]

One question about the ILH schedules. Will the D2 teams play each other THREE times and then play in the playoffs? If they only play twice, they'll only play four games. A new D2 champion will be interesting. It'll also be interesting to see if the ILH D2 winner will be a contender in the state tournament.

Regardless, watching Iolani play D1 will be entertaining. They got a better chance of beating one of the Big Three (probably KS since they are losing a lot of assistants) than they do of losing every game to them 65-0 (which is what some Iolani D2 backers are saying).

Anyway, I hope the season ends on November 27 (Thanksgiving weekend) and starts in the second week of August. No more of this "let's start the season at the beginning of August". The season starts earlier and earlier, before you know it, they'll be playing games in July.

[BowTow]

Why would Sasaoka transfer back for his senior year, just to be ineligible?

I believe the new transfer rule begins on the first day of the 2015-2016 year. He transferred not too long after last year's football season ended and is already attending class at Kahuku. The other homegrown players that came in from Kamehameha are also already attending class, but I don't think it matters coming from ILH to OIA, as long as they live in the area. I heard rumors that some St Louis JV players might be coming home too. I guess we will see.

Thanks Aitorahi, I didn't know about the starting date of the new rule.

Kahuku's returning place kicker Pinheiro-Alves (if he is still there) is a pretty good place kicker himself.

[HS Football Fanatic]

I am liking these responses...good stuffs brahs!

BullNuts808, curious...Doug Cosbie is showing some staying power,but do you think he should have gotten his people in sooner,or is this current coaching shake-up a sign that continuity is still a few years away for the Kapalama campus?

Getreal$, appreciate info on the BIIF,Hilo and Kamehameha-Hawaii were the only two teams I had decent info on,so thanks for the input. I figure Hilo is taking a hit this year,but really had no real idea what Kealakehe had coming back. Is Keenan Luis RB one of the Waverider returnees?

rednblue, I also picked Tainoa Foster as a impact returnee for Kamehameha....thanks for the info on the other Kam and Pun defensive players. I knew that St.Louis had a couple of transfers on defense that had to sit out last year...so I did not include them since they didn't play. It will be interesting to see what they can do on the field. I think the Crusader O will be fine,but if the defense comes around...then Mililani has a challenge awaiting them in the fall....I would have to think that Kahuku could be an obstacle to Mililani repeat title hopes also ,,if the new coaching staff can jell quickly and get the players on the same page.

There seems to have been all kinds of coaching drama at Kamehameha. Losing Beatty as DC is, indeed, a huge loss. Where did he go? Back to Kahuku? Did he become a HC at some other school? Sorry, I've been out-of-touch as far as Hawaii high school football is concerned, the past few months. And when was the last time there was continuity among football coaching staff at Kamehameha? Perhaps we'd have to go back to Cal Chai's days for that. By the way, sorry to hear about Chai's passing in December.

As for Kahuku, it seems you can never count them out; seems that they're always competitive in football. They remind of how St Louis was in the '90s.

[politclyincrekt]

Before everyone starts counting teams like Kahuku and stuff out...remember...an OIA Division 1 team only needs 1 win to get into play-offs. They need to beat another team just once. All Kahuku has to do is have McKinley or Kailua in their schedule and they are set.

politclyincrekt - For the record, I'm not counting Kahuku out. They should be the top contender but coaching change should have some setbacks especially if Tata brings in more coaches outside the community. It would be ridiculous to overlook that fact that Kahuku probably has the best Defensive personnel in the OIA this year.

That's what I mean though. They have a whole regular season to figure things out. Even if they go 1-5 in the regular season, they can still become state champions.

[HS Football Fanatic]

I too hope that Kahuku gets it together, especially on the offensive side. I believe we will. Defense should be solid again. Hopefully we will still have Coach Sola on the sidelines. I heard that the Govs kicker Sasaoka came back to Kahuku, as well as a few Kamehameha JV guys. Maybe Coach Vavae Tata can lure some of our homegrown boys at St Louis to come back. IMO, anything short of a championship appearance will be a let down in Red Raider country.

For some ten years or more, Kahuku has been a successful football school; I would indeed imagine that the alumni have come to almost expect success in football. However, my perception is that Kahuku's alumni aren't militant about that expectancy. Compare that to St Louis. Old fogeys like me remember the "Lee dynasty": St Louis' 13-year unbroken string of Prep Bowl / State titles under Cal Lee. Like Kahuku's alumni today, I think St Louis' alumni back then also expected success. However, my sense is that St Louis' alumni were less tolerant of defeat than are Kahuku's alumni today.

Having said all that, I think Kahuku's alumni are the most loyal, persistent, and faithful. It's amazing, the "sea of red" that you see at their big games. I can't think of any other high school on Oahu that commands such large-scale alumni support on such a consistent basis. You'd have to assume that it's encouraging to their cheerleaders, too, to be able to cheer for and to so many people. When you play against Kahuku, it must be discouraging to see so many of their fans in the stands. Kahuku's fans are indeed the so-called "twelfth man."

Just some random thoughts and rambling, while we're on the topic of high school football.

[BullNuts808]

Before everyone starts counting teams like Kahuku and stuff out...remember...an OIA Division 1 team only needs 1 win to get into play-offs. They need to beat another team just once. All Kahuku has to do is have McKinley or Kailua in their schedule and they are set.

politclyincrekt - For the record, I'm not counting Kahuku out. They should be the top contender but coaching change should have some setbacks especially if Tata brings in more coaches outside the community. It would be ridiculous to overlook that fact that Kahuku probably has the best Defensive personnel in the OIA this year.

That's what I mean though. They have a whole regular season to figure things out. Even if they go 1-5 in the regular season, they can still become state champions.

Got it.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Unpaid - Cosbie just promoted within, so the DC, previous LB coach, was already there. DC brought in two or three additional coaches. However, I believe Kam still has two defensive coaches still on staff. I think the defense will take a lost not having Beatty there. Good for Kahuku though. It my theory that Cosbie's just going through motions until his son graduates then he moves to an AD position somewhere in KSBE. Its a shame that a lot of the talent at this school aren't playing bc of the inside politics.

I wanted to add........
With Hilo losing a lot of their returnees, no disrespect to BIIF but I don't see any teams from the big isle making it past the playoffs. Kapa'a is peaking right now adding Coach Mike Tressler (former UH footballer) to da mix and should have no problem taking the D2 Title. They were tough last year and will be the team to beat for 2015.

OIA D1 - Mililani (offense powerhouse with a defense that's rebuilding). I think Kahuku could be a force but the head coach change could set them back. It appears that most in the tight-knit community seem skeptical about the new hire being an "outsider". The best move for Coach Tata is to hire most of his assistant coaches from the community to smooth out this transition. I agree with Huki-lau-lau. Kahuku's D is scary good.

OIA D2 - Nanakuli looks strong but Radford has some speedsters. If they have someone to step in at QB, they'll be a force to reckon with. I really like Kalaheo. They got size this year.

All in all, pretty excited to watch the teams play out. Curious to see who will be the dark horses this year.

So, administrative / coaching politics are negatively impacting Kamehameha's football team? What ELSE is new with that school? But to be fair, it's my understanding that politics plays / can play a role in any high-school football program. I know of an OIA school at which politics play a big role even in sports other than football. I know, because I know several of the coaches at that school. However, I don't want to mention which sports they coach, nor do I want to name the school itself. You know how that can take-off and escalate. Guess it's just one of those things, politics and high-school sports. Cosbie is just waiting for his son to graduate? He has a son at Kamehameha? So his son is part-Hawaiian? Sorry, I'm totally out-of-touch.
You said it's "good for Kahuku" that Beatty left Kamehameha. So: Beatty is back at Kahuku? Well, that's his alma mater, so I guess we can't begrudge him that.
Tata is considered an "outsider" at Kahuku, and now he's its HC? Wasn't he originally from Kahuku's district? Guess it's because he graduated from St Louis instead.
Kalaheo will have size next season? But, they're always small in numbers, right? Kalaheo is a relatively small school enrollment-wise.
Don't mind me, I'm just rambling. I kind of like talking about any / all aspects of Hawaii high-school football.

[BullNuts808]

Aloha HS FB Fanatic - I cannot agree with you more regarding politics and HS football.

With regard to Kahuku, Beatty did apply for the job but unfortunately did not get it. Personally I think he would probably be a good fit for DC. He did a great job at Kam and seems to be good at getting his players to the next level. Initially when Tata was first picked as HC, the response from the community was lukewarm, however, Tata making good moves within the community and I think Kahuku fans are slowly rallying together to move forward. This will only make Kahuku more of a dominating power coming from the east side. Moreover, if Tata can fit a offense that the players can quick acclimate to. Oh brother! I see no reason why Kahuku can't bring the OIA title back home.

From what I saw at Kalaheo, they had some decent size on the line last year. IF those players come back, Kalaheo could be competitive for the D2 OIA title. But I don't know too much about coaching perspective there.

[saynotomercs]

I am liking these responses...good stuffs brahs!

BullNuts808, curious...Doug Cosbie is showing some staying power,but do you think he should have gotten his people in sooner,or is this current coaching shake-up a sign that continuity is still a few years away for the Kapalama campus?

Getreal$, appreciate info on the BIIF,Hilo and Kamehameha-Hawaii were the only two teams I had decent info on,so thanks for the input. I figure Hilo is taking a hit this year,but really had no real idea what Kealakehe had coming back. Is Keenan Luis RB one of the Waverider returnees?

rednblue, I also picked Tainoa Foster as a impact returnee for Kamehameha....thanks for the info on the other Kam and Pun defensive players. I knew that St.Louis had a couple of transfers on defense that had to sit out last year...so I did not include them since they didn't play. It will be interesting to see what they can do on the field. I think the Crusader O will be fine,but if the defense comes around...then Mililani has a challenge awaiting them in the fall....I would have to think that Kahuku could be an obstacle to Mililani repeat title hopes also ,,if the new coaching staff can jell quickly and get the players on the same page.

There seems to have been all kinds of coaching drama at Kamehameha. Losing Beatty as DC is, indeed, a huge loss. Where did he go? Back to Kahuku? Did he become a HC at some other school? Sorry, I've been out-of-touch as far as Hawaii high school football is concerned, the past few months. And when was the last time there was continuity among football coaching staff at Kamehameha? Perhaps we'd have to go back to Cal Chai's days for that. By the way, sorry to hear about Chai's passing in December.

As for Kahuku, it seems you can never count them out; seems that they're always competitive in football. They remind of how St Louis was in the '90s.

No one in this state should ever remind you of how Saint Louis was in the 90's.

[harus0ra]

I am liking these responses...good stuffs brahs!

BullNuts808, curious...Doug Cosbie is showing some staying power,but do you think he should have gotten his people in sooner,or is this current coaching shake-up a sign that continuity is still a few years away for the Kapalama campus?

Getreal$, appreciate info on the BIIF,Hilo and Kamehameha-Hawaii were the only two teams I had decent info on,so thanks for the input. I figure Hilo is taking a hit this year,but really had no real idea what Kealakehe had coming back. Is Keenan Luis RB one of the Waverider returnees?

rednblue, I also picked Tainoa Foster as a impact returnee for Kamehameha....thanks for the info on the other Kam and Pun defensive players. I knew that St.Louis had a couple of transfers on defense that had to sit out last year...so I did not include them since they didn't play. It will be interesting to see what they can do on the field. I think the Crusader O will be fine,but if the defense comes around...then Mililani has a challenge awaiting them in the fall....I would have to think that Kahuku could be an obstacle to Mililani repeat title hopes also ,,if the new coaching staff can jell quickly and get the players on the same page.

There seems to have been all kinds of coaching drama at Kamehameha. Losing Beatty as DC is, indeed, a huge loss. Where did he go? Back to Kahuku? Did he become a HC at some other school? Sorry, I've been out-of-touch as far as Hawaii high school football is concerned, the past few months. And when was the last time there was continuity among football coaching staff at Kamehameha? Perhaps we'd have to go back to Cal Chai's days for that. By the way, sorry to hear about Chai's passing in December.

As for Kahuku, it seems you can never count them out; seems that they're always competitive in football. They remind of how St Louis was in the '90s.

No one in this state should ever remind you of how Saint Louis was in the 90's.

kahuku was just as dominating team as saint louis was in the 90's and had there chances of upsetting them couple of times

[HighFlyer]

I gotta ask. Is Mililani here to stay? If they win another OIA title, they'll have done something only Kahuku has done since 2000. Win three straight OIA titles. They are the new kid on the block, but have they cemented their place among the elite programs like SL, Kahuku, KS, and Punahou?

[politclyincrekt]

I gotta ask. Is Mililani here to stay? If they win another OIA title, they'll have done something only Kahuku has done since 2000. Win three straight OIA titles. They are the new kid on the block, but have they cemented their place among the elite programs like SL, Kahuku, KS, and Punahou?

IMHO, no because they have had pretty much the same powerhouse players. They are favorite in my book to take states again this year. If they are able to reload the way Kahuku does next year then I'll be convinced.

[HS Football Fanatic]

I gotta ask. Is Mililani here to stay? If they win another OIA title, they'll have done something only Kahuku has done since 2000. Win three straight OIA titles. They are the new kid on the block, but have they cemented their place among the elite programs like SL, Kahuku, KS, and Punahou?

1. I just don't think Mililani has the staying power. I just don't see them staying up there, year after year, like Kahuku and St Louis.
2. I'm not sure Kamehameha is an "elite" program any more. The past couple of years, it seems like they've been on a gradual decline. Now I hear that some of their JV(!) players are transferring to other schools. I mean, when your JV players start transferring away, I think you're looking at some long-term football problems. Seems like Kamehameha's ship has struck an iceberg, and is slowly sinking.

[huki-lau-lau]

mill does not have the linemen to be good enough year in and year out, they have skilled players but untill york started to recruit multiple linemen from outside their district they havent been able to win an oia title.

the laie/kahuku big boys smashed mililani last week, its always kahuku and kalihi or halawa playing for the title. the best players from halawa and kalihi bigboys go to stlouis. so in the near future i see kahuku stlouis going back to the top of the rankings

miliiani is like punahou when it comes to football in that they seem to be the flavor of the month but nothing long lasting because they rely too much on recruiting.
stlouis and kahuku have a loyal alumni and following so their supply of talent wont stop.

mililani is a soccer community and that is their true demographic of gene pool das why they won the boys and girls soccer this year.
football they can only compete if they continue to pull plyaers from outside their district.

[HS Football Fanatic]

mill does not have the linemen to be good enough year in and year out, they have skilled players but untill york started to recruit multiple linemen from outside their district they havent been able to win an oia title.

the laie/kahuku big boys smashed mililani last week, its always kahuku and kalihi or halawa playing for the title. the best players from halawa and kalihi bigboys go to stlouis. so in the near future i see kahuku stlouis going back to the top of the rankings

miliiani is like punahou when it comes to football in that they seem to be the flavor of the month but nothing long lasting because they rely too much on recruiting.
stlouis and kahuku have a loyal alumni and following so their supply of talent wont stop.

mililani is a soccer community and that is their true demographic of gene pool das why they won the boys and girls soccer this year.
football they can only compete if they continue to pull plyaers from outside their district.

I think Mililani has become more than just soccer. Mililani has become the Punahou of the OIA, in that they're ripping-off gazillions of league and/or state titles. They grabbed the main one: Football. You mentioned boys' and girls' soccer, but it doesn't stop there. Their baseball team is OIA D1 runners-up, and is going to States. Their softball team is almost certainly going to States, and was ranked #1 in the state for a time (as was their baseball team). Meanwhile, Punahou's baseball and softball teams aren't going anywhere; they're done for the year. It seems that Mililani is having just as good a year in sports as is Punahou, if not slightly better.