unpaid pre-season D-I football

[Naue]

I wouldn't give in too much with Waianae. We had a hard time with Nanakuli as they passed the ball at will on us, im not sure if they were even ahead on them but I do know that we still cant defend the pass as usual. Nanakuli couldn't really move the ball on the ground against us and its still too early to tell but I suspect their running game will not be the same as last year. Nanakulis defense looked real good and our rush d is solid also. Im skeptical about our season but hopefully we'll do good. DUB CITY \/\/

[backyard ballaz]

Here's my Top 10 as we head into week one:

1. Mililani
2. Punahou
3. Kahuku
4. Kamehameha
5. Farrington
6. St Louis
7. Campbell
8. Leilehua
9. Kaiser
10. Hilo

[HS Football Fanatic]

Been reading scrimmage reports from media and board members and a few things stand out to me.

St.Louis's football team is more of a work in progress apparently.So far they appear to need some help to get really competitive. Kamehameha seems like a more complete team on both sides of the ball than St.Louis or even Punahou.
Iolani 3-1 score advantage over Waianae is something you have to take notice of. I don't have Waianae ranked right now but keeping those big SeaRider kids out of the endzone for the majority of that scrimmage speaks well for Iolani.
They are going to put up a good fight in ILH D-I,I think.

Kahuku's offense appears to be much improved over last year.The Red Raiders might be back on top at the end of the year.

Mililani took on three of Hawaii's best and look to be the favorites to take the state title.

Didn't Punahou play much better against Farrington than Kamehameha did? Scrimmages may not mean much but that's what I gleaned from this weekend.

@gopunahou: Well, you would think so. Punahou (at #3) is ranked above Kamehameha (at #5).

[HS Football Fanatic]

Time will tell who is the last D1 team standing at the end of the season.
Just a couple of observations from watching the videos of Kahuku-mililani
1) trojans seemed to to be too fired up for a scrimmage, imho. I think in his arrogance, york obviously wanted to send a message that scrimmages or not, they are king.
2) milton was lucky to come out without getting dinged up considering the amount if time he played in the scrimmage....good thing Big Red's defenders weren't up to par in their tackling.
3) Big Red has a nice stable of horses, tata and hao will diversify the O, but it looks like if necessary, the running game can carry the team until the passing game comes around.
4) yes, our D gave up 44pts in the scrimmage, but all the mistakes are fixable. By playoffs, this will be another bad azz Red Raider D.
5) Dominant running game and Bad Azz D.....hmmmmm.....sound familiar high school football fans? Trojans may be the favorites and rightly so with that explosive O, but its not a lock for them to repeat.

I still dont have much respect for the trojans D. They were a good D last year, but there O made it easier for them.
Kahuku's lack of O and Farrington 's lack of a bunch of stuff last year were factors in trojans going undefeated.

But, at the end of the day, all that matters is beating who you need to beat on the field, and the trojans did that last year.

Wishing all the teams good luck in this new season
RRFL!!!

i watched the videos also and i don't see where your getting at Mililani being arrogant. Was following the live blog and they said the scrimmage had a different intensity than a normal scrimmage. Sounds like you're just making stuff up to bring them down because you guys took the L again.

@2k_Hawaii: Well, it shouldn't be surprising that the intensity level was pretty high. Mililani and Kahuku are two of the best football schools in the state. Both teams know it, so they probably felt compelled to live-up to the hype of this match-up. As defending champ, Mililani (in particular) probably felt it had to defend its status as such.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Time will tell who is the last D1 team standing at the end of the season.
Just a couple of observations from watching the videos of Kahuku-mililani
1) trojans seemed to to be too fired up for a scrimmage, imho. I think in his arrogance, york obviously wanted to send a message that scrimmages or not, they are king.
2) milton was lucky to come out without getting dinged up considering the amount if time he played in the scrimmage....good thing Big Red's defenders weren't up to par in their tackling.
3) Big Red has a nice stable of horses, tata and hao will diversify the O, but it looks like if necessary, the running game can carry the team until the passing game comes around.
4) yes, our D gave up 44pts in the scrimmage, but all the mistakes are fixable. By playoffs, this will be another bad azz Red Raider D.
5) Dominant running game and Bad Azz D.....hmmmmm.....sound familiar high school football fans? Trojans may be the favorites and rightly so with that explosive O, but its not a lock for them to repeat.

I still dont have much respect for the trojans D. They were a good D last year, but there O made it easier for them.
Kahuku's lack of O and Farrington 's lack of a bunch of stuff last year were factors in trojans going undefeated.

But, at the end of the day, all that matters is beating who you need to beat on the field, and the trojans did that last year.

Wishing all the teams good luck in this new season
RRFL!!!

i watched the videos also and i don't see where your getting at Mililani being arrogant. Was following the live blog and they said the scrimmage had a different intensity than a normal scrimmage. Sounds like you're just making stuff up to bring them down because you guys took the L again.

over the years i notice york wears his emotions on his sleeve, 2012 he had a good squad and kahuku thrashed them in the playoffs and he showed his frustration in interviews he dont got good poker face. now he got a killer offense and he is trying to rub it in that they good.

mckanzie played 3 quraters in a scrimmage? punahous 1st qb only played two series.
first time ever at a scrimmage the score board running? he tryin to rub it in peoples faces that they can score?
arrogance at its finest because if it werent for the out of district players mills is really still middle of the pack in the west.
every dog has there day

@huki-lau-lau: I think York was foolish to play McKenzie that long. I would say he's the best QB in the state, so Mililani's title hopes rest heavily on him. For York to expose him to possible injury for that long--in a scrimmage--doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, quite frankly. Having said that, I don't feel York should feel guilty about his out-of-district players. At the end of the day, those players are attending Mililani, and they are wearing Mililani uniforms. I.e., they are Trojans right now, regardless of where they came from originally.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Time will tell who is the last D1 team standing at the end of the season.
Just a couple of observations from watching the videos of Kahuku-mililani
1) trojans seemed to to be too fired up for a scrimmage, imho. I think in his arrogance, york obviously wanted to send a message that scrimmages or not, they are king.
2) milton was lucky to come out without getting dinged up considering the amount if time he played in the scrimmage....good thing Big Red's defenders weren't up to par in their tackling.
3) Big Red has a nice stable of horses, tata and hao will diversify the O, but it looks like if necessary, the running game can carry the team until the passing game comes around.
4) yes, our D gave up 44pts in the scrimmage, but all the mistakes are fixable. By playoffs, this will be another bad azz Red Raider D.
5) Dominant running game and Bad Azz D.....hmmmmm.....sound familiar high school football fans? Trojans may be the favorites and rightly so with that explosive O, but its not a lock for them to repeat.

I still dont have much respect for the trojans D. They were a good D last year, but there O made it easier for them.
Kahuku's lack of O and Farrington 's lack of a bunch of stuff last year were factors in trojans going undefeated.

But, at the end of the day, all that matters is beating who you need to beat on the field, and the trojans did that last year.

Wishing all the teams good luck in this new season
RRFL!!!

i watched the videos also and i don't see where your getting at Mililani being arrogant. Was following the live blog and they said the scrimmage had a different intensity than a normal scrimmage. Sounds like you're just making stuff up to bring them down because you guys took the L again.

Hmmm, sour grapes for Losing in a scrimmage? No. But you believe and say what you like, free country.
Band, cheerleaders, leaving in Milton, emphasizing how Big Red scored on their 2's(even though a writer mentioned how liberal the substituting was)....Arrogance.

I was going to mention the actions of some Trojan players, but I was a teenager once and it's not like some Big Red players haven't played with more "enthusiasm" than necessary....but as for my sentence above, I stand by it.
GO BIG RED!!

@rrforlifebaby: OK, I wasn't at the game / scrimmage. You mean, Mililani's band and cheerleaders were there, for a scrimmage? That is most definitely over-the-top. I could see if it were a pre-season game, but a scrimmage? I can see how Kahuku and its alumni might feel put-off and miffed by that.

[HS Football Fanatic]

If we are to take scrimmages seriously, Iolani's victory over Waianae should indicate that they are in D1 to stay. That'd better be the case because that's the way it should be! Aren't some of their best players--that D-lineman Carl Lima, the D-back Keahi Huang, and the running back Steve Suzuki, as well as one of the QBs that played (Tai-John Mizutani)--just sophomores?

@gopunahou: Kind of makes you wonder whether Iolani was ramping-up for D1 all along. Is it mere coincidence that Iolani is big on the line this year (though it was kind of big last year, too), and that some of its best players are underclassmen?

[HS Football Fanatic]

Got a feeling, that the end of the OIA season will be Mililani vs.Kahuku. Amazing when you consider two rookie coaches in two years. Gotta be about the lids FB IQ.

@Markeke: Well, it wouldn't be surprising. Right now, those are the top two OIA teams in the state. Mililani is certain to be ranked #1 when Thursday's Star-Advertiser comes out, and Kahuku is ranked #4. In the case of Kahuku, yeah, I would say it's football IQ. Kahuku has had that for years. In Mililani's case, I think it's more a matter of having so many key returnees from last year's championship team. To be perfectly honest, I don't think Mililani has had the kind of football IQ that Kahuku has had for years. It's just that Mililani happened to have a bumper crop of good players last year, and key ones are returning this year.

[HS Football Fanatic]

This was Waianae's 2010 roster: http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/wa ... roster.htm

I wonder if they are as "small" as Iolani is this year. And also, do you think the turnout will drop or improve with the new coach? Waianae returning to their days of glory would be great for the OIA, although Mililani seems to have taken their place as Kahuku's biggest OIA threat.

@gopunahou: OK, who said Iolani is small? Aren't they pretty big on the line? Also, I see no reason Waianae can't return to its glory days. Those of us of a certain age (like myself) can remember when Waianae was kicking everyone's butts. I'm talking primarily about the mid- to late-'70s, though Kamehameha and Kaiser both beat Waianae once during that period. Also, Waianae had some pretty good teams in the '80s, and played St Louis for the D1 state title just five years ago. So, I think Waianae still has that football pedigree; it's probably still there in the school's DNA. Mililani, however, is more of a Johnny-come-lately, I think. They haven't yet dominated Hawaii football for years at a stretch, the way Waianae did, and Mililani wasn't that hot in the '80s. So only time will tell if Mililani is a flash in the pan. At the moment, I would say Mililani has only for the time being taken Waianae's place as Kahuku's biggest OIA threat. Another OIA school that comes to mind is Kapolei. If I were Kahuku, I'd keep a wary eye on that school.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Here's my Top 10 as we head into week one:

1. Mililani
2. Punahou
3. Kahuku
4. Kamehameha
5. Farrington
6. St Louis
7. Campbell
8. Leilehua
9. Kaiser
10. Hilo

@backyard ballaz: You have St Louis at #6? That low? I'm assuming that the Star-Advertiser will announce them tomorrow at #2. Can Farrington beat St Louis?

[rednblue]

Saint Louis struggled again, drawing Kailua 1-1. Kobayashi and Herbig didn't play, but that doesn't explain Saint Louis' lack of offense. Like I suspected, losing Cui and Nunuha is a pretty big deal. Outside of Tagovailoa, Silofau, Kobayashi and maybe one slotback, Saint Louis' offensive skill players are very underwhelming. Essentially, it's a bunch of D2 caliber players. The OTs didn't look too good today either, with Tagovailoa getting sacked 3 times.

If Kobayashi can't go against Mililani, the Trojans should beat Saint Louis by 30. If he can, two touchdowns is still a pretty good spread.

Any observations on players like Iosefo Noga, Isaiah Tufaga, Tytus Timoteo, Saitaua Lafau?
I knew there would be a dropoff at receiver but with Kobayashi and Sallas back, I didnt think it would be as bad as it sounds... I do like the idea of moving Vartic on offense.

Scratch that...STL slot back Rico Sallas transferred to Mililani.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Saint Louis struggled again, drawing Kailua 1-1. Kobayashi and Herbig didn't play, but that doesn't explain Saint Louis' lack of offense. Like I suspected, losing Cui and Nunuha is a pretty big deal. Outside of Tagovailoa, Silofau, Kobayashi and maybe one slotback, Saint Louis' offensive skill players are very underwhelming. Essentially, it's a bunch of D2 caliber players. The OTs didn't look too good today either, with Tagovailoa getting sacked 3 times.

If Kobayashi can't go against Mililani, the Trojans should beat Saint Louis by 30. If he can, two touchdowns is still a pretty good spread.

Any observations on players like Iosefo Noga, Isaiah Tufaga, Tytus Timoteo, Saitaua Lafau?
I knew there would be a dropoff at receiver but with Kobayashi and Sallas back, I didnt think it would be as bad as it sounds... I do like the idea of moving Vartic on offense.

Scratch that...STL slot back Rico Sallas transferred to Mililani.

@rednblue: Isn't Sallas pretty good? If I recall correctly, he was torching Kamehameha's secondary last year. And now he's at Mililani? Don't they already have Timoteo returning? Makes me wonder why Sallas transferred. I'm assuming that St Louis will be announced by the Star-Advertiser tomorrow as #2, which would put them right behind Mililani. (I'm assuming that Mililani will be announced as #1 on Thursday). So, St Louis would be considered the top team in the ILH, and with the outstanding QB they have (Tua?), they'll be throwing the ball. So why did Sallas transfer? It's not like St Louis will be weak, or won't throw the ball.

[rednblue]

@rednblue: Isn't Sallas pretty good? If I recall correctly, he was torching Kamehameha's secondary last year. And now he's at Mililani? Don't they already have Timoteo returning? Makes me wonder why Sallas transferred. I'm assuming that St Louis will be announced by the Star-Advertiser tomorrow as #2, which would put them right behind Mililani. (I'm assuming that Mililani will be announced as #1 on Thursday). So, St Louis would be considered the top team in the ILH, and with the outstanding QB they have (Tua?), they'll be throwing the ball. So why did Sallas transfer? It's not like St Louis will be weak, or won't throw the ball.

Sallas was returning player with valuable experience, and would have provided some familiarity in the offense. I have no idea for the transfer, nor do I care to speculate about it... everyone has their own reasons. Mililani will have Timoteo, Sallas, and Ventura who was a good posession receiver in the slot last year. Tua will need to get on the same page with his other receivers soon because when Drew Kobayashi returns, defenses will know who the #1 target will be.

[backyard ballaz]

Here's my Top 10 as we head into week one:

1. Mililani
2. Punahou
3. Kahuku
4. Kamehameha
5. Farrington
6. St Louis
7. Campbell
8. Leilehua
9. Kaiser
10. Hilo

@backyard ballaz: You have St Louis at #6? That low? I'm assuming that the Star-Advertiser will announce them tomorrow at #2. Can Farrington beat St Louis?

Yea, I believe that low at this point in the season. If you did an on paper ranking, St Louis would be right up there with Mililani as the Star Advertiser voters probably based rankings off of. After scrimmages, it's pretty evident St Louis has their share of problems. OL is suddenly an issue. RB was always an issue. WR depth had to be a projected problem...they have no slots, which is the staple of Ron's offense.

Cal's strength is obviously not calling the defense - it's recruiting. He has proven it again this year as was the case many years ago. He gets talent to the campus. Assembling the talent and coaching it up is an entirely different issue. If you want to judge pure defensive coordinator ability, go back to when Cal was at Kalani (he gave up points). Having Div 1 caliber players on paper is great but really, other than Ron, Cal missed the boat on recruiting in a coaching staff.

[gridiron22]

I was watching the scoringlive 16 in 16 videos and I think its ridiculous hearing every school talk about a new player or players that transferred in. St. Louis's segment posted today takes the cake as if they are in the middle of NFL free agency and hearing players coming from Kauai, Big Island, Maui...smh!