Pupule Pigskin Picks (Aug 31-Sept 1)

[HRC Paul]

Posted this earlier on our Hawaii Prep World page on Facebook. Added my guess on the Bishop Gorman-Saint Louis showdown. Yeeeeeehaaaaa!!

Pupule Paul checking in ...

Quicky Pupule Pigskin Picks with 18 minutes left before the ‘Iolani/Pac-Five kickoff. I didn't do Pupule Picks last week, so was kinda boring. But I did have a new Top 10 Players list. I do what I can.

Friday
Kailua (0-3, 0-1 OIA Red East) at No. 1 Kahuku (1-0, 0-0 OIA Red East): Surfriders have been disappointing so far. How can 15 guys be out on academic probation (week 1)? When you're 16, 17 years old, it's on YOU to get your business done. Nobody that age wants to be babied, and yet . . . I feel for the Kailua staff and administration, and for the loyal fans. So much football talent, but so many of the boys slack in school. Auwe!

But now that they're starting to get their legs (and brains) in gear, I expect them to play their best game so far. Look out, Red Raiders … it's gonna be a fierce one! Pupule says … Big Red pulls away in the 4th, 31-16.

No. 3 Punahou (1-1, 0-0 ILH) vs. No. 5 Kamehameha (2-1, 0-0 ILH): Could be a shootout, but my gut says it's a standoff until Punahou can figure out how to move the chains a little more consistently. Pupule says … Tui Time 24, Kapalama Heights 21.

No. 8 'Iolani (3-0, 0-0 ILH) vs. Pac-Five (1-2, 0-0 ILH), Aloha Stadium: Wolfpack have a solid defense, but the lack of offense wears the 'D' out. Pupule says … Raider Nation 41, Big Orange 10.

No. 9 Campbell (3-0, 1-0 OIA Red West) at Waipahu (1-2, 1-0 OIA Red West): Cane Knife tradition revived tonight. Marauders looked excellent in last week's win over Kapolei offensively, defensively, special teams. Sabers struggling to move the ball through the air, but Paul-Andrew Rhoden is a beast on the ground. Saber defense will be tested by the WHS spread option attack. Pupule says … Orange Cats escape Y-Pahu by a whisker, 16-14.

El Capitan (Calif.) (0-0) at Kealakehe (1-1): No idea how good the Vaqueros may be, but I'll go with Coach Sam Papalii's Waveriders. He is probably a furiously angry man after last week's shutout loss to Kamehameha, and he has the 'Riders playing smashmouth football. Anger tends to work well with smashmouth. Pupule says … Hualalai Slopers 31, Cali Ballers 17.

McKinley (1-1) vs. La Salle, Ore. (0-0) at Crescent Valley field: Tigers are playing good football so far, with a fair amount of balance offensively. Taking on a team that hasn't played a game yet works in Coach Joseph Cho's favor. Pupule says … Coach Cho returns "home" and conquers, 21-18.

Radford (2-0) at Crescent Valley, Ore. (0-0): Beating the home team won't be easy, but like McKinley, Radford has some game experience under its belts. Cody Lui-Yuen continues to break out as one of the top junior passers in the islands. Pupule says … Rams 29, Home Team 27.

Castle (0-3, 0-1 OIA Red East) at Moanalua (1-2, 1-0 OIA Red East): Unfortunately for the Black Knights, it's been a rough season with low numbers and a rash of injuries. Na Menehune are relatively healthy and showing signs of breaking out on offense thanks to Ishmil Scott and the development of junior slinger Micah Kaneshiro. Pupule says … Big Blue 37, Kaneohe Golden Domers 14.

Nanakuli (1-1, 1-1 OIA White) at Pearl City (0-3, 0-1 OIA White): Golden Hawks are scoring points in a pretty big way. Can't help feeling good for them. But the Chargers are hungry and fed up with losing. Tough call … Pupule says … Purple People Eaters 27, Westside Hawks 24.

Kaiser (1-2, 1-1 OIA White) at Roosevelt (0-1, 0-1 OIA White): Tough times for the Rough Riders. Coach Jeff Azuma is a patient man and will turn it around given time. Pupule says … Cougars 34, Rough Riders 7.

Kohala (0-0, 0-0 BIIF D-II) at Kamehameha-Hawaii (3-0, 0-0 BIIF D-II): Tough going for the Cowboys, who often struggle to get numbers. Pupule says … Warriors 44, Cowboys 8.

Kamehameha-Maui (0-2, 0-0 MIL) vs. Lahainaluna (2-0, 0-0), War Memorial Stadium: Lunas are the cream of the crop in MIL D-II. Pupule says … West Maui 39, Warriors 24.

Waimea (1-1, 0-0 KIF) at Kauai (3-0, 0-0): Menehune have pride, but Red Raiders have that furious anger thing going after missing the KIF title last year. Pupule says … Lihue Side 41, West Side 14.
Saturday

No. 2 Farrington (3-0, 1-0 OIA Red East) vs. Kaimuki (0-3, 0-1 OIA Red East), Kaiser Stadium: Bulldogs have heart, some explosive receivers and a lot of youth. Farrington has an edge in so many ways. Pupule says … Kalihi Boyz 45, Kapahulu Boyz 15.

No. 7 Mililani (3-0, 1-0 OIA Red West) at No. 4 Leilehua (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red West): Could be a shootout of epic proportions … but there's plenty of defense in this matchup, too. I like defense. Love offense. Pupule says (and hopes) a shootout on Saturday night … Mules 47, Trojans 45.

Maui (1-1, 0-0 MIL) vs. No. 10 Baldwin (0-1, 0-0 MIL), War Memorial Stadium: Pupule says … Bears 19, Sabers 0.

Waianae (1-2, 0-1 OIA Red West) at Kapolei (2-1, 0-1 OIA Red West): Pupule says … 'Canes 33, Seariders 31.

Kalani (1-1, 1-0 OIA White) vs. Anuenue (1-2, 1-1 OIA White), Kailua field: Matchup of extremes, the run and shoot against the double wing. My guess is Cal Lee has enough tricks and tactics to bend, but not break against Anuenue's lethal ground attack. Pupule says … Falcons 27, Na Koa 20.

Waialua (0-3, 0-2 OIA White) vs. Kalaheo (2-1, 2-0 OIA White), Kailua field: Pupule says … Mustangs 42, Bulldogs 14.

Waiakea (1-2, 0-0 BIIF) vs. Keaau (0-2, 0-0), Wong Stadium: Is Kean Wong really back for the Warriors? He was on our Top 10 RBs list before we learned he was going to sit the year out and concentrate on baseball. But you knew he might return. Pupule says … Kean-is-back Warriors 21, Cougars 7.

Honokaa (1-1, 0-0 BIIF) at Konawaena (2-1, 0-0 BIIF): Wildcats have too much offense, but the Dragons lay down for nobody. Pupule says … 'Cats 38, Dragons 14.

Hawaii Prep (0-2, 0-0 BIIF) at Ka'u (0-0, 0-0 BIIF): I remember covering a game at Ka‘u in the 1990s. We learned that one of the first-down chains actually measured out at 9 yards and change. They'd used it for decades. No joke. Pupule says … Ka Makani 26, Men of Troy 16.

ALMOST FORGOT THE BIG ONE! Bishop Gorman (1-0) at Saint Louis (1-1), Aloha Stadium: The Gaels are the real deal. They play everywhere and against anyone. But traveling 2,500 miles is tough on any football team, pro, college or high school. Saint Louis has all the potential, with talent at every position and a balanced offense, don't be shocked if they can stay close for at least one half. Pupule says ... Saints make it interesting ... Bishop Gorman 38, Gentlemen of Kalaepohaku 34.