Open/D-I Top Ten 2021

[HS Football Fanatic]

I don't remember the PE thing, but we most likely chucked it because we were awful in FB in the 80s.

@gopunahou:

Was Punahou really that bad in football in the '80s? There was only one year that I recall during which Punahou sucked: 1976. Punahou might suck in football one year, but not an entire decade.

1983-87 was our worst stretch ever. Our 1983 team was much worse than 1976. Our 1983 team came within a safety of going winless.

@gopunahou:

Wow; I didn't know the '83 team was that bad. They were completely under my radar. What I do remember that year was that St Louis beat Kamehameha by, guess what? A safety! St Louis won, 2-0. How about that.

The reason I know Punahou's '76 team sucked was that they finished last in the ILH.

Right now, I think you and I are disgusted about high school football. You, because you're a Punahou alumnus, and your alma mater ended its season on an ignominious note. I, because a school I like (Kamehameha Schools) played like doo-doo this past Friday, and lost by almost the same margin that your alma mater lost by in its last game, and against the same school. Do you feel disgusted and let-down, as I do? I'm almost mad at the Warriors for making me feel this way. I feel helpless and dejected. "Oh, but Kamehameha has another game," you might say. With their top RB out with an ankle injury, St Louis will probably make them look like doo-doo again. Right now it seems that the Warriors are in the toilet bowl, helpless. And, on Friday, the Saints will push-down the handle, and the Warriors will go swirling down the tube. In my mind, they're already as good as flushed. I mean, without RB Bartley, what are they going to do? I think Bartley is (but now that he's hurt, was?) the best RB in the state, and Kamehameha needs him, if they're going to beat St Louis. Even with him, they won by only 2 points and 3 points the two games they played St Louis. Backup RB Mahiai is a decent RB, but Kamehameha needs someone absolutely outstanding like Bartley, to win. This isn't a knock against Mahiai; the problem is that St Louis is that difficult to beat. I don't know what Kamehameha HC Maafala is going to do; I think he's screwed. Instead of trying to win the game, he'll be reduced to keeping the margin of defeat as small as possible. It's almost like a mission of damage-control, with winning the game being out of the question. It's like Kamehameha is already doomed before they even take the field; this is truly a sucky predicament that the Warriors are in.

I'd bet the Warriors are really pissed at the Saints; perhaps that will cause them to play with a kamikaze mentality of trying to destroy the Saints, win or lose. Both teams have ample size; things can get very physical.

[gopunahou]

@gopunahou:

Was Punahou really that bad in football in the '80s? There was only one year that I recall during which Punahou sucked: 1976. Punahou might suck in football one year, but not an entire decade.

1983-87 was our worst stretch ever. Our 1983 team was much worse than 1976. Our 1983 team came within a safety of going winless.

@gopunahou:

Wow; I didn't know the '83 team was that bad. They were completely under my radar. What I do remember that year was that St Louis beat Kamehameha by, guess what? A safety! St Louis won, 2-0. How about that.

The reason I know Punahou's '76 team sucked was that they finished last in the ILH.

Right now, I think you and I are disgusted about high school football. You, because you're a Punahou alumnus, and your alma mater ended its season on an ignominious note. I, because a school I like (Kamehameha Schools) played like doo-doo this past Friday, and lost by almost the same margin that your alma mater lost by in its last game, and against the same school. Do you feel disgusted and let-down, as I do? I'm almost mad at the Warriors for making me feel this way. I feel helpless and dejected. "Oh, but Kamehameha has another game," you might say. With their top RB out with an ankle injury, St Louis will probably make them look like doo-doo again. Right now it seems that the Warriors are in the toilet bowl, helpless. And, on Friday, the Saints will push-down the handle, and the Warriors will go swirling down the tube. In my mind, they're already as good as flushed. I mean, without RB Bartley, what are they going to do? I think Bartley is (but now that he's hurt, was?) the best RB in the state, and Kamehameha needs him, if they're going to beat St Louis. Even with him, they won by only 2 points and 3 points the two games they played St Louis. Backup RB Mahiai is a decent RB, but Kamehameha needs someone absolutely outstanding like Bartley, to win. This isn't a knock against Mahiai; the problem is that St Louis is that difficult to beat. I don't know what Kamehameha HC Maafala is going to do; I think he's screwed. Instead of trying to win the game, he'll be reduced to keeping the margin of defeat as small as possible. It's almost like a mission of damage-control, with winning the game being out of the question. It's like Kamehameha is already doomed before they even take the field; this is truly a sucky predicament that the Warriors are in.

I'd bet the Warriors are really pissed at the Saints; perhaps that will cause them to play with a kamikaze mentality of trying to destroy the Saints, win or lose. Both teams have ample size; things can get very physical.

This link will tell you about our 1983 team, as well as every other team we’ve fielded since 1973: https://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/punahou ... tatistics/

Regarding KSK-SLS, it was obvious that St. Louis faced much more pressure than Kamehameha did last week. That won’t be the case this Friday. Although last week’s game looked like a late 90s/early 2000s big game where Kamehameha lost badly to St. Louis. Kamehameha lost 37-12 in the 1998 ILH championship game, 43-7 in the 1999 ILH championship game, 34-0 in 2000 in the ILH finale that would’ve forced an ILH championship game, 38-14 in 2001 in the ILH finale where a win would’ve given the Warriors the ILH title, and 51-19 in 2003 where a win would’ve given the Warriors the ILH title. Maafala played on the 1999, 2000, and 2001 KSK teams. Kamehameha also lost to us, 38-12, in 2013, although our 2013 team might’ve been the best team of the 2010s. Maybe having the pressure on them will help KSK put together a better performance this Friday.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@gopunahou:

Kamehameha had an incentive to win, too: Win, and the ILH Open title and the state berth are locked up. Instead, Kamehameha failed, and failed miserably. As the scores you posted indicated, it seems Kamehameha loses title games disastrously; it seems that none of those games are ever close. And, if RB Bartley doesn't play Friday due to his ankle, they will lose disastrously yet again, this time twice in as many weeks. Talk about history repeating itself.

[gopunahou]

@gopunahou:

Kamehameha had an incentive to win, too: Win, and the ILH Open title and the state berth are locked up. Instead, Kamehameha failed, and failed miserably. As the scores you posted indicated, it seems Kamehameha loses title games disastrously; it seems that none of those games are ever close. And, if RB Bartley doesn't play Friday due to his ankle, they will lose disastrously yet again, this time twice in as many weeks. Talk about history repeating itself.

One thing everybody can agree on is that they face much more pressure Friday than they did last Friday. They’ve also been in this situation before—2002. They needed one win to clinch the ILH that year but faced St. Louis the final weekend. They lost a heartbreaker, 14-13, and then dropped the ILH title game, 27-12. This was also the year after Cal Lee stepped down.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@gopunahou:

Well, I'm surprised that Kamehameha actually lost a crucial game by as little as one point. Something tells me they'll continue their more recent pattern on Friday, and be blown-out (again).

[gopunahou]

@gopunahou:

Well, I'm surprised that Kamehameha actually lost a crucial game by as little as one point. Something tells me they'll continue their more recent pattern on Friday, and be blown-out (again).

St. Louis ain’t the only team that’s clobbered them in ILH championship games. We did in 2013. Although our 2013 team might be the best of the 2010s.

I hope Kamehameha wins to give the ILH a new champion, but if they don’t, there is always this sweet benefit: we’ll remain the only team to have ever beaten St. Louis three times in a season.

[ChadFukuoka]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

[gopunahou]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

Iolani is one of our biggest rivals and might be our biggest rival. It is a matter of opinion of who our biggest rival is. It was Iolani in the early 2000s because we always finished with a similar record as they. And believe it or not, they were 18-9-2 against us between 1980 and 1993. Beating them was a much bigger deal between 1936 and 2010 than it became once the 2010s started.

[OldManJenkins]

Football state tourney dates revised HHSAA site
Semis 12/17
Championship 12/23
Site to be determined

[ChadFukuoka]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

Iolani is one of our biggest rivals and might be our biggest rival. It is a matter of opinion of who our biggest rival is. It was Iolani in the early 2000s because we always finished with a similar record as they. And believe it or not, they were 18-9-2 against us between 1980 and 1993. Beating them was a much bigger deal between 1936 and 2010 than it became once the 2010s started.

I’d think Punahou and Iolani are heated rivals in every sport, maybe a little less in football since they don’t play each other anymore. But looking at all sports, Punahou-Iolani has to be one of the biggest high school rivalries in the state.

[unpaid]

Picks this week,

Iolani over Castle
St.Louis over Kamehameha
Radford over Kaiser
Roosevelt over Kailua
Honokaa over Kohala
Mililani over Leilehua
Kamehameha-Maui over Kekaulike
Moanalua over Waipahu
Nanakuli over Pearl City
Kealakehe over Keaau
Kamehameha-Hawaii over Pahoa
Campbell over Kapolei
Kapaa over Waimea
Hawaii Prep over Kau
Kaimuki over Kalaheo
Lahainaluna over Baldwin
Kahuku over Waianae
Kalani over McKinley
Hilo over Waiakea

18-1 on picks last week. 50-10 season to date.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@gopunahou:

Well, I'm surprised that Kamehameha actually lost a crucial game by as little as one point. Something tells me they'll continue their more recent pattern on Friday, and be blown-out (again).

St. Louis ain’t the only team that’s clobbered them in ILH championship games. We did in 2013. Although our 2013 team might be the best of the 2010s.

I hope Kamehameha wins to give the ILH a new champion, but if they don’t, there is always this sweet benefit: we’ll remain the only team to have ever beaten St. Louis three times in a season.

@gopunahou:

Well, ever since high school football had been "divisionalized", Kamehameha had been making it almost an annual habit of getting clobbered by St Louis and Punahou. This year, they didn't get clobbered by Punahou, but got clobbered by St Louis this past Friday.

You're hoping ILH Open gets a new champion this year. Well, I wouldn't hold my breath. With RB Bartley out with an ankle injury, Kamehameha will almost certainly get murdered again this week. I mean, even with Bartley healthy and at full strength, they barely beat St Louis. (By two points the first game, and by three points the second game.)

[HS Football Fanatic]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

@ChadFukuoka:

Well, since I'm old, I remember lots of things. Yes, Kamehameha and St Louis are rivals, and have been for decades. There was bad blood between them from '78 to '80. In '78, the two schools' baseball teams got into a fight, which also involved the coaching staffs of the two schools. If I recall correctly, the game was at Ala Wai field. In '80, the two schools' football teams got into a big scrap. The game was played at Aloha Stadium, and it was on radio. I was listening to the game, and when the fight broke-out, the radio announcer was freaking-out. The next day the fight made the front page of the Sports section, I don't know if it was the Star-Bulletin or Advertiser. There was also a large photo, showing a Kamehameha player about to deliver a fierce uppercut to a St Louis player. I mean, he was really winding-up; you saw it in the photo. The article said fans of both schools rushed the field, too. Crazy stuff.

Of course, Kamehameha and Punahou are also rivals. When I was in high school in the mid-'70s, I heard someone say, "Kamehameha doesn't like Punahou, and Punahou doesn't like Kamehameha." Of the OIA schools you mentioned, I'd agree with the rivalries you mentioned. The only one I wasn't aware of was Campbell vs Kapolei. Well, for one thing, Kapolei is a relatively new school; its first graduating class was 2004. When I was in high school, Campbell's rival was Waipahu. They had the "cane knife" football rivalry, for example. At the time, both schools were located in towns that also had vast sugarcane fields.

As for Kahuku vs Mililani, I'm not sure it's a full-blown rivalry yet, but if things continue as they are, it might become one soon. After all, those schools are again the top two schools in OIA Open.

[ChadFukuoka]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

@ChadFukuoka:

Well, since I'm old, I remember lots of things. Yes, Kamehameha and St Louis are rivals, and have been for decades. There was bad blood between them from '78 to '80. In '78, the two schools' baseball teams got into a fight, which also involved the coaching staffs of the two schools. If I recall correctly, the game was at Ala Wai field. In '80, the two schools' football teams got into a big scrap. The game was played at Aloha Stadium, and it was on radio. I was listening to the game, and when the fight broke-out, the radio announcer was freaking-out. The next day the fight made the front page of the Sports section, I don't know if it was the Star-Bulletin or Advertiser. There was also a large photo, showing a Kamehameha player about to deliver a fierce uppercut to a St Louis player. I mean, he was really winding-up; you saw it in the photo. The article said fans of both schools rushed the field, too. Crazy stuff.

Of course, Kamehameha and Punahou are also rivals. When I was in high school in the mid-'70s, I heard someone say, "Kamehameha doesn't like Punahou, and Punahou doesn't like Kamehameha." Of the OIA schools you mentioned, I'd agree with the rivalries you mentioned. The only one I wasn't aware of was Campbell vs Kapolei. Well, for one thing, Kapolei is a relatively new school; its first graduating class was 2004. When I was in high school, Campbell's rival was Waipahu. They had the "cane knife" football rivalry, for example. At the time, both schools were located in towns that also had vast sugarcane fields.

As for Kahuku vs Mililani, I'm not sure it's a full-blown rivalry yet, but if things continue as they are, it might become one soon. After all, those schools are again the top two schools in OIA Open.

I’d imagine historically, Kahuku’s main rival was probably Waianae. Since those two teams did face each other a lot for the OIA championship or playoff games, once Kahuku became a dominant team themselves. But I think Mililani has taken Waianae’s spot as an elite team, and Kahuku’s main challenge in the OIA.

As for Waipahu, I believe they are also rivals with Pearl City, besides Campbell.

[HS Football Fanatic]

On the topic of St Louis and Kamehameha, it seems like those two teams have a pretty fierce rivalry. It made me think all 3 combinations of the ILH Open teams all fiercely hate each other in football. St Louis- Kamehemeha, St Louis-Punahou, and Punahou-Kamehameha. I guess because it’s just those 3 teams always, or back when the ILH was only one division, usually competing for the title.

There doesn’t quite seem to be as many fiercely heated rivalries among OIA schools. There are some, but not as many, considering there are a lot more OIA schools, and possible combinations of rivals. Some that I can think of off the top of my head, Radford-Moanalua, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kailua, Kaiser-Kalani, Mililani-Leilehua, Kahuku-Mililani (recently). But it seems like a lot of the public school rivalries have died out as teams switched divisions, or one team in the rivalry got worse, and the matchup is no longer competitive.

Iolani is one of our biggest rivals and might be our biggest rival. It is a matter of opinion of who our biggest rival is. It was Iolani in the early 2000s because we always finished with a similar record as they. And believe it or not, they were 18-9-2 against us between 1980 and 1993. Beating them was a much bigger deal between 1936 and 2010 than it became once the 2010s started.

@gopunahou:

Oh, I have no doubt that Iolani is Punahou's greatest rival. In a previous post some time back, I mentioned a former colleague of mine who graduated from Iolani School in '80. He said that when he was a student, there was a feeling of hatred towards Punahou School. I think that even to this day, that's the fiercest, most bitter high school rivalry on the island. Of course, the two schools are in different divisions for football. But, they play each other in every other sport. I think the rivalry is especially heated in boys' soccer. I think the two schools aggressively dislike each other when they play each other in boys' soccer.