Tevarua Tafiti Punahou c/o 2022

[gopunahou]

Has UH given this kid an offer? Because he can do it all and would be a big help to us!

[kapakahi]

UH offered.....over 3 months ago.....

https://twitter.com/Tevarua1/status/1128162096279998464
UH making an early offer isn't the issue. The issue is.....why won't Punahou kids consider accepting a scholarship offer from UH (when they are NOT committing to a Power Five program)? My guess is that.....Tevarua will eventually get a Pac-12 offer.

However, I don't understand why Punahou '19 Sitiveni Kaufusi committed to Army (over UH's offer).....only to end up flipping to UCLA when the Bruins came in with an late offer after NLI Signing Day. While I understand that Kaufusi probably would've signed anyway with UCLA (as a Pac-12 program) over UH), I don't understand him choosing Army (over UH) when he really wasn't committed to military service (as confirmed by him subsequently flipping to UCLA).

I also don't understand why other Punahou kids (LBs Ronley Lakalaka & Seyddrick Lakalaka, and OL Alama Uluave) chose MWC rival SDSU over UH....especially when academically, SDSU is on par with Fresno State (since both are part of the California State University system).....which has lower admission standards than UH (which is how OT Netane Muti ended up at Fresno State instead of UH).
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/06/ ... sno-state/
https://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/warr ... -places-3/

Now that Dakota Torres has graduated, there are NO scholarship players on UH's current roster from Punahou. Walk-on safeties Alaka'i Mashima & Noa Kamana are the only Punahou players on UH's roster. Both were already enrolled at UH....before being invited to walk-on after participating in open walk-out tryouts.

[shrek2]

UH offered.....over 3 months ago.....

https://twitter.com/Tevarua1/status/1128162096279998464
UH making an early offer isn't the issue. The issue is.....why won't Punahou kids consider accepting a scholarship offer from UH (when they are NOT committing to a Power Five program)? My guess is that.....Tevarua will eventually get a Pac-12 offer.

However, I don't understand why Punahou '19 Sitiveni Kaufusi committed to Army (over UH's offer).....only end up flipping to UCLA when the Bruins came in with an offer after NLI Signing Day. While I understand that Kaufusi probably would've signed with UCLA (as a Pac-12 program) over UH), I don't understand him choosing Army (over UH) when he really wasn't committed to military service (as confirmed by him flipping to UCLA).

I also don't understand why other Punahou kids (LBs Ronley Lakalaka & Seyddrick Lakalaka, and OL Alama Uluave) chose MWC rival SDSU over UH.

Now that Dakota Torres has graduated, there are NO scholarship players on UH's current roster from Punahou. Walk-on safeties Alaka'i Mashima & Noa Kamana are the only Punahou players on UH's roster. Both were already enrolled at UH....before being invited to walk-on after participating in open walk-out tryouts.

I like Tafiti's height/weight at his age level. I suspect the Punahou counselors advise their kids to go to the mainland. Not every mainland school is the same and they need to take that into consideration but I don't think they do. Especially in the case of UCLA which is situated right smack dab in the middle of LA where traffic sucks going on 405/101/5 and the air quality has improved over the years but still bad. Cal is about as bad so you're on campus most of the time. Counselors don't know this when advising. They probably tell them go east young man, go east. In reality you can get a good quality education from UH and meet quality people as you do on other campuses.

[kapakahi]

UH offered.....over 3 months ago.....

https://twitter.com/Tevarua1/status/1128162096279998464
UH making an early offer isn't the issue. The issue is.....why won't Punahou kids consider accepting a scholarship offer from UH (when they are NOT committing to a Power Five program)? My guess is that.....Tevarua will eventually get a Pac-12 offer.

However, I don't understand why Punahou '19 Sitiveni Kaufusi committed to Army (over UH's offer).....only end up flipping to UCLA when the Bruins came in with an offer after NLI Signing Day. While I understand that Kaufusi probably would've signed with UCLA (as a Pac-12 program) over UH), I don't understand him choosing Army (over UH) when he really wasn't committed to military service (as confirmed by him flipping to UCLA).

I also don't understand why other Punahou kids (LBs Ronley Lakalaka & Seyddrick Lakalaka, and OL Alama Uluave) chose MWC rival SDSU over UH.

Now that Dakota Torres has graduated, there are NO scholarship players on UH's current roster from Punahou. Walk-on safeties Alaka'i Mashima & Noa Kamana are the only Punahou players on UH's roster. Both were already enrolled at UH....before being invited to walk-on after participating in open walk-out tryouts.

I like Tafiti's height/weight at his age level. I suspect the Punahou counselors advise their kids to go to the mainland. Not every mainland school is the same and they need to take that into consideration but I don't think they do. Especially in the case of UCLA which is situated right smack dab in the middle of LA where traffic sucks going on 405/101/5 and the air quality has improved over the years but still bad. Cal is about as bad so you're on campus most of the time. Counselors don't know this when advising. They probably tell them go east young man, go east. In reality you can get a good quality education from UH and meet quality people as you do on other campuses.

San Diego State is a California State University system school.....just like other MWC programs San Jose State & Fresno State (and most of the Big West Schools - Bakersfield, Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, Riverside, etc.).....most with lower admission standards than UH....and NOT a University of California system school (like UCLA & Berkeley.....and Davis, Irvine & Santa Barbara) with higher admission standards than UH.

Doubtful that any Punahou counselor is advising kids to get a California State University system school education.....when UH is at least as good (and probably better).

[gopunahou]

I know Dane Uperesa played at UH all four years. Kenny Patton almost graduated from Punahou, too. Trying to think of other Punahou grads who did the same.

[kapakahi]

I know Dane Uperesa played at UH all four years. Kenny Patton almost graduated from Punahou, too. Trying to think of other Punahou grads who did the same.

Both Dane & Kenny were seniors way back on the 2006 team. Only Miah Ostrowski, Steven Lakalaka & Dakota Torres were 4-year letter winners since then. Dane's younger brother OL Drew never lettered. QB Cayman Shutter played 3 seasons.....mostly as PAT & FG holder. RB Ryan Tuiasoa transferred back from Weber State to play 3 seasons (after redshirting)....with a productive senior season. QB Larry Tuileta transferred back from USC to play volleyball. P/PK Alex Trifonovitch lettered 3 years.....but really only played 1 season. Afterwards, NO Punahou scholarship players since then....but not for lack of offers by UH.

While it's understandable why so many Punahou players (Deforest Buckner, Duke Clemens, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Dalton Hilliard, Timothy Horn, Sitiveni Kaufusi, Canton Kaumatule, Luke Kaumatule, Marist Liufau, Kaulana Makaula, Isaac Savaiinaea, Miki Suguturaga, Manti Te'o, Maninoa Tufono, Wayne Taulapapa, Robby Toma, Jet Toner, Semisi Uluave) chose to attend Power Five programs, it's NOT obvious as to why a few others (Ronley & Seyddrick Lakalaka, Hale Motu'apuaka, Jonathan Overton & Alama Uluave) chose to attend MWC rivals (equal or lesser academic institutions than UH).

[cabanalane]

Doubtful that any Punahou counselor is advising kids to get a California State University system school education.....when UH is at least as good (and probably better).

Just to go off-topic, what are the stats? I think Hawaii have to most kids (percentage wise) attending private school vs public school in any city/state.

So where do private school kids go after HS?

Nothing wrong with UH BTW, and I'm not implying that.

But just wondering after all that $$$ spent, do they just go to UH (or similar - but out of state) like the rest of us peasants?

[shrek2]

Doubtful that any Punahou counselor is advising kids to get a California State University system school education.....when UH is at least as good (and probably better).

Not trying to plug other schools but there is more to be gained than just education by travelling to a four year education outside of Hawaii when you lived in Hawaii all your life. A lot of it is the experience especially when football players will be majoring in PE, Sociology, Political Science, etc. My only thought is if they are choosing a school outside of Hawaii is that they choose an appropriate school not one where you're stuck in the dorm because of traffic or other negative issues. There are a few potential recruits who have chosen Fresno over Hawaii and I can tell you, its a poor choice. UNLV is another. SJSU is expensive because its in the heart of the most expensive city. Its hard to get experience of living in a different location when you're limited by costs and/or lack of available places to go like Boise. You stay in your dorm, go to work in class and the field. In Hawaii, you have hiking, beach, hanging out in paradise in your spare time.

[kapakahi]

Doubtful that any Punahou counselor is advising kids to get a California State University system school education.....when UH is at least as good (and probably better).

Not trying to plug other schools but there is more to be gained than just education by travelling to a four year education outside of Hawaii when you lived in Hawaii all your life. A lot of it is the experience especially when football players will be majoring in PE, Sociology, Political Science, etc. My only thought is if they are choosing a school outside of Hawaii is that they choose an appropriate school not one where you're stuck in the dorm because of traffic or other negative issues. There are a few potential recruits who have chosen Fresno over Hawaii and I can tell you, its a poor choice. UNLV is another. SJSU is expensive because its in the heart of the most expensive city. Its hard to get experience of living in a different location when you're limited by costs and/or lack of available places to go like Boise. You stay in your dorm, go to work in class and the field. In Hawaii, you have hiking, beach, hanging out in paradise in your spare time.

I get living and experiencing the mainland life. I lived myself in the Bay Area (NorCal) and Long Beach, South Bay & the OC (SoCal) for over 12 years combined. However still not much of a on-campus student life attending the California State University system schools.....since they are commuter schools with minimal on-campus student housing dorms & activities. Have been to Fresno State, Fullerton, Long Beach State, Northridge, Riverside, San Jose State, & San Diego State campuses on numerous occasions....having even attended some post-graduate classes at a couple back In the day. A student would need a car to experience the Cali life off-campus. UH has more student dorms (especially with all the international & neighbor island students.....as well as the Cali kids).

[Waryor]

because Punahou kids are snobs?

here's the thing. i live in washington now. one of my daughters went to UW. UW is 2nd tier (academic) behind stanford and cal. on par with ucla and usc... maybe a notch below, but slightly above colorado and utah. arizona, arizona st and oregon are 3rd tier. oregon st and washington st are at the bottom of the barrel. at least that's how i see it.

if hawaii were in the pac12, i would put them at 3rd tier

i can definitely understand a punahou kid wanted to go to standford or cal. that's a no brainer. maybe ucla, usc and UW as well. but the rest of the pac12? meh. might as well stay home and play for the home team and be a star.

[shrek2]

because Punahou kids are snobs?

here's the thing. i live in washington now. one of my daughters went to UW. UW is 2nd tier (academic) behind stanford and cal. on par with ucla and usc... maybe a notch below, but slightly above colorado and utah. arizona, arizona st and oregon are 3rd tier. oregon st and washington st are at the bottom of the barrel. at least that's how i see it.

if hawaii were in the pac12, i would put them at 3rd tier

i can definitely understand a punahou kid wanted to go to standford or cal. that's a no brainer. maybe ucla, usc and UW as well. but the rest of the pac12? meh. might as well stay home and play for the home team and be a star.

I like your take on this. Pal Eldridge said himself that Punahou was the plantation owner school. James Michener's "Hawaii" had a take on the two local kids playing against each other in a football game, one being Punahou and the other McKinley. And to perpetuate the myth, my niece said they didn't want to shake hands after losing a ball game. Punahou and Iolani refused to participate in the Statewide Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) for 8th graders when they couldn't compete with the public schools.

Would you really want your kid to go to Arizona State or Arizona with temps in the 110 and playing football? They tell you in Phoenix not to leave your laptop in the car when its 110, the laptop gets fried at 150 degrees in the car in the shade. U Dub, Stanford and Oregon are great places to go for schooling and football. Stanford has a large campus for an undergrad population of 9K but total student population of 20K and its on the west Bay. I've seen the Bay Area population go from 0-60 in 6 years where its gotten really expensive and overly crowded so I would not recommend Cal. Same thing for USC and UCLA. Used to be a great place to be 20 years ago but now you can't get on the major highways without issues. I would recommend your daughter's school as one of the places to go cause Seattle is a beautiful city and Chris Peterson is probably one of the better coaches in the Pac-12. But you're right in your last statement, Hawaii no ka oi.

[cabanalane]

I thought the rival school with Punahou was Roosevelt. They both had a "stadium" and used to play each other (in football).

Rich kids vs poor kids, back when not everyone had a car.

[kapakahi]

because Punahou kids are snobs?

here's the thing. i live in washington now. one of my daughters went to UW. UW is 2nd tier (academic) behind stanford and cal. on par with ucla and usc... maybe a notch below, but slightly above colorado and utah. arizona, arizona st and oregon are 3rd tier. oregon st and washington st are at the bottom of the barrel. at least that's how i see it.

if hawaii were in the pac12, i would put them at 3rd tier

i can definitely understand a punahou kid wanted to go to standford or cal. that's a no brainer. maybe ucla, usc and UW as well. but the rest of the pac12? meh. might as well stay home and play for the home team and be a star.

If UH is at the 3rd tier, then the California State University system schools (like Fresno State, San Diego State & San Jose State) would be at the 4th tier (at best).

[Irse]

Just wondering if the COA affects decisions.

[shrek2]

Just wondering if the COA affects decisions.

I'm sure that its used as a recruiting tool but the scholarship is suppose to include tuition, room and board per NCAA rules and the stipend was added in 2015 to augment those items so the athlete could afford clothes, washing, movies, trips, etc. I don't know what it is at Hawaii.
https://money.cnn.com/2015/09/04/news/c ... index.html