RealTalk wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2024 1:35 pm
Week In Review
Trending Up:
1. Pac-Five. Just a few years ago I was worried Pac-Five might fold after breaking up with Mid-Pac and losing the practice field. Not only have they survived they are much better than they have been in years. If P5 "Bigs" stay healthy they are clear favorites to win D2. P5 looks like a D1/Open team.
2. Kapolei. Well-coached team. They scheme to their strengths, their players, and it works. They destroyed Waipahu, no surprise, but the hype is real.
3. Mililani. Beating Kahuku deserves mention even though offense for both Mililani and Kahuku was disappointing.
4. OIA Open. These great matchups just keep coming!
Trending down:
1. Kahuku black helmets. Love them or hate them, they lost their first game in the black helmets.
2. ILH Open. STL is a contender, and I credit STL for what they have done this year. But its going to be harder and harder for STL. Every potential athlete looking to go to STL (for football reasons only) must be asking "Why pay $20K a year" to go there". There is a reason for some, not others, but it's an issue now. Going to be interesting to see how this plays out. The other ILH Open teams aren't contenders and probably get more attention than they deserve because they are big private schools and have a ton of advantages.
This week's matchups:
1. Campbell v. Mililani. *** GAME OF THE WEEK*** Mililani had a key Lineman ejected during the Kahuku game. He will be unavailable for the Campbell game. THIS HURTS Mililani in a matchup where I would already place them as underdogs. This is a huge game. I like the Campbell offense and believe Campbell will win although it won't be easy.
2. Damien v. Pac-Five. This is a fun matchup. I could go either way picking this game because of the P5 bigs. Should be fun to watch this one.
3. Kapolei v. Farrington. Another great OIA Open matchup. Fun to watch Kapolei work on offense, and I expect they win, but the Gove have weapons too.
4. Aiea v. Radford. Radford is back and a legitimate contender in OIA D1 although they lost to Moanalua in the first game. Aiea just a game to Waianae that was actually close well into the 4th qtr. I like Radford in this game but its fun to have a competitive Aiea v. Radford game in action!
5. STL v. KSK. The first game between these two was closer than you might think given the box score. In that game KSK had a couple of really close calls that took away 2 touchdowns early. Then after the KSK coach went for a fake punt on like a 4th and 25 deep in KSK territory which STL stopped and almost immediately scored. After that it was downhill for KSK. But KSK is learning how to win and much improved with this new staff especially on offense. KSK has "Bigs" in the front to compete [I didn't say win] with STL and they showed it during the first game. This is why KSK is trending up (and why Punahou is trending down). A win over STL would be huge for KSK.
6. Kaimuki v, Mckinley. Both teams are winless. I am hoping the Tigers can win this game (out of concern for the program). Enrollment wise Kaimuki is just SO SMALL now - I think the state should consider folding Kaimuki students into Mckinley.
@RealTalk:
Man! That was such a
great post! You've said so much, I can't even attempt to respond to all of it, there's so much to say. For now I'd like to respond to 5 and 6:
5. I don't know about the Warriors. I
like Kamehameha Schools, but it seems so hard every year for them to overcome the Saints. Yes, the Warriors have a thick O-line, and they seem to have that every year. But the Saints have a pretty thick
D-line this year. I'd love to see them beat the Saints, even if only by one point.
6. Yes, Kaimuki High's enrollment is small, and it's been that way for, what, some six years now, perhaps more. However, I don't see Kaimuki High being "folded" into McKinley High. Kaimuki alumni simply will
not have it. Kalani High had the same problem of low enrollment back in the late-'90s. I'd heard that then-Governor Ben Cayetano was considering closing the school. (He's a Farrington alumnus; what would
he care?) My understanding is that Kalani alumni met with him at his office and told him they would
not stand for the school being closed. Cayetano apparently backed-down, and Kalani High lives on to this day. If current Governor Green tried to close Kaimuki High, I'm sure Kaimuki alumni would meet with him in his office, and inform him that they won't have it.
About some twenty years ago or so, the state closed Liliuokalani Elementary. Its classrooms are now used as state offices. Even though it was only an elementary school, alumni did oppose the closing. Closing an elementary school is
one thing, but closing a
high school is another. I mean, your high is where you launched into adulthood; high school students are like young adults. High schools have so much more meaning to guys than elementary schools. I'm about 90% certain that Kaimuki High will
not be shut down; its alumni would raise hell. As Governor Cayetano saw all those years ago, I think Governor Green would see that closing a
high school simply isn't worth all the trouble, drama and resistance such a move would entail.
