White conference team profiles
| • | Nanakuli running back chasing football dream |
| • | 2000 OIA statistics |
Compiled by Stacy Kaneshiro and Wes Nakama
'AIEA NA ALI'I
• 2000: 2-7 overall, 2-6 Red
• Coach: Wendell Say, 10th year, 42-42-1
• Top players:
DB/SE Brian Tucker-Salas (5-8, 170, Sr.)
MLB Warren Tauanuu (6-2, 235, Sr.)
QB Lole Laolagi (5-11, 170, Sr.)
WR Chris Antonio (5-10, 170, Sr.)
G Levi Wyman (6-1, 230, Jr.)
G Brandon Rodd (6-4, 245, Jr.)
LT Matai Ware (6-3, 270, Jr.)
DE Michael Jaber (6-0, 220, Sr.)
DE Leon Lautalo (6-3, 210, Sr.)
S Calvin Martinez (6-2, 185, Jr.)
SS Avaiona Brown (5-10, 190, Sr.)
LB Kealii Kekawa (5-8, 185, Sr.)
RB Faasalele Neemia (5-11, 220, Sr.)
DL Andrew Mauga (5-10, 210, Sr.).
• Outlook: Having lost one starter on offense and having taken part in two summer pass leagues, Na Ali'i have high hopes in the White after a 2-6 showing with a young squad in last year's Red.
"Our offense should do better," Say said. "The pass league helped our kids. It showed in our scrimmages."
• Fun fact: KHON-TV anchor Joe Moore played football for Na Ali'i during the 1960s.
KAISER COUGARS
• 2000: 4-5 overall, 3-5 White
• Coach: Anthony Gayer, 7th year, 23-32
• Top players:
FS Noah Amerson (5-10, 146, Soph.)
DB/RB/K Landon Beers (5-4, 130, Sr.)
LB/DL Brandon Ching (5-6, 172, Sr.)
QB David Chu (5-5, 139, Sr.)
WR Keone Doo (5-7, 138, Sr.)
WR Marc Esteban (5-9, 158, Sr.)
OL/DL Jesse Glover (6-0, 242, Jr.)
OL/NG Blaine Kahalewai (5-8, 305, Sr.)
SS/Rov Richard Laboy (5-9, 148, So.)
LB/RB Paa Leslie (5-9, 165, Sr.)
SB Ikaika Pai (5-9, 141, Sr.)
• Outlook: Kaiser returns seven starters on offense and six on defense. Esteban set an OIA single-season record with 54 catches last year, and Glover is a three-year starter. But with record-setting quarterback B.J. Bernard graduated, Chu will take his place behind center after playing cornerback in 2000.
"As long as I'm here, we'll always pass more than we run," Gayer said. "We'll run out of the no-huddle shotgun, but with David we'll run more option than we did in the past."
The Cougars have six starters back on defense.
• Fun fact: Beers plays cornerback, free safety, receiver, running back, slotback, kicker and is the team's return specialist. "I wish I had 22 of him," Gayer said.
KALAHEO MUSTANGS
• 2000: 5-4 overall, 4-4 White
• Coach: Mike Akiu, 2nd year, 5-4
• Top players:
OL/DL Tom Crowley (6-4, 265, Sr.)
RB/DB Tyson DeCambra (5-8, 170, So.)
QB Mike Garcia (6-1, 190, Sr.)
RB/LB Kalani Kane (5-10, 190, Sr.)
DL/OL Charley Luna (6-2, 245, Jr.)
LB/WR Jeremy Neufeldt (6-2, 200, Jr.)
WR/DB Grant Shiroma (5-10, 180, Sr.)
WR/QB Kiona Siliga (6-1, 195, Sr.)
LB/RB Liu Suiaunoa (5-11, 210, Jr.)
DL/OL Patelo Tongatea (6-2, 235, Jr.)
• Outlook: Akiu is very excited about this team, which returns eight starters each on offense and defense.
"We're enthusiastic," Akiu said. "I'm happy with the way they worked out in the offseason. The commitment was there with the workouts, the running. We won our pass league, and we had a great camp."
• Fun fact: UH starting safety Jacob Espiau was a starting quarterback, defensive back and return specialist for the Mustangs in the mid-1990s.
KALANI FALCONS
• 2000: 3-6 overall, 3-5 White
• Coach: Ronald Dement Jr., 3rd year, 6-12
• Top players:
LB/RB Travis Canonizado (5-8, 205, Sr.)
OL Waylan Kenolio (5-10, 255, Sr.)
QB Chris Putt (5-8, 150, Sr.)
OL Marc Shirai (5-11, 255, Sr.)
DL/OL Dane Souza (5-8, 205, Sr.)
RB Nicholas Wong (5-8, 160, Sr.)
• Outlook: The Falcons return only three starters on offense and four on defense.
"Our quarterbacks and receivers are all new," Dement said.
Returning starters Shirai and Kenolio will anchor the offensive line.
"We've got some size there, but a lot of inexperience," Dement said.
Dement is a bit more confident on defense, where Canonizado and Souza are back to lead the charge.
"Those guys are our renegades," Dement said. "We usually throw a lot of our best guys on defense, so that's where we're stronger, talent-wise."
Dement reported zero academic casualties.
• Fun fact: Former Kalani football and baseball standout Roy Gerela later became a place-kicker for the great Pittsburgh Steelers teams of the 1970s.
MOANALUA MENEHUNE
• 2000: 5-4 overall, 4-4 White
• Coach: Jose Guevara, 7th year, 25-27-1
• Top players:
OL/DL Ronald DeLeon Guerrero (5-10, 230, Jr.)
QB/K Ric Fukushima (5-8, 165, Sr.)
RB/LB/K Noah Palmerton (6-0, 210, Jr.)
WR/DB Jaimie Rego (5-11, 155, Jr.)
WR/DB Shalomar Silva (5-5, 145, Sr.)
WR/DB Jimmy Strombach (6-0, 155, Sr.)
• Outlook: The Menehune return five starters on offense, four on defense. Guevara said they will look to throw the ball more.
“We finally have quarterbacks who can throw and receivers who can catch, not just one or the other,” Guevara said.
“We’ve got some good athletes this year.”
Strombach, a first-team all-state outfielder in baseball, is being recruited by football programs at Nebraska, Western Michigan, Colorado and Utah. He attended Nebraska’s camp in June.
Fukushima was last year’s quarterback, and Silva is a third-year starter. Guevara said he is still experimenting with other spots in the lineup.
• Fun fact: Guevara was a former standout lineman at Moanalua and Linfield (Ore.) College.
NANAKULI GOLDEN HAWKS
• 2000: 6-3 overall, 6-2 White
• Coach: Al Beaver, 2nd year, 6-3
• Top players:
QB Rusty Lawson (6-1, 180, Sr.)
G Henry Amina (6-2, 275, Sr.)
C Nalu Kaopua (6-1, 240, Sr.)
NT/FB Nihal Silva Ulufale (6-0, 250, Sr.)
SS/TB Kaleo Enos (5-9, 180, Sr.)
MLB/FB Ikaika Asinsin (6-1,230, Jr.)
CB/WR Ronald Strode (5-8, 165, Sr.).
• Outlook: After missing postseason by one game, the Golden Hawks are optimistic. The team's best athletes are playing defense, or playing both ways, and most of them return from last year.
"My expectations are always high," Beaver said. "We have to execute our fundamentals."
• Fun fact: The Golden Hawks won their only OIA championship in 1983.
PEARL CITY CHARGERS
• 2000: 3-6 overall, 3-5 White
• Coach: Ernest Otake, 3rd year, 6-12
• Top players:
QB Kiko De Diof Rieto (5-7, Sr.)
OL Chaz Aranita (Sr.)
OL Davin Sakuma (Sr.)
FB Williams Vaana (Sr.)
WR Calvin Calio (Sr.)
DL Preston Faletaagaloa (Jr.)
DB Ruben Sabog (Sr.)
LB Manny Ramalho (Sr.)
DB Richard Shinn (Sr.)
DL Kenneth Yi (Sr.).
• Outlook: The Chargers have 20 returnees and had most of their control scrimmages against Red teams.
"My hopes are real high on them," Otake said of his players. "We're trying to convince them that since they played good against the Red teams, they can do good against the White."
• Fun fact: Musician Sean Na'auao played offensive line for the Chargers during the mid-'80s.
RADFORD RAMS
• 2000: 1-8 overall, 1-7 White
• Coach: Kelly Sur, 7th year, 19-34
• Top players:
RB/SS Justin Rellin (5-6, 160, Sr.)
T Khoury Shanklin (6-3, 340, Sr.)
RB/SS Jeremy Hoover (5-9, 180, Jr.)
FB/DL Lino Kakiva (5-11, 190, So.)
G/DT Tracey Burton (6-1, 230, Sr.)
ILB/G Alberto Gilroy (6-1, 220, Sr.)
FS/TE Keone Tawata (5-10, 180, Jr.)
• Outlook: The Rams have 50 players on their roster for the first time since Sur's first season in 1995. Five players return on offense, but the defense is inexperienced.
"We're optimistic," Sur said. "In our division, we'll be competitive."
The Rams' strength is on the offensive line, but that also is where there are two-way players.
• Fun fact: The Rams won the O'ahu Prep Bowl in 1981
ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDERS
• 2000: 0-9 overall, 0-8 Red
• Coach: Les Parrilla, 6th year, 15-32
• Top players:
WR Corey Higa (5-8, 150, Sr.)
DL Hercules Kahooilihala (5-7, 220, Sr.)
DL Jonah Kahooilihala (5-5, 285, Jr.)
DB Josh Kimsel (5-9, 166, Sr.)
DB Brandon Loo (5-7, 164, Sr.)
QB Chris Mols (5-11, 173, Sr.)
DB Jon Nakasone (5-6, 145, Sr.)
WR Jerry Perreira (5-10, 155, Sr.)
OL Justin Popoalii (5-6, 254, Sr.)
WR Matt Terukina (5-6, 148, Sr.)
LB Liana Wong (5-11, 188, Sr.)
• Outlook: The Rough Riders return six starters on offense and five on defense. But eight players are academically ineligible for the first two games, including six starters on defense.
Also, Roosevelt is not blessed with great size. "We're very small — this is one of the smallest teams we've ever had," Parilla said. "But in the White, we match up better size-wise. And we have some speed."
Mols, an all-league pitcher in baseball, is said to have improved significantly on his reads.
• Fun fact: Mike Lum, who played 16 seasons in the major leagues and once pinch-hit for Hank Aaron, is a former Roosevelt quarterback.
WAIALUA BULLDOGS
• 2000: 0-9 overall, 0-8 White
• Coach: Donald Capello, 3rd year, 1-17
• Top players:
LB/R Ikaika Soares (5-11, 205, Sr.)
RB/LB/OL Brent Caunan (5-11, 220, Sr.)
R/LB Keone Peiler (5-11, 195, Sr.).
• Outlook: The Bulldogs have 37 on their roster, up 23 from the end of last season, when they forfeited their final game after they were down to 14 healthy players.
"We've got the numbers and the quality of practices have been better," Capello said. "The competitive edge is there. Now, they have to work for their positions."
The Bulldogs' depth was aided by six Kahuku transfers, plus eight from a junior varsity team (4-5 overall) that just missed qualifying for the playoffs. Also, the school expanded its weight room and players worked out consistently during the offseason, Capello said.
• Fun fact: UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida and USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow were once head coaches at Waialua.
WAIPAHU MARAUDERS
• 2000: 2-7, 2-6 Red
• Coach: Todd Fujimori, 3rd year, 7-11
• Top players:
QB Paula Aga (6-1, 175, Sr.)
FB Ave Moevao (5-8, 246, Sr.)
DE Tafa Samuela (6-1, 250, Sr.)
DT Bruce Tivao (5-9, 248, Sr.)
OL Marcus Tuisamata (6-1, 275, Sr.)
TE Reynolds Furean (6-2, 210, Sr.).
• Outlook: Down from the Red, the Marauders are expected to be strong contenders.
"Last year was a struggle," Fujimori said. "We're hoping to creep into the playoffs in the White."
• Fun fact: Waipahu's football stadium is named after former Marauders' coach and athletic director Masa Yonamine. He compiled a 115-59-9 record in 17 seasons, guiding Waipahu to three Rural OIA titles.
