Kahuku gaining respect, moving up national polls

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Like The Jeffersons, the Kahuku High School football team is movin' on up.

In the national polls, that is.

Following last Friday's 48-7 victory over previously unbeaten Kailua, the Red Raiders climbed from No. 19 to No. 17 in the Dick Butkus Football Network Top 25.

In the Student Sports Inc. Fab 50, Kahuku jumped six spots from No. 25 to No. 19.

The Red Raiders remain unranked by USA Today and RivalsHigh.com.

St. Louis, meanwhile, dropped out of the Dick Butkus, USA Today and Student Sports Inc. rankings after a 24-24 tie with Kamehameha last week. The Crusaders had been ranked No. 22, No. 24 and No. 29, respectively.

In Student Sports Inc.'s West Region rankings, Kahuku is No. 3, behind De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) and Long Beach (Calif.) Poly. De La Salle and Poly are ranked 1-2 by USA Today and Student Sports, and are both in the top four of the other polls. They play each other on Saturday in Southern California.

Kahuku has a bye this week and returns to action against Leilehua next week. St. Louis faces unbeaten Iolani on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. game at Aloha Stadium.

Volleyball: Iolani's girls took command of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-round race last Friday with a 15-10, 13-15, 15-8 victory at previously unbeaten Punahou (6-1).

The Raiders (7-0) have four first-round matches remaining. They already have beaten contenders St. Francis, Kamehameha and Punahou, and still must play Hawai'i Baptist (6-0). HBA still must play Kamehameha, Punahou and Iolani.

Iolani coach Ann Kang, who has coached at the school since it began girls competition in 1983, said she believes last Friday's victory was the Raiders' first ever at Punahou.