Posted on: Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Kahuku reloading, not rebuilding
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
| This week
Non-league • Friday, Aug. 30
• Saturday, Aug. 31
Maui Interscholastic league All games at War Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m., unless noted • Friday, Aug. 30
• Saturday, Aug. 31
O'ahu interscholastic association JV games at 5 p.m. with varsity to follow 25 minutes after JV game • Friday, Aug. 30
White
• Saturday, Aug. 31
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This is what a "rebuilding" year looks like for the Kahuku High School football program:
• A tryout of 137 players, with cuts down to 111 after eight practices;
"Kahuku doesn't rebuild," said Kailua coach Darren Johnson, an all-star quarterback for Kahuku in the early 1980s. "They're always going to have good players."
That may be the case, but Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai still faces the difficult task of replacing last year's seniors, a group that went 27-2 the past two years, produced two state championships and got six players Division I-A scholarships.
"A lot of kids don't get to be a two-year starter for us, but a lot of those guys were," Livai said. "But hopefully it's our system that makes the difference year-in, year-out. You just don't rely on talented players; it takes the whole package to make you successful. To have a system that works, where you can plug different kids in and make it happen — that's the challenge."
Livai said the first order of business is finding a starting quarterback. The projected starter, Tyler Oto, suffered a leg injury in the summer and likely will miss the entire season.
"That's the first position you gotta have," Livai said. "It's a very sore spot in our community right now, because we've got eight quarterbacks and we're deciding between the top four guys."
Running back is another position up for grabs, with 17 fighting for playing time.
Last year's quarterback, Inoke Funaki, passed for 2,446 yards and 29 touchdowns. Mulivai Pula, last year's starting tailback, rushed for more than 1,200 yards and scored 18 touchdowns.
"Somebody's going to have to rise up from that group," Livai said.
Defensively, Livai feels much more comfortable given the return of four starters — cornerback George Perry (second-team All-State), safety Viliami Nauahi and linebackers Ola Kubota and Sione Olevao. Livai said Nauahi is being pursued by the likes of Tennessee, Penn State and Nebraska.
"The kids in this area love to play defense," Livai said.
They also love to win, and they don't intend to stop despite their lack of experience.
"This will be a good test, to win even when you have no big names," Livai said.
• An offensive line that promises to be even bigger than last season's, which averaged 293 pounds per man;
• Only two starters back on offense and four on defense, but that group includes one player who was second-team All-State last year and another who already has received about 300 recruiting letters.
