Kahuku road trip is a long one ... to Utah

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser News Services

The Kahuku Red Raiders football team isn't just out to defend its state title. It wants perfection.

Kahuku will try to extend its 14-game win streak when it opens the 2004 season against Skyline High of Salt Lake City on Aug. 21 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the Utah Utes.

The Red Raiders' party of 88, including 70 players, leaves today. They will practice at Skyline and tour the Utah and Brigham Young campuses. The Red Raiders want to arrive early to get acclimated to the altitude (4,331 feet above sea level), Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said.

"This game is important to us," Livai said. "Any win is important to us. We want a perfect record. We want to be 14-0."

The schools have split recent meetings. Skyline beat Kahuku, 24-21, in 2000 at Utah, while the Red Raiders avenge that loss in 2001 with a 19-14 win here. The Eagles were state runners-up in Utah's 5-A division (highest division based on enrollment) last year.

The Red Raiders return eight starters on a defense that allowed a state-best 7.5 points per game en route to its third state title. Among those back are senior Al Afalava, a first-team All-State defensive back, and junior B.J. Beatty, a second-team defensive end.

Afalava said he has been offered a scholarship from Oregon State.

All-state receiver Spencer Hafoka returns to an offense that has been bolstered by two transfers. Joining the Red Raiders backfield are running backs Micah Strickland, a senior from Punahou, and Kaniela Tuipulotu, a sophomore from Lahainaluna.

Strickland led the Interscholastic League of Honolulu in rushing (781 yards) and had 20 receptions for 208 yards last season, while Tuipulotu was second on the Lunas in rushing with 166 yards, seeing considerable action as a freshman. Tuipulotu led the Lunas with 51 yards on 15 carries in a non-league game against Kahuku last year on Maui. That impressed Livai, according to a Maui News account of the game.

Hafoka, who also returns punts, said he has been offered scholarships by BYU, Utah and Oregon State.

In other non-league games of interest, the Kamehameha schools from the Big Island and Maui will be making their varsity debuts against each other on Aug. 20 at Kea'au High. Neither has a senior; their first graduating classes will be 2006.

Also, the Father Bray Classic will be held Aug. 21 at Aloha Stadium. McKinley plays Pac-Five at 4:45 p.m. with host Iolani taking on Farrington at 7:30 p.m.

Interleague

The weekend of Aug. 27-28 will debut the O'ahu Interscholastic Association and ILH's interleague schedule. In a two-year agreement, the leagues will schedule games against each other and share the gate revenue. The games are like non-league games in that they do not count in the standings.

The marquee matchups include Farrington against Punahou on Aug. 27 at Kamehameha, McKinley at Iolani on Aug. 28 and a rematch of last year's state title game with Kahuku playing Saint Louis on Aug. 28 at Aloha Stadium.

Interleague play reduces OIA Red teams' regular season schedule to six games. In past years, each team played each team in its division and one against a team in the other division. That has been eliminated.

The eight OIA White teams, which are not involved in the interleague schedule, play a seven-game schedule.

Alignments

Here is how each league has realigned their programs for this season.

• OIA Red (Division I)—East: Castle, Farrington, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaimuki, McKinley and Roosevelt. West: 'Aiea, Kapolei, Leilehua, Mililani, Nanakuli, Pearl City and Wai'anae.
• OIA White (Division II)—Campbell, Kaiser, Kalaheo, Kalani, Moanalua, Radford, Waipahu and Waialua.
• ILH Division I—Kamehameha, Punahou and Saint Louis.
• ILH Division II—Damien, Iolani and Pac-Five.
• BIIF Division I—Hilo, Kea'au, Kealakehe and Waiakea.
• BIIF Division II—Hawai'i Prep, Honoka'a, Kamehameha, Ka'u, Kohala and Konawaena.
• KIF (Division II)—Kapa'a, Kaua'i and Waimea.
• MIL Division I—Baldwin, King Kekaulike, Lahainaluna and Maui.
• MIL Division II—Kamehameha and Pac-Three.

Honors

Kahuku is ranked 44th in The Sporting News High School Sports magazine's top 50 preseason national rankings.

The Red Raiders are ranked seventh in the West region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.).

The magazine also listed six Hawai'i players in the West region's top 200 list.

Named to the top 100 were Kahuku receiver Spencer Hafoka (ranked 55th), Baldwin linebacker Kaluka Maiava (85th), Kamehameha receiver Waika Spencer (92nd) and Castle linebacker Blaze Soares (94th).

In the top 200 (but not given numeric rankings) were Kapolei offensive lineman Ikaika Moleta-Aken, and 'Aiea offensive lineman Rocky Savaiigaea.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.

2004 PREP FOOTBALL NON-LEAGUE SCHEDULE

JV games 5 p.m. with varsity to follow 25 minutes after JV games

Friday, Aug. 20

• 'Aiea at Kaiser
• Campbell at Wai'anae
• Castle at Waipahu
• Kaimuki at Mililani
• Kalaheo at Pearl City
• Kalani at Roosevelt
• Kapolei at Kailua
• Saint Louis at Nanakuli
• Radford at Leilehua
• Waialua vs. Kapa'a, 7:35 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium
• East Alaska at Hilo, 7 p.m. (varsity only)
• Kamehameha-Maui vs. Kamehameha-Hawai'i at Kea'au, 5 p.m.
• Lahainaluna at Kealakehe, 7 p.m.
• Honoka'a at King Kekaulike, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 21

• Waiakea at Moanalua
• Kahuku vs. Skyline, 4 p.m. (HST) at Salt Lake City, Utah
• Maui at Konawaena, 7 p.m.
• Hawai'i Prep vs. Waimea at Hanapepe Ball Park, TBA
• Kaua'i at Punahou, noon
• Baldwin at Kamehameha, 7 p.m.
• Father Bray Classic at Aloha Stadium
• McKinley vs. Pac-Five, 4:45 p.m.
• Farrington vs. Iolani, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 27

• San Clemente (Calif.) vs. Kaua'i, 7:35 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium

Saturday, Aug. 28

• Waimea at Hilo
• Kwansei (Japan) at Hawai'i Prep, 2 p.m.
• Kapa'a at Lahainaluna, noon
• Ka'u at Pac-Three, 7 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium

Friday, Sept. 3

• Ranch Otay (Calif.) at Kamehameha-Maui, 6 p.m.

ILH-OIA GAMES

Aug. 27

• Farrington vs. Punahou at Kamehameha, 7:30 p.m.
• Castle vs. Damien at Kailua, 7:30 p.m.
• Kaimuki vs. Pac-Five at Kaiser, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28

• McKinley at Iolani, 1 p.m.
• At Aloha Stadium
• Kamehameha vs. Kailua, 4 p.m.
• Saint Louis vs. Kahuku, 7 p.m.

Sept. 3

• At Aloha Stadium
• Kamehameha vs. Wai'anae, 4:30 p.m.
• Saint Louis vs. Kapolei, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4

• Punahou at Mililani, 7 p.m.
• Damien at Nanakuli, 7:30 p.m.
• Iolani at Pearl City, 7:30 p.m.
• Pac-Five at 'Aiea, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11

• Pac-Five at Leilehua, 7:30 p.m.
• Damien at Roosevelt, 7:30 p.m.