Wise, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback, was expected to be one of the Cougars' top defensive players this season, and was. But he was pressed into duty at quarterback only after projected starter Steven Pratt tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last basketball season.

Wise filled the role so nicely, coach David Maeva decided to keep him there even after Pratt returned healthy in the third game of the season.

"It was a tough decision, the first time I've had to make one like that as a head coach," said Maeva, in his third year at Kaiser. "Steve is a great quarterback, too, but he came back right at a critical time because we had already lost a couple games and couldn't afford any more mistakes. Sometimes it takes a couple games for a quarterback to get his rhythm back, and I decided it would be better for the team to keep the continuity going with Shannon."

Wise's numbers certainly justified keeping him there. He completed 7-of-11 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for a touchdown — all in the first half — in a 28-21 loss to Campbell before moving to receiver in the second half.

Wise rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on five carries and completed 9-of-11 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Waialua.

Then, in the regular-season finale, he completed 17-of-26 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 86 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-28 victory over Kalaheo, which clinched the Cougars' first playoff berth since 1997.

Wise finished the season with 93 completions in 154 attempts (60.4 percent) for 1,166 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed for 756 yards and 12 touchdowns on 86 carries (8.8 yards per carry).

Not bad for someone who was expected to be the backup quarterback and also played the entire season at defensive end.

"I thought he would be my defensive star this year, but I never would have thought he would be the conference Player of the Year on offense," Maeva said. "It's also a great credit to (offensive coordinator) Brian Ah Yat, because he had only a little bit of time to work with Shannon and had to select the right plays to run with him that we might not run so much with Steve.

"Quarterback is the hardest position to learn, so for Shannon to learn the reads and pick up on all the keys so fast, that speaks a lot about his knowing the game of football."

Wise also made the conference's All-Star first team as a defensive end.

Tang, another multi-faceted athlete, excelled at fullback as well as linebacker. But it was on defense where he became a force, registering 89 tackles in eight games, including 37 solo stops. Tang (5-11, 235) added two sacks, two blocked punts and two fumble recoveries.

"He has great range side-to-side, and as far as instincts, he's always near the ball," said Moanalua coach Arnold Martinez. "He also has an unbelievable motor — he doesn't stop — and he was our team captain on defense, making the calls and getting guys into the right spot. If we had 11 guys who could play like him, we'd probably win a championship."

Campbell, Waipahu, Kaiser and Moanalua each placed four players on the all-star first team, on coaches' recommendations.

In addition to Wise, Campbell's Isaac Laupola and Waipahu's Ryan Winfree were selected at two positions. Laupola and Winfree each made it at defensive back, and Laupola was picked as a receiver and Winfree as a special teams player.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.