Cougars’ Rebuilt Offense Ready To Face Moanalua Threat
By Jack Danilewicz
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In the main draw, it will be Kaiser versus Moanalua on Na Menehune’s home field Friday night. In the singles competition, it will be Kaiser running back Josh Gonda opposite Moanalua back Tahje Canyon.
While the pair won’t actually find themselves in each other’s paths that night, their contributions will undoubtedly go a long way toward the outcome, if the first six weeks have taught prep football fans anything about the OIA White Conference.
“He’s not like our guy (Gonda), who is very fast,” Kaiser coach Pat Samsonas said of Canyon, who had rushed for 692 yards and six touchdowns heading into the weekend.”(Canyon) is tough to bring down. Our main worry this week is stopping that offense.”
Gonda has been a do-everything for Kaiser and entered last weekend’s game with Radford as the leading Division II ground gainer with a state-best 9.7 average yards-per-carry and 10 rushing touchdowns. In a recent game against Anuenue, he ran for a pair of scores and for good measure added a 78-yard kickoff return for another score.
“Speed, No. 1, is the first thing that comes to mind about Josh,” Samsonas said.
“He gets a little opening, and he’s gone. It’s been very evident that with everyone concerned with Josh, we can sneak in some 20- or 30-yard pass plays.”
Gonda’s presence and the steady play up front by the Kaiser offensive line (Bret Kanoa, Justin Dietz, Harlan Lopes, David Nohara and Jordan Luamanuvae) have prompted Samsonas to go to more two-back sets with a tight end (Seth Keolanui) as opposed to past seasons when the Cougars were running mainly the spread with one-back sets and empty backfields.
“We still go into the spread when they stack the box (to stop the run), so I think we have a great mix with what we’ve got going,” Samsonas said.
Samsonas hopes this is a week when the Cougars’ best defense will be its offense. Moanalua’s triple option offense can chew up large chunks off of the clock, and Na Menehune have been crisp in the execution department, finishing off drives with scores. Kaiser could help its cause considerably with some long drives of their own, Samsonas figures, to keep the ball away from Canyon and Na Menehune.
On that note, Kaiser’s rebuilt offense seems ideally suited to the task this week. “We’re run-to-pass now instead of the other way around,” Samsonas said of the offense, which is coordinated by Waikaloa Noa.
“We’re running the ball more than ever now.”
Kaiser also has been efficient in the passing game, largely behind the arm of quarterback Teli Latu (759 passing yards, eight TDs) and receiver Josh Lopez (16.0 yards per catch).
On the defensive side, holding Canyon in check begins up front with Kanoa, Dietz, Lopes, Nohara and Luamanuvae. All six players are two-way performers in the trenches and help anchor the defense along with team leader Jesse Kauhola, who has blossomed at linebacker after moving exclusively to that side of the ball. He was Kaiser’s starting running back the last two seasons and a strong safety. His 30-yard touchdown run after recovering a fumble against Anuenue was one of the biggest plays of the season for the Cougars.
“He took one for the team this year by moving to line-backer,” Samsonas said.“He doesn’t get to carry the ball as much, but he’s a ‘team first’ guy, and we didn’t miss a beat (as a unit) when he moved there full time.”
Friday’s matchup offers intrigue for another reason: Both teams are a bit of a surprise. Indeed, if Kaiser was considered a year away because of a junior-dominated lineup, there was little talk about Moanalua at all in early August when fall camp began. Na Menehune’s only loss heading into last weekend was to Division I Mililani in pre-season.
Samsonas, who is friends with Moanalua coach Arnold Martinez, was rooting for Moanalua himself last weekend. “We hope they are still undefeated. The boys are up to the challenge. We want to be party spoilers.”
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