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Aiea Football Defense Key To Ending Kaleheo’s 2-0 Start

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Scouting the opposition - a look at Aiea’s next opponent.

Since bringing the veer offense to Kalaheo three years ago, head coach Chris Mellor and his team have been regarded among the most productive in the state.

That hasn’t changed in the early going this fall, but when Mellor reviews game film of his own team late into the night, he can’t help but have praise for his defense.

Indeed, the Mustangs, who visit Aiea for a key OIA White Conference game at 7 p.m. Friday, entered last weekend’s game with Kaiser having posted a pair of shut-outs against Maui High School (44-0) and Kalani (70-0) in Weeks One and Two, respectively.

Although he stopped short of calling his current defensive unit his best, the 2008 edition has one key attribute in place - the ability to play fast.

“It’s definitely the fastest defense that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Mellor, who coached previously at De La Salle High School, which is nationally known for producing a 151-game win streak from 1992-2005 under coach Bob Ladouceur.“We don’t have a lot of boys, but the boys we do have are loaded with speed.”

None more than middle line-backer Shawn Reed, who is currently listed by the recruiting service Rivals.com as the No. 9 rated college prospect in the state.

“He’s definitely a dominant player,” Mellor said of Reed, who is 6-feet, 185 pounds. “He’s a force to be reckoned with. He takes care of the middle for us.”

How well both defenses fare on Friday night should go a long way in determining the outcome, given the contrast in offenses that Aiea and Kalaheo operate. The Mustangs run the aforementioned ground-oriented veer, while Na ‘Ali’i runs the pass-happy run-and-shoot. While the teams haven’t met for many years, they enter their game with some knowledge of the other, according to Mellor.

“They’ve been in our pass league the last three summers, so we know they’re a very efficient passing team,” said Mellor, whose team beat Castle and Division II state champion Iolani among others last fall, en route to a 5-4 record in Division I.“Aiea also can run the ball, so we know they can be balanced. They’re a well-coached team with good kids.

“When two teams that normally don’t play get together, there’s always an energy in the air,” he added.“Hopefully, it will be one of our better performances.”

While Mellor is pleased with his team’s 2-0 start, Friday’s game with Na Ali’i will likely offer a better indication of where his team is.

“We’ve played two teams that are not highly ranked traditionally, and we did what we had to do,” he said.“We still have a long way to go, but we’re pleased with the start. Hopefully, we’ll continue to play one game at a time and one play at a time.”

As the only team in the OIA running the veer, the Mustangs offer a different challenge for Aiea and other teams preparing for them. They favor smaller, more agile linemen in executing their blocking schemes up front.

“We don’t block at the line of scrimmage,” Mellor noted.“What we need are people who are quick enough to get out of the way and block at the second level. They say that speed kills, and you can’t tackle what you can’t catch.”

Kalaheo’s offense is led by quarterback Phil Tauai, who took over the reins from last year’s OIA Red East Player of the Year Cody von Appen, and running backs Dwayne Mitchell and Vince Santiago. Mitchell, who transferred just prior to the semester from California’s Fallbrook High, has already scored on a kickoff return and an interception return as well as from scrimmage. Santiago rushed for 150 yards on only six carries versus Kalani.

For their part, Aiea opened the season with a 27-6 win over neighboring Pearl City Aug. 15 before a 43-9 setback at Radford the following week. Na Ali’i has rotated a pair of quarterbacks in sophomores Kaau Kuia and Freddy Taliulu to date. Defensively, Aiea is led by senior interior lineman Miah Faatoafe, a four-year starter, who packs 290 pounds into a 6-foot frame. He’s joined by Lawrence Lagafuaina, Steven O’Meally and Api Foumai in the trenches, while an up-and-coming linebacker corps features Matt Watanabe and Kalei Say.

Oceanic-16 has announced it will carry Aiea’s Sept. 12 matchup against Anuenue High. Kickoff for that game, which will be played at Mililani High School, is set for 7:30 p.m.