Battered Kahuku Faces Farrington
By Jack Danilewicz
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While coach Reggie Torres and his Red Raiders zero in on Farrington’s tendencies in preparation for Friday’s OIA Red East showdown, they also monitor their own injury report.
A rash of key injuries shadowed the team last week as it prepared for a game with Kaimuki. Out for that one were Kahuku’s Nos. 1 and 2 quarterbacks, Sage Kaka and Allan Kubota, and guards Kamalani Aalona and Jonathan Lautaha. Lautaha is out for the season with a torn ACL.
“We’re kind of banged up,” admitted Torres, “but we still feel good (about the team).” While it was possible Kaka would be back at practice this week, opening the way to play against Farrington Friday, Torres was expecting to go with Siatima Tapusoa or Jray Galeai behind center last weekend against Kaimuki. Tapusoa had a solid spring and summer when competing to be the starter, while Galeai was last year’s starter before shifting exclusively to defensive back, the position he’ll most likely play in college.
“He’s looked good, so don’t be surprised if he’s in there,” Torres said of Galeai, who is currently the No. 3-rated recruit in the state by the national recruiting service Rivals.com and already committed to BYU. One solution to lessening the impact of its injury issues behind center might be for the them to simply put the ball in the hands of its talented corps of running backs - Saint John Lessary III and Alapeti Magalei, among others. Torres expects his team will need to control the ball against the Governors, whose own offense uses a power run game to set up big plays in the passing game.
“Sustaining drives,” Torres answered when asked the key to beating Farrington. “It will be a battle. We have to try to move their front and control the line of scrimmage. We’re hitting all the physical teams now,” he added, noting last weekend’s game with Kaimuki.
“We had Roosevelt, Kailua, McKinley and Kealakehe in a row, all spread teams, although Kailua is pretty physical (for a spread team). Now, with Kaimuki and Farrington we’ll play teams that like to pound the ball at you. This is where your physicality comes in.”
The Governors have two of the league’s top play-makers in running back Apelu Sooalo and quarterback Dayton Kealoha.
“Defensively, we have to stop No. 28 first,” Torres said of Sooalo. “The second (priority) is stopping the quarterback - he’s a heckuva passer. We have to be able to take them out of play-action downs, like second and three ... To have them in a second- or third-and-long is more advantageous to us. They’re a big and physical team with great athletes, and (head coach) Randall (Okimoto) has done a great job there.”
The Red Raiders have rebounded from a 35-0 loss to Kamehameha on opening night to win four straight heading into last weekend’s Kaimuki game. Their defense has given up an average of just under a touchdown per game during that span. In addition to Galeai at his safety position, they also have had stellar play from linebackers Justin Afalava, A.J. Atuaia and Kamalani Alo, while junior Hau’oli Jamora has anchored the defensive line at end.
Offensively, the Red Raiders likely will need to execute in play-action themselves to keep Farrington from over-loading the box, in Torres’ view.
“We’re trying not to be one-dimensional, and we know we’ll have to put it in the air to win.”
Kahuku closes out its regular season Oct. 10 at home against Castle. The OIA’s post-season begins the following weekend.
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