Castle Powerhouse Kehano Leads OIA Football Honorees

Wednesday - December 16, 2009
By Jack Danilewicz
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OIA First Team selectee Shaydon Kehano. Photo by Nathalie Walker.

The label “explosion-play” (a sports term for plays that cover 20 yards or more) was not created specifically for Castle’s Shaydon Kehano, but it could have been. Big football plays have always been his specialty.

“I was expecting a big season, and it happened,” said Kehano, who averaged 16.5 yards per pass reception. “I believe in myself that I can make things happen.”

The league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, Kehano was recently named to the Red East’s First Team as a wide receiver and as a First Team utility player on the defensive side for the 2009 season. He also made the Second Team defense as a defensive back. All-league selections are made in a vote by conference coaches.

Despite entering 2009 as a marked man by every opponent, Kehano still managed to be the best skill player on the field every time he suited up for the Knights, who finished at 6-5. He attributed his work ethic in the off-season in part to his ability to live up to lofty expectations.


“Coming off my junior year when I made the First Team defense and offense, I worked for it again, and all that work paid off.”

Kehano finished the year as the state’s leading scorer with 22 touchdowns and receiver with 71 catches, 1,170 yards.

As for the highlight of his Castle career, Kehano declared without hesitation:“The best part was playing with my friends - we’ve played together since Pop Warner. There’s nothing like playing high school football, and I made the best of it.”

Kehano was to play his last official high school game over the weekend in the Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

Castle also boasted First Team selections on offense in both quarterback Jaymason Lee (180-for-307, 2,305 yards, 28 touch-downs) and fullback Garrett Paredes, who made the team as a utility player.

Paredes also made the First Team defense as a linebacker.

BYU-bound defensive line-man Kona Schwenke was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for Kahuku, which won the OIA title en route to an appearance in the First Hawaiian Bank Division I State Championship game. Schwenke was joined on the Red East’s First Team defense by teammates Hauoli Jamora (defensive lineman), Johnny Tupuola (defensive back) and Ben Mamea (D-line), the only junior to make the list. Jamora will join Schwenke at BYU next fall.


Defensive lineman Veteson Sauni, linebacker TJ Tito and defensive back Tigi Hill also were selected to the Second Team defense from Kahuku.

Offensively, the Red Raiders placed linemen Steven Siilata and Jase Toomalatai on the First Team, while quarterback Evan Moe, running back Hans Brown, wide receiver Lopaka Morris and linemen Jamal Napeahi and Kamalani Aalona were Second Team selections. Kahuku’s Reggie Torres was named the Coach of the Year.

Clinton Aina was a First Team honoree on both sides of the ball from Kailua, as a running back and defensive back. Offensive lineman Jordan DeCorte also made the First Team for the Surfriders, who finished the season 4-6 overall.

Wide receiver Corey Lau, who will attend UH on a football scholarship next fall, made the Second Team from Kailua on the offensive side, while down-lineman Hakau Pikula earned Second Team defensive honors.

In Division II, Kalaheo running back Jesse Carney (1,494 yards, 17 TDs) was named to the Second Team, offensively, while linebacker Phil Tauai and defensive back Elijah Mataele made the defensive Second Team.

 

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