Red Raider Sophomore Galvanizes Post-season Run Game

Wednesday - November 10, 2010
By Jack Danilewicz
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For all Kahuku’s new-found balance on offense, its ability to knock heads at the point of attack is still alive and well.

Indeed, as it prepares for the state football championships, the ability to run the ball on offense - and defend the run on defense - will be prevailing themes.

Kahuku was to play Mililani for the OIA title over the weekend, and it’s averaging an eye-opening 237.5 rushing yards per game behind a line rotation of Steven Siilata, Alexander Fetuli, Jamal Napeahi, Christopher Thee, Kamalani Aalona, Vaihi Kaonohi and Tevita Tonga.

“They’re doing well,” head coach Reggie Torres said of his offensive line. “They’re getting off the ball, they’re driving, and they’re giving our quarterback time to throw. And they’re still working to improve.”


It’s no surprise that a stable of solid running backs is piling up the yards. That’s a given. What is a surprise is that a sophomore - Aofaga Wily, in this case - has been catalyst of the run game. He’s currently averaging 7.7 yards per attempt (for 1,175 yards) and has tallied 17 touch-downs.

A year ago, Wily was on the Red Raider JV team but moved up to varsity in time for the post-season. He logged three carries for 12 yards as a freshman in last year’s state title game against Kamehameha-Kapalama.

“We saw his talent at that point, and he carried that over into the off-season and into this season,” Torres said. “He’s such a great athlete. He runs so smoothly. The way he runs, he’s just a natural, and he’s a great kid with a tremendous work ethic.”

Wily’s brothers Micah and Josh played for the Red Raiders during the Siuaki Livai era, and his father, Al, played there in the late ‘80s.

The Red Raider run game also is bolstered by the play of backs Tyrone Brown, Fonoivasa Mataafa and Sterling Moe.

Brown, a senior, has rushed for 633 yards and 12 touchdowns and is averaging 7.1 yards per crack. Fonoivasa and Moe are averaging 5.4 and 4.8 yards per carry, respectively.

“They all complement each other,” Torres said. “Tyrone is a strong runner, and he’s quick. (Fullback) Fonoivasa gets his carries. He’s a good short-yardage back, but a heckuva a blocking back.”

Senior quarterback Evan Moe has had a stellar season at the helm, meanwhile, bringing 14 touchdown passes (against only four interceptions) into the weekend.

“We’ve been pleased with him,” Torres said. “He’s not perfect, but he’s been doing a great job. He’s tough to beat when he’s on, and he has a good grasp of the offense.”

Kahuku is averaging 40 points a game, and in its last three encounters entering last weekend (wins over Castle, Radford and Leilehua), it has averaged exactly 50 points a game.

Torres attributed the increase in part to opposing teams having moved the ball late in games, which means keeping his first-team players on the field.

“The defense has done a lot of scoring, too,” he noted.


Teams who best defend the run well usually go the deepest into the state tournament, and the good news is that Kahuku is yielding only 49 yards on the ground per game. Torres downplayed the statistic to a degree, noting that the team has been ahead in most games, forcing opposing teams to throw in the catch-up mode. Even so, Kahuku has given up next to nothing on the ground early in their games while assuming sizable leads.

“Still, we’ve done well against the run,” he said. “We had a great game against Farrington (a 16-0 win on Oct. 1).”

Kahuku has played for the state title in three of the last five seasons, winning the championship in 2005 and 2006. Pairings for the Division I state championships were to be finalized over the weekend.

A win over Mililani last weekend would secure a first-round berth.

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