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Hurricanes Ecstatic Over Win Vs. Kahuku Powerhouse

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Coach Darren Hernandez. Photo by Nathalie Walker.

Four days after his team’s monumental playoff win over Kahuku, Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez’s cell phone was still full with congratulatory messages.

He didn’t mind the reminders. After all, not since 1996 had the Red Raiders been defeated on their home field by a fellow Hawaii team. That came against Campbell, which was then coached by - you guessed it - Hernandez. With Kapolei in only its sixth season of varsity football overall, Hernandez didn’t need the off-season to reflect on the magnitude of the Hurricanes’ accomplishment. The realization hit him instantly.After all, Kahuku has won 11 of the last 14 Oahu Interscholastic Association championships as well as five of the last seven Division I state titles.

“I’m still feeling euphoric,” he admitted.“It’s really a big feather in our cap. You work hard for something like that. It makes all of the weight training and film study worth it. It’s a great feeling for the kids, and it helps them realize that their hard work can pay off handsomely.”

Kapolei was hoping to clinch a berth in the upcoming First Hawaiian Bank Division I State Football Championships last weekend when the Hurricanes were to meet Waianae in an OIA semifinal. The winner of that game was to play this weekend in the OIA title game with the loser relegated to the third-place game, which will determine the league’s final berth. Kapolei has never been to the Division I state tournament, but it appeared to be right on schedule in the win over Kahuku.

Indeed, if defense wins championships,then Kapolei could be playing into next month, although Hernandez concedes “it will be tough to replicate that kind of (defensive) effort.”

Through its last six games, Kapolei is yielding just under 200 yards per game, but statistics don’t speak of the Hurricanes’prowess in the red zone. In their last four outings against Leilehua, Waianae, Kailua and Kahuku, the Hurricanes have held the opposition to a single touchdown or less in three of those encounters. A sterling 21-0 shut-out of fellow OIA Final Four-qualifier Leilehua was included in that span.

“We’re hoping we can continue to play at a high level. The thing that has helped us arrive as a defense is our overall team hustle. Against Kahuku, they played really hard every play.We always talk to the kids about playing every play, but it’s tough to do.It’s a physical game,and you get tired.”

Kahuku has long been known for its depth - they usually have more than 80 players on the varsity roster - but the Hurricanes more than held up against Kahuku.“We were outsized tremendously in comparison,but our line took it to them,” Hernandez said.“Unless you saw the game, it is hard to describe.”

Defensively, they’re led up front by Chad Lopati, Maverick Satele, Othaniel Maiava,Trent Nakata,Paul Belford, Victor Faavae and Bryson Guerrero,while Cyril Ontai and Tim Brown anchor the line-backing corps.

Play-makers abound in the secondary, where Nate Dixon, Lyle Brackenridge, Lyle Santiago and Kalae Parrish all have enjoyed stellar seasons. Although standout Keli’i Aki is still playing in nickel situations, he has moved almost exclusively to the offensive side of the ball, where he can have more of an impact, according to Hernandez.

“He’s been a stalwart for us and a big boost to our offense,” Hernandez said of Aki, a 5-10, 185-pound senior, who plays slot back and running back. “We’re excited about his progress.”

Offensive consistency has been a point of emphasis for the Hurricanes to date. “We’ve been hot and cold. At times, we’ve been very explosive. At other times, we haven’t put it all together. We are going to need to be balanced (offensively) to keep our defense off the field. Against Kahuku,the defense was on the field forever.We had only 23 yards in the entire second half against them.

“In the postseason, defenses are going to be more stout. We have to pick our spots and make sure we take advantage of our opportunities to get it done. If they (offense) give us a chance to win in the fourth quarter, we’ll be OK.”

While Hernandez played a pair of quarterbacks in senior Mason Koa and junior Noah Pascua during the regular season, it is likely that Koa will be the starter this week.

“We decided that his experience would carry the load for us.”