Kahuku’s Ongoing Quest For State Title

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Kahuku head football coach Reggie Torres. File photo

For followers of Red Raider football, the so-called off-season is always short. The new season began as the old one ended Dec. 4 with a 34-21 loss to Kamehameha in the 2009 state championship game.

With fall practice starting this week, and with its Red East opener versus Kailua only three weeks away, MidWeek‘s Windward Islander takes a look at 2010: Kailua Aug. 20, Saint Louis School Aug. 27, at Kaiser Sept. 3, at Roosevelt Sept. 17, at Moanalua Sept. 24, Farrington Oct. 1 and Castle Oct. 8.

Breaking it down: It’s a mixed bag of good and bad. First, the bad: Kahuku plays three straight road games with a bye in between the first and second one, meaning it will be away from home field all of September. The good news is that they play what may be their toughest opponents (Kailua, Saint Louis, Farrington and Castle) at home.

Upset-alert game: Sept. 17 at Roosevelt. Coming off the bye week, they could be rusty on game night, especially if they underestimate the Rough Riders, who have played tough versus Kahuku in the past. Fans recall well the 2002 season, when Roosevelt used the unorthodox “duck and goose” set on offense to post an upset win. Kahuku won’t want to look ahead of this encounter.

Game of the year: Oct. 8 at home versus Castle. This OIA East Red finale could decide the title if both teams live up to expectations. Kahuku’s had a stranglehold on the league for several years, but must get by the Knights, who could be the biggest challenge after the Saint Louis game in Week Two.

Game of the year II: Saint Louis. It may not have a bearing on the OIA title, but for tradition and history, it’s hard to top this public-versus-private matchup. The schools have met eight times since 1993 in either a prep bowl or state title game. The winner will have a lot of momentum in the following week.

Worst-case scenario: In its OIA East Red opener, Kahuku struggles to move the ball against the Kailua defense, but makes just enough plays in the second half to eke out a three-point victory and move to 1-0. The following week, it can’t overcome its own mistakes and loses a rare home game to Saint Louis. From there, they take on Kaiser and power their way to a 20-point win. Back-to-back road wins at Roosevelt and Moanalua put them at 4-0, but the offense struggles against Farrington and Castle, gaining only a split in weeks five and six. Kahuku moves to the quarterfinals to record a resounding win over Kapolei, but its bid for an OIA title ends in the semifinals, however, losing to Leilehua. A win over Farrington in the third-place game ensures a state tournament berth. They defeat Honokaa in round one before a loss to eventual state champ Kamehameha ends the season at 8-3.

Best-case scenario: Defense shows it’s for real once again with a shut-out of Kailua, setting the stage for Saint Louis. Before an overflow crowd, the Red Raiders don’t disappoint, winning convincingly to go to 2-0. The defense gives up 8 points in road wins over Kaiser, Roosevelt and Moanalua. At 4-0, the Red East title is on the line in the final two weeks. Versus the Governors, Kahuku scores twice on special teams in a 13-point victory. Against Castle, it trails deep into the third quarter before scoring a couple of quick ones to edge the Knights by four and win the crown. Kahuku rolls past Mililani in the OIA playoffs, beats Farrington and enters the championship game where it defeats Leilehua by a touchdown to win the OIA. In the state semifinals, Kahuku’s defense makes the difference in a win over Farrington. The team goes into the state title game against Kamehameha with a 13-0 record.

Stay tuned. The real season will begin to play out soon.