Kahuku senior Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu (1), who played quarterback at times against Kamehameha, was brought down by the Warriors' Ezra Evaimalo (43) during the first half of Saturday's game. Photo by Jamm Aquino/Star-Advertiser. When Kahuku’s Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu lined up behind center and took the team’s first snaps at quarterback against Kamehameha, it wasn’t a gimmick. Fonoimoana-Vaomu was primarily a safety as a sophomore and junior. He still lined up in the secondary again

JERRY CAMPANY / JCAMPANY@STARADVERTISER.COM Kahuku will have an open competition at QB with, from left, Jason Mariteragi, Robbie Sauvao and Tiger Adolpho vying for the spot. The groundbreaking 2018 prep football season in Hawaii marked the first season of Open Division play, pitting the top nine teams in the state against each other every week. From the outside looking in, a team that finishes in the top half of the Open gauntlet and reaches the state semifinals should feel a

Punahou opened up title defense of its 2018 Division I state title with a bang. Three players scored in double figures to power the Buffanblu over visiting Kahuku, 64-46, at Hemmeter Fieldhouse Monday night in the opening round of the Snapple Boys Basketball Championships. Duke Clemens led all scorers with 15 points to lead Punahou in a rematch of the past two D1 state championship games. Tamatoa Falatea had 11 and Jakob Kimura added 10 more to round out the top scorers for t

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Moanalua’s DiAeris McRaven, above left, found major resistance from Kahuku’s Marcus Damuni on this shot during an OIA semifinal at McKinley on Wednesday. Geremy Robinson poured in 25 points as No. 6 Moanalua rallied past Kahuku 66-58 on Monday night in the semifinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association boys basketball playoffs. Moanalua (19-6 overall) will meet Kailua on Wednesday night for the title. Moanalua last won the league c

Geremy Robinson scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to lead No. 6 Moanalua to a 66-58 win over Kahuku in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I semifinal at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium Monday night. Na Menehune (12-1) rallied from six-point deficit midway through the third quarter with a 17-0 run to pull away for their 12th consecutive win. They will play No. 8 Kailua in the tournament final at 7 p.m. Wednesday at McKinley. The Red Raid

Photo courtesy of Sharlene Cravens The agony and ecstasy of coaches throughout the OIA and ILH is as rollicking as ever. Kahuku is one of many examples. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 10 in the Star-Advertiser boys basketball poll just three weeks ago after wins over Waiakea, Kauai and Mililani over a two-week span. Their first landing in the top 10 was followed by OIA East losses to Kailua (58-52), Kaiser (45-43) and Farrington (57-54). At 0-3, the Red Raiders decided not t

Kailua's Everett Torres-Kahapea drives by Kahuku's Thorton Alapa in the first quarter. Michael Lasquero | SL KAHUKU — The monkey is finally off their back. The seventh-ranked Kailua Surfriders defeated No. 8 Kahuku for the first time since 2014 with a 58-52 win at Thomas G.S. Walker Gymnasium in both teams' OIA opener Wednesday night. Kailua (9-8 overall, 1-0 OIA East) forced 19 turnovers in the victory as they ended a seven-game losing streak to the Red Raiders, who eliminat

HALAWA — Top-ranked Saint Louis rolled past No. 4 Kahuku, 49-22, in First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division Football State Championships semifinals in front of 5,250 fans at Hawaiian Financial FCU Field at Aloha Stadium Friday. The Crusaders advance to the title game for the third-straight year to take on Mililani in the nightcap of a tripleheader on Nov. 24. Kahuku ends their season at 7-5 overall, but battled through everything that came their way. "I'm proud of our kids. T

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM Saint Louis players smothered Kahuku running back Wesley Alo-Maiava during Friday’s state Open semifinal. That hole in the schedule only adds to the anticipation. The approach of Hurricane Lane wiped out a regular-season matchup between Saint Louis and Mililani in late August. Just about three months after the cancellation, the Crusaders and Trojans will finally meet in the final game of the high school football season. Top-ranked Saint

Kahuku Red Raider football player Robert Sauvao unleash a pass to teammate Lokana Enos against the Saint Louis Crusaders in a game Friday night at Aloha Stadium. George Lee / Star-Advertiser Most football teams have off years. Kahuku, usually, is not one of them. But this year, despite the fact that the Red Raiders made the final four of the Open Division, will go down as an off year. They finished 7-5 and ended it by getting beaten by rival Saint Louis 49-22 in the Open Divi

BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Saint Louis linebacker Kila Kamakawiwo‘ole, right, wrapped up Kahuku running back Toalei Lefau during the regular-season meeting between the Crusaders and Red Raiders on Sept. 7 at Aloha Stadium. Saint Louis-Kahuku, chapter 2, in the year 2018. The first meeting on Sept. 7 was a 30-14 win for Saint Louis, ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10. The two-time defending state champion Crusaders are also nationally ranked. The Hawaii fo

HALAWA — Dillon Gabriel threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 3 Mililani to a 27-7 win over No. 4 Kahuku in the title game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Open Division tournament at Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union Field at Aloha Stadium Friday night. The Trojans (9-2) recorded their sixth consecutive victory and second over the Red Raiders (7-4) this season to capture their fourth league football crown and first since 2014. "Hats off to Kah

Kahuku fullback Toalei Lefau was brought down by Mililani linebacker Darius Muasau. Photo by George F. Lee/Star-Advertiser.com The roller coaster doesn’t end for the Kahuku Red Raiders. For Mililani, the blend of experimental laboratory and tough-nosed fundamentals continue well into Coach Rod York’s ninth season. Kahuku’s 27-7 loss to Mililani in the OIA Open championship game on Friday night at Aloha Stadium was, in many ways, a sequel to the first meeting between the t

Kahuku 's Mason Paulo makes his way down field for a touchdown. Three years of frustration in the OIA playoffs finally faded away for Mililani. A year after watching Kahuku celebrate a comeback victory in the OIA Open Division championship game, the Trojans pulled away from the Red Raiders and claimed the league title with a 27-7 win Friday at Aloha Stadium. After winning back-to-back OIA championships in 2013 and ’14, Mililani fell short each of the past three seasons. K

JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Mililani wide receiver Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi, right, was chased down by Kahuku linebacker Aaron Fonoimoana-Vaomu, bottom, and defensive back Alex Fonoimoana-Vaomu during the teams’ regular-season meeting on Sept. 29 at Kahuku. Mililani snapped the Red Raiders’ home winning streak with a 38-10 victory. Somehow, some way, the Kahuku Red Raiders keep overcoming adversity and heartbreak. Injuries to key players like Miki Ah You and Kaonohi Kan