Kapolei’s Kapoi has become a force

There usually aren’t many surprises, if any, from week one to week two in prep football.

But there always are players who rise to the surface. One new name among the elite is Kapolei offensive lineman Micah Kapoi.

The 6-foot-4, 282-pound left tackle was a starter as a sophomore. Back then, he was a lean 250-pound basketball player. Now? An offseason of training in the weight room has turned him into one of the best junior linemen in the islands.

"He’s the real deal. He always had good feet and athleticism," Hurricanes coach Darren Hernandez said. "He’s really worked hard."

Kapoi’s emergence has helped a line that was stung by the loss of right guard/nose tackle Andrew Julius, who has a knee injury. Julius, one of the top O-linemen in the state, is out for two to three weeks, Hernandez said.

Kapolei’s 2-0 start, with wins over Pearl City and McKinley, has come in part with the installation of a West Virginia-influenced spread option. But depth up front has helped. Darius Kila has filled in for Julius, while center Colin Kaaikaula has been a stabilizing force.

"We’ll hold down the fort," Hernandez said.

At nose tackle, where Julius was a key contributor, transfer Kalani Vakameilalo has stepped up. The junior played at Waianae last year.

The ‘Canes get their first test in regular-season play Saturday with a trip to Waipahu. Here’s a look at this weekend’s matchups.

Today

No. 5 Kamehameha (1-1) at Kealakehe (1-0): The good news for the Warriors is that their defense has permitted just 17 points in two games. But last week’s 12-10 loss to Leilehua showed that the offense is in early-season mode. It doesn’t get easier against an athletic Waverider squad on the slopes of Hualalai summit. Coach Sam Papalii’s squad embraced his hard-nosed, run-first philosophy in a 10-3 win at Kailua two weeks ago.

Waianae (1-1, 0-0 OIA Red West) at No. 8 Mililani (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red West): Normally, an average of 7 yards per pass attempt is a standard for success. For the Trojans and elite quarterback Jarin Morikawa, this season’s offense is about ball control. Although Morikawa continues to pierce the night-time sky with spirals — 52 attempts against Moanalua and 34 vs. Pac-Five — he has a modest average of 5.3 yards per toss. That normally won’t work, but the senior has thrown only one pick. He found 12 different receivers in a 35-7 win over Pac-Five. He’ll have to contend with All-State defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii, who is expected to return to the lineup for Waianae.

McKinley (0-1, 0-0 OIA Red East) vs. Kaimuki (0-2, 0-0 OIA Red East), Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium: The Tigers head to Oregon next week, but an OIA opener against the Bulldogs can’t be overlooked. Kaimuki has struggled so far, hit heavily by graduation. McKinley is coming off a 21-0 loss to Kapolei. The ‘Dogs showed signs of instant offense in a 31-21 loss to Damien, thanks to quarterback Kainalu Spencer and wide receiver Zac Bastatas.

Moanalua (1-1, 0-0 OIA Red East) at Kailua (0-2, 0-0 OIA Red East): Na Menehune stayed close in a loss to Waianae last week despite the absence of quarterback Maxwell Fiasoa (injury). Kailua has allowed a mere 10 points in close losses to Kealakehe and Campbell. The Surfriders’ offense mustered 177 total yards against the Sabers.

Pearl City (0-2, 0-1 OIA White) at Kaiser (0-2, 0-2 OIA White): The Chargers have scored two touchdowns in losses to Kapolei and Radford. Kaiser found some solace in last week’s 21-20 loss to Kalaheo, turning to Kai Gonda (95 rushing yards), and getting a 254-yard passing game from Makana Lyman (no interceptions).

Roosevelt (0-0, 0-0 OIA White) at Radford (1-0, 1-0 OIA White): Junion quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen was superb last week (274 yards passing, three touchdowns) in a win over Pearl City. Coach Fred Salanoa’s young Rams will face a mystery team of sorts. Roosevelt hasn’t played a game yet as former assistant Jeff Azuma starts from scratch with a team that was hit hard with departing transfers before the season.

Konawaena (2-0, 0-0 BIIF) at Hilo (1-0, 0-0 BIIF): New coach David Baldwin’s Division-I Vikings stunned D-II power Hawaii Prep in a nonconference battle last week with a ground attack led by Aven Kualii (117 yards). But Konawaena is in steamroll mode after last week’s 38-17 win over Maui. Quarterback Lii Karratti has passed for 487 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite target, Domonic Morris, has nine catches for 201 yards and four touchdowns.

Kamehameha-Maui (0-1, 0-0 MIL) at Maui (0-1, 0-0 MIL): The Warriors fell to defending KIF champion Kapaa last week, 27-13. The Sabers were thwarted by turnovers in the loss to Konawaena. Jared Kapisi had a 44-yard field goal in that game.

Saturday

Castle (0-2, 0-0 OIA Red East) vs. No. 2 Farrington (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red East), Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium: The Govs have some injury issues after playing what is arguably the toughest nonconference schedule (Waianae, Saint Louis), but the Knights won’t have a whole lot of pity. Castle has been hit hard by injuries. Farrington running back Abraham Silva (380 yards, five touchdowns in two games) shared the load with returning All-State rusher Tyler Taumua last week.

No. 7 Baldwin (0-0) vs. No. 6 Saint Louis (0-1), Aloha Stadium: The Bears haven’t played a game yet, and it has been years since they came to Oahu for a preseason game. The Crusaders are in for a radically different challenge. Farrington’s West Coast offense last week featured elite running backs out of an under-center set. Baldwin, with speedy UH commit Keelan Ewaliko in the pistol, will spread the field (no tight end) and let him be a playmaker. Saint Louis, with linebacker Colton Goeas in the middle, will likely spy and double-spy Ewaliko from start to finish.

Hawaii Prep (0-1) at No. 9 ‘Iolani (2-0): The Raiders have escaped with narrow wins (Konawaena, Waipahu), but they won’t have to contend with a Brostek in the trenches. All-State offensive lineman Shane Brostek graduated in June, which means the only Brostek at Eddie Hamada Field will be assistant coach Bern Brostek, an ‘Iolani graduate. The Raiders’ Reece Foy is making a strong case for No. 1 quarterback status after piling up 650 yards (46-for-75) with nine touchdowns and no picks.

Aiea (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red West) at No. 10 Campbell (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red West): Last week’s 13-7 grind of a win at Kailua brought the Sabers back to basics. It’s Campbell’s defense, once again, that is the anchor of the program, and with a big running back in Paul-Andrew Rhoden, coach Amosa Amosa is content to grind out victories rather than force-feed the run-and-shoot offense. Aiea, likewise, has an athletic defensive unit led by defensive end Ualesi Sale. Wide receiver/kick returner Kamakana Apelu continues to be a big playmaker on offense.

Vacaville (Calif.) Christian (0-0) vs. Damien (2-0), Aloha Stadium: The visiting Falcons play in the Sierra Delta League (CIF) and were 7-5 last year, averaging 34 points per game. Damien (2-0) is off to its best start in recent memory, scoring 31 points in each of its wins (Kalaheo, Kaimuki). Running back Kyle Sato has racked up 213 rushing yards, opening the pass routes for quarterback Syles Choy (21-for-38, 262 yards).

Kapolei (2-0, 0-0 OIA Red West) at Waipahu (0-2, 0-0 OIA Red West): The depth of Kapolei’s offensive line is a major plus. The ‘Canes face a defensive line that misses defensive tackle Ezekiel Taylor (meniscus). The Marauders had ‘Iolani on the ropes last week in a 35-34 loss. Quarterback Kaimi Paredes was effective (127 passing yards, 40 rushing yards) and wide receiver Dylan Pakau had five catches for 137 yards.

Pac-Five (1-1) at Kauai (2-0): The Wolfpack have a stellar defense, but the lack of offense — they still haven’t recovered since P.J. Minaya’s graduation two years ago — can be a factor. The same unit that scored 26 in a win over Waipahu had just one touchdown against Mililani last week. Kauai is benefiting from the arrival of running back Waika Alapai, a 6-2, 230-pound senior from Kapaa. The Red Raiders won 39-13 at King Kekaulike last week as Alapai rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries.

Anuenue (0-2, 0-1 OIA White) at Waialua (0-2, 0-1 OIA White): Kainalu Kaleo’s 336 rushing yards in a loss to Nanakuli last week included touchdown gallops of 69, 34 and 64 yards for Anuenue. Alas, the sturdy senior is a marked man now, though few defenses have completely stopped coach Kealoha Wengler’s double-wing offense. The Bulldogs are coming off a 33-14 loss to Kalani.

Nanakuli (1-0, 1-0 OIA White) vs. Kalaheo (1-1, 1-0 OIA White), Kailua field: The Golden Hawks hit the road again after last week’s 30-24 win over Anuenue. Quarterback Chazz Troutman amassed 192 yards for Nanakuli The Mustangs bounced back from a season-opening loss to Damien by running the ball 38 times in the win over Kaiser. Christian Johnston went for 141 yards and 6-6 wide receiver Nainoa Frank had three receptions for 97 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown.

Keaau (0-1, 0-0 BIIF) at Kamehameha-Hawaii (2-0, 0-0 BIIF): The Cougars got their first taste of game action in a 35-14 home loss to Lahainaluna last week. Shannon Nihipali’s 57-yard interception return sparked a rally, but the Lunas’ ground attack controlled the final quarter. D-II KS-Hawaii notched a nonconference 20-7 win over D-I Waiakea behind sophomore Micah Kanehailua, who had three touchdown tosses.

Waiakea (1-1, 0-0 BIIF) at Honokaa (0-1, 0-0 BIIF): The Warriors came into last week’s game with KS-Hawaii with a road win over Waimea under their belts. But the loss to KS-Hawaii, which doesn’t count toward their D-I standing, may do more good than a win in the long run. Honokaa lost at home to Waimea last week 21-14.

King Kekaulike (0-1, 0-0 MIL) at Lahainaluna (1-0, 0-0 MIL): The Lunas used their modified wing-t offense to wear down Keaau on the Big Island last week. Semisi Filikitonga bolted for touchdown runs of 45 and 40 yards to seal the win. Na Alii fell to Kauai in coach Clarence Rivers’ debut. Filikitonga could have another big game; King Kekaulike gave up big runs to Kauai’s Waika Alapai last week.