There is nothing quite like cohesiveness. Unity. Focus. Right now, that’s what the Kamehameha Warriors have, and there’s no way coach Doug Cosbie and his team will surrender any of those strengths.
Even with the graduation of super seniors from last year’s 9-2 team (6-2 ILH), the Warriors clock in with the No. 4 ranking in the Star-Advertiser Preseason Top 10. Gone is running back Kainoa Simao, who rushed for 863 yards and nine touchdowns in a four-game stretch after stepping in for Brandon Kahookele (786 yards, five TDs in six games before a knee injury).
Linebacker Calen Scott Holt, kicker Tyler Fitzsimmons, defensive lineman Kaaumoana Gifford and center Kaiwi Chung are also gone, as is Alohi Gilman, who transfered to Kahuku. Much of the core of last year’s sterling defensive unit got its diplomas.
In 2013, the only team to beat the Warriors was eventual state champion Punahou: once in the regular season (24-0) and once in the ILH final (38-12).
"It’s always good to be the underdog," quarterback Fatu Sua-Godinet said. "I think we have a good shot. Whatever ranking we are, it doesn’t really matter as long as we work hard and prepare for that championship."
The Warriors have more than enough talent to overcome the departures. They’re deep and skilled and Cosbie had his first full offseason to establish the program’s identity. They also have stellar defenders in defensive end Mika Tafua and cornerback Dylan Kane, both second-team selections by coaches and media to the All-State squad.
Kane wowed recruiters in the offseason with both his size (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) and speed. He was a risk-taker last season, coming up with big plays most of the time. Kane’s versatility, metrics (36-inch vertical, 110.55 SPARQ rating) and academics (3.5 grade-point average) have made him an alluring prospect.
He committed to Oregon in late July.
Tafua is filling out and could be a force both inside and outside, as well as in space — he began at Kapalama Heights as an outside linebacker. His junior season was shortened by injury, but Tafua was explosive off the edge. He racked up eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss, plus three pass deflections, and is expected to return at full strength soon. He committed to BYU in early 2013 and is an ESPN Top 300 prospect.
If his jersey number is any indication of his mentality, Tafua is ready to work in the trenches, switching from 42 to 93 this season. He will likely still have the same speed, still tracking down potential breakaway ballcarriers.
Facing a traditionally elite defensive unit every day has only helped.
"They’re really good athletes and they push us to our limits. They try to get us all to get better," Sua-Godinet said. "Mika is an all-around athlete. He can run, he’s strong and he just knows how to play football. Dylan, that’s another athlete, really big for his position and he does what he has to do to get the job done. Going up against the best, our wideouts, all they can do is get better."
The Warriors are a study in the old and the new. Cosbie’s team lines up with a tight end — there are at least three solid pass catchers at his old position from the Dallas Cowboys’ heyday — but employs quick-strike passing. Sua-Godinet is in his second year as the starter, a former wide receiver who has grown into the role.
"We’re throwing in different packages, running more spread stuff," Sua-Godinet said. "We lost some good guys (to graduation), but the guys who are here now are stepping it up. Coach is a good coach and he’s always been about the running game. We’re a good running team."
Sua-Godinet’s athleticism and quick release are a good fit in this system. Kamehameha’s affinity for quick-hitting runs and short passes goes back to David Stant’s era, when he had a similar playmaker at quarterback in T.C. Campbell, who caught fire in the middle of the 2009 season. The Warriors went on to win the state crown, outslugging Kahuku 34-21 in the title matchup.
The Warriors could benefit from the return of running back Kainoa Apelu, who had a promising sophomore season in 2012 before going down with a knee injury in last year’s opener against Castle.
