Red Raiders in search of new identity

With lots of returnees from an undefeated Division I state championship team, you wouldn’t think Kahuku needs to search for its football identity.

But, according to second-year head coach Vavae Tata, that indeed is the case.

“Every year is a new team, so we’re still trying to establish who we are for 2016,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, we’re going to ground and pound on offense, and we’re going to be a suffocating defense, stopping the run and defending the pass, but what we did last year on defense was phenomenal and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover before we can be like that. I have faith in all our leaders, our seniors. With one year under their belts, the kids have a better grasp of the playbook. Things are coming alive for them.”

Vital defensive cogs such as safety Keala Santiago, linebackers Hirkley Latu and Manaia Atuaia and end Bradlee Anae have graduated, so filling in those holes is of utmost importance to the defensive-minded Tata, who knows the 2015 team accomplished a rare thing by yielding less than four points per game. Kesi Ah-Hoy, a senior who grinded his way as a running quarterback in leading the Red Raiders to the state title, selflessly moved to safety, and he’s loving it so far.

“I switched over to play DB to try to fill those (Santiago’s) shoes,” Ah-Hoy said. “It will be hard because he was a great player. He comes by and watches us, so I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from him, soak it up from him.”

The defensive backfield is pretty stacked, with experienced ballers Kekaula Kaniho, Stokes Botelho and Codie Sauvao returning. Sauvao can also play linebacker, which is one place Tata said he is still looking to find the right mix of players. Miki Ah You, a sophomore, is one of the possible starters there.

Aleki Vimahi is a terrorizing defensive end, and Samson Reed is another player likely to supply power on the D-line.

Offensively, the line is the least of Tata’s worries.

“That is the strength of our team,” the coach said at least three times Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot of bell cows up there and we expect big things from them, guys like Vili Fisiiahi and Vaka Fale and some other guys, including some up from the JV.”

Having a solid line is uncanny timing for the Red Raiders, who are planning to start Sol-Jay Maiava at quarterback. He is a freshman and hasn’t played a down of high school ball, but he was impressive enough in camps for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to give him a scholarship offer.

Mobile and sturdy, Maiava looked comfortable and poised Wednesday, and he feels fortunate to prepare against the aggressive Kahuku defense every day. He appears smaller than the 6-foot-1, 180 pounds that can be found on his Twitter page. He doesn’t get frazzled and he’s about as accurate as can be expected while trying to find any kind of space to throw to against the Red mob of defenders.

It remains to be seen how much the rough-and-tumble Kahuku offense will pass, but it is likely to be at least a little more than last season.

“It’s hard (for receivers) to make cuts when there’s guys flying around everywhere at all angles,” Maiava said about the Kahuku defense. “Everything the defense does against us is going to make us better. I see us running — run, run, run, run — and passing once in a while. They’re looking for a leader in me because I’m just a freshman. They tell me to speak up and be the leader of the offense.”

Lefty Cameron Renaud, who was a backup quarterback to Ah-Hoy a year ago, is the backup again.

Harmon Brown, who rushed for 792 yards and 14 TDs in 2015 (second only to Ah-Hoy’s 1,260 yards and 18 TDs), is an explosive and shifty returnee. Royce Pao, a veteran wide receiver, is also back.

“Nothing comes easy,” Ah-Hoy said. “We put in the work in the offseason, and we don’t just cruise here, cruise there. Our attitude is to approach practice like it’s not a chore, to come out and dominate the day.”