Kapolei gets QB whisperer in June Jones

With a solid returning quarterback, a substantial ground attack and an always-present defensive force, it wasn’t really a shock when Waianae toppled Kamehameha last week in a preseason opener.

What Kamehameha didn’t see coming was Waianae’s growing penchant for spread formations. Second-year head coach Walter Young will switch from the traditional wing-T to a four-wide set at any time, and Jaren Ulu’s growing comfort level now makes the Seariders a consistently balanced offensive threat.

Ulu’s main target, Isaiah Freeney, showed glimpses of greatness last year. He had six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown against Kamehameha. Rico Rosario led their rushers last week, but Javen Towne and Solofua Grey are also back.

Now ranked fourth in the Star-Advertiser Top 10, the Seariders visit Kapolei 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, but there probably won’t be much of an element of surprise. After all, the visiting Hurricanes went to an all-out aerial attack under then-offensive coordinator Galu Tagovailoa last season, when then-freshman Taulia Tagovailoa seemed to loft spirals near and far on every down.

It was the kind of stuff — throwing the ball 10, even 15 times in a row without a hint of a handoff — that would’ve made June Jones smile.

It’s only fitting now, since coach Tagovailoa’s departure — he wants to watch his “other” son, Tua, play his senior season (Saint Louis) — that Jones is Kapolei’s OC. Darren Hernandez, now in his 15th season as head coach, has long been a stickler for sound defense and a run-first offense. Not anymore.

Jones is one of the alchemists who brought the four-wide offense from its fruition at the college level (Portland State) into the modern era of pro, college, high school football and even youth levels. Mouse Davis was the innovator who took the four-wide concept and injected it fully into a culture that basically still believed the aerial world was flat. Jones made those concepts palatable to NFL minds and playmakers, atomizing a world that had always settled for 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

That the former UH coach is basking in the Kapolei sunshine, enjoying an opportunity to coach Taulia Tagovailoa, is still mind-blowing. Even to another great passer, arguably the finest prep quarterback in the nation.

“The best thing with that is he has Coach Jones. He’s a guy who’s been in the NFL, college. He’s been at every level you can think of as far as coaching. For him to come back down and want to coach Taulia, it’s… that’s amazing,” Tua Tagovailoa said. “He used to coach our uncle (Derrick Fa‘avi). We used to actually look at Coach June as big celebrity status. For him to coach Taulia, that’s crazy when you think about it.”

And yet, for all the understandable excitement about Jones’ contribution to Kapolei football, this isn’t quite UH football with Nick Rolovich at QB and Ashley Lelie at WR, nor Colt Brennan and Davone Bess and Jason Rivers.

“The expectations are unrealistic, that Taulia is going to throw for 450 yards and six touchdowns in every game,” Hernandez said. “In many games, that type of production is not required. Against a strong running team in a game with less possessions, there’s not a lot you can do about that. Time of possession for run-and-shoot coaches like June and Mouse, it’s not important.”

Coordinator Brad Hewahewa’s defense, talented and fast, was sparked by LB Omar Mareko’s 12 tackles, including a sack. Safety Leonard Lee added six tackles, a pick and two deflections.

“Waianae is very well coached and runs the ball tremendously,” Hernandez said. “They have the ability to switch (from wing-T to four-wide) at any time. Our defense, that’s going to be the key.”

The ‘Canes see the run-and-shoot attack on a daily basis. Unlike Kamehameha, which had grinded daily to prepare for wing-T action, the ‘Canes will be ready for the spread set. Will they be disciplined enough to handle the option package that comes with the wing-T? They have Division I college prospect DL Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against Campbell) in the trenches, but it takes 11 responsible defenders to counter Waianae’s long-successful, old-fogey option game.

Waianae’s defense sees enough of the four-wide at practice, but Jones’ methodical, almost religious approach to reps and refinement in the passing game is probably unlike anything the OIA has seen. Even with a multitude of great coaches over the years, there had never been a June Jones in their midst. Kapolei opened preseason at No. 6 and is now No. 5, a notch below Waianae.

Last weekend, Taulia Tagovailoa, who also has a scholarship offer from Alabama, opened his sophomore season with 22-for-31 passing, 263 yards, five touchdown strikes without a pick in a 38-0 win over Campbell.

Solomon Suan closed out the game at QB, and the passers spread the wealth. Six Hurricanes collected at least one pass each, led by Jaymin Sarono (10 receptions, 85 yards, two TDs) and Wyatt Perez (six, 88, three). Tagovailoa averaged almost 39 pass attempts per game last season.

Waianae’s best weapon could be its offense. The Seariders had nice balance with 21 pass attempts and 22 rushes against Kamehameha. Keeping Tagovailoa and the receiver corps on the sideline might just be Plan A.

Hernandez is just hoping his reserves continue to play big. Last week, it was backups at wide receiver, including Isaiah Ahana. Their top three RBs remain out with injuries.

TODAY’S GAMES

>> No. 1 Kahuku (0-0) at Leilehua (0-1), 7:30 p.m. — Aside from scrimmages in the past two weeks, the defending state champion Red Raiders are yearning for a chance to play their first game of the OIA D-I (Red Division) regular season. Defensively, they’ve been superb in scrimmage action, and first-year starting QB Sol-Jay Maiava — a freshman with an offer from Michigan — has been smooth in his transition.

The Big Red defense will face a Mules offense that had some success moving the ball in a loss to Punahou last week. It was turnovers through the air by Kona Andres, and the struggle to run the ball, that made the night difficult for Leilehua.

>> Radford (0-1) at Castle (1-0), 7:30 p.m. — Castle’s 38-0 win over Kalaheo in a nonconference matchup last week was an eye-opener. WR Jeremy McGoldrick was effective even with just four catches for 43 yards without a score. He carried the ball once for 43 more yards. Running back Henry Nakamura-McCoy nearly reached the century mark in yardage, and first-time starter Jaylen Uyemura-Lee was steady, with just one pick in 17 pass attempts.

Radford’s defense had its moments despite a lopsided nonconference loss to ‘Iolani last week. DB Clinton Stevens was borderline sensational with two interceptions.

>> Aiea (0-0) at Nanakuli (0-1), 6 p.m. —The good news for Na Alii coach Wendell Say, who is in his 25th season as head coach, is that he has 16 returnees who had some starting experience last year. But their top guys, including QB Kobe Kato and receiver Kame Kim Choy-Keb Ah Lo, are skill-position players. Will Aiea’s linemen be ready for a hungry Golden Hawks team?

Nanakuli, which was promoted to Division I this season, lost to Waipahu, a team that was moved down to D-II, 20-12 last week. Coach Keala Watson’s team ran the ball 40 times against Waipahu for 194 yards. Nainoa Banks was efficient (7-for-11, 107 yards, two TDs, no picks), but that airborne attack that was one of Nanakuli’s hallmarks in recent years seems to be under development for now.

>> McKinley (0-1) at Roosevelt (0-1), 7:30 p.m. — In Kui Kahooilihala’s debut as Rough Riders head coach last week, the accent was on ball control. Roosevelt ran the ball 60 times for 253 yards in a 28-21 loss at Kaiser. Staying close despite completing just one pass is a promising sign, actually. Isaiah Rosa, Charles Paia and QB Shayden Kekahuna each rushed for at least 64 yards.

The Tigers had some moments of potential in a wipeout loss to Pac-Five last week. The roster number has improved significantly, and they have some size and speed, but putting it all together in such a short period of time is a huge challenge for second-year coach Sam Cantiberos.

>> Kalani (0-0) vs. Pearl City (0-1) 7:30 p.m., at Aiea — The Falcons’ emergence as a playoff contender over the past few seasons is something longtime alumnae and fans have cherished. The departure of longtime coach Greg Taguchi, along with many of his assistants who helped build the once-struggling program, makes this a pivotal season.

The Chargers lost to perennial D-II powerhouse Lahainaluna 29-0 at War Memorial Stadium last week. A number of key players did not participate in the game.

>> Pac-Five (1-0) at Kamehameha-Maui (0-1), 7 p.m. — Nine different Wolfpack players caught at least one pass in last week’s victory over McKinley. Ryan Johnson was in sync with his O-line and pass catchers, passing for 341 yards and six TDs in one half.

The Warriors are coming off a 3-7 season, including two close losses to eventual MIL D-II champion Lahainaluna.

>> Damien (0-1) vs. Maui (1-0), at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m. — The Monarchs are coming off a 46-24 nonconference loss to Moanalua. Now it’s off-island to play one of the toughest D-I teams on the neighbor islands. Dual threat QB Marcus Faufata-Pedrina had more success on the ground (14 carries, 93 yards, two TDs) than through the air (9-for-24, 138 yards, one TD, three picks).

The Sabers lost to defending KIF champion Kapaa at Vidinha Stadium last week. Defense has been their cornerstone in recent seasons. LB Feleti Afemui (6-2, 205) has offers from five FBS programs, including Hawaii. Freshman DT Sione Lolohea (6-2, 230) has an offer from BYU.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

>> No. 6 Kamehameha (0-1) vs. No. 10 Baldwin (0-0), 3 p.m., at War Memorial Stadium — The Warriors are in transition, and even after a stunning 26-20 loss to Waianae last week, the talent level and learning curve for players with first-year coach Abu Ma’afala remains favorable.

As expected, his team squared away with defense and the ground attack as pillars. The Warriors ran the ball 41 times and threw it just 23 times against Waianae. Thomas Yam seemed to establish himself as the front-runner in the QB challenge with Justice Young. Yam was 10-for-20, 143 yards, no TDs and one pick. Young was 2-for-3, 12 yards.

Baldwin has a plethora of key returnees, from QB and returning MIL offensive player of the year Chayce Akaka to defensive titans Sidney Fonohema (5-9, 305) and Andre Vaivela (6-0, 285).

“I know Abu will have his guys ready,” Bears coach Pohai Lee said of his former Saint Louis middle school classmate. “I’m hoping our guys come out competing. That’s where we’ll learn about their character.”

>> Kaiser (1-0) at No. 7 Mililani (0-0), 6:30 p.m. — The Cougars were tested by a Roosevelt team that was fairly successful with a one-dimensional offense. Now they face a team with a blueprint for aerial success. Mililani’s highly anticipated battle with Saint Louis last week was cut short due to a lighting issue. The young Trojans showed their early-season status, filling a once-senior laden starting lineup with young talent. Dillon Gabriel, who emerged last season as an immensely talented freshman passer, is in position to give the new Trojans an identity of their own.

>> Campbell (0-1) vs. No. 8 Farrington (0-0), 5:30 p.m., at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium — Governors running back Challen Faamatau is one of the most productive, versatile playmakers in the state, but even he can’t get it all done on his own. He may not have to this fall, thanks to the development of both senior QBs — Justin Uahinui, the co-MVP among QBs at the GPA Showcase, and returning starter Bishop Rapoza — and a receiver corps that includes the talented Kingston Moses-Sanchez.

>> Moanalua (1-0) at No. 9 Kailua (0-0), 6:30 p.m. — Na Menehune might seem more prone to run with former defensive lineman Savaii Eselu now head coach in his first season. They ran the rock 23 times in 50 offensive plays during a win over Damien last week. However, eight of those runs were by Nevin “Alakai” Yuen, who loves to scramble for easy yardage when the opportunity is there. In other words, this is still a pass-friendly offense, particularly with Ryan Ramones running routes through open space. He had 10 grabs for 268 yards and five TDs last week. He accounted for more than half of Yuen’s completions (17-for-27, 364 yards, six TDs, three picks).

Kailua is in an interesting scenario, having lost a host of talented offensive linemen and receivers, as well as third-team All-State QB Noah Auld, to graduation. Sione Veikoso leads a group of returning O-linemen who could still provide a formidable wall in Kailua’s spread formation, run-first attack. All-State DE Christian Mejia, who has an offer from UH, leads the defense.

>> Waialua (0-0) vs. Kaimuki (0-0), 6:30 p.m., at Kaiser Stadium — Kaimuki was howling the blues after learning of standout Billy Masima’s rugby injury (knee) in the offseason. That puts the onus on a stellar defense that helped lead the way in an amazing playoff win over Nanakuli and its first trip to the state tourney in years.

Linebacker Jahssaiah Maiava, who turned in a bunch of key plays as a freshman, is among the defenders who will anchor coach David Tautofi’s team.

>> Kalaheo (0-1) vs. Waipahu (1-0) at Aiea, 6:30 p.m. — The Marauders’ nonconference win over Nanakuli sets quite a tone for second-year head coach Bryson Carvalho’s team. Brandon Amonozo was steady and effective (22-for-33, 316 yards, one TD, no picks) while distributing the ball to seven teammates. Alfred Failauga (five catches, 95 yards) and Alika Ahsing (seven, 80, one TD) established themselves as reliable targets.

>> St. Francis (0-0) vs. Kauai (0-0), 6 p.m., at Vidinha Stadium — The visiting Saints have great hopes for this season, especially with the wealth of talent that returned from last year’s young squad. This includes junior DE/LB Takaamoatoa Lautaha (6-3, 245), who has an offer from Colorado State.