This is never easy, picking among the best football single-season perfor-mances in the state.
Then bump that up several notches when it is time to put an All-Decade team together. In Hawaii? Where, per capita, there may be more football talent and work ethic than anywhere else in the nation?
Unlike the All-State selections that were made by coaches and media, published on Dec. 22 in the Star-Advertiser, we undertake this All-Decade task with in-house writers and editors, Paul Honda, Billy Hull and Jerry Campany. Each position group could be a chapter unto itself in a series, really. But we try anyway. Listed below are the All-Decade first-team picks, with their high school measurables. Today, we run the defense and special teams. Wednesday, we run the offense.
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One Star-Advertiser staffer says it should be Kawe Johnson.
Another says Kennedy Tulimasealii.
But Faatui Tuitele was part of a renaissance at Saint Louis, putting the weight of a legacy upon his shoulders for not one, not two, but three state championships in his three years on the varsity.
Without Tuitele, it’s quite possible Saint Louis doesn’t return to the throne in 2016. No state crown for Tua Tagovailoa? Tuitele filled a major void for coach Cal Lee and staff when he became eligible (by the ILH rule of the time) to play varsity football as a sophomore.
Johnson was a rare athlete and student of the game, a menace for all quarterbacks and offensive coordinators facing the Kahuku Red Raiders. He had eight interceptions as a senior, but he was a de facto quarterback of the heralded, self-named “Sharks” secondary.
That group was essentially a crew of superbly switchable athletes who were tough run-stoppers and excellent coverage defenders. (They later showed that athleticism in Kahuku’s full-court press during basketball season.)
Johnson was also a valuable piece on offense, stepping in as an option quarterback, and one of the top kick returners in the state.
Tulimasealii was unique, a 300-pound, quick-twitch athlete who dominated the A and B gaps. His motor was unlike almost any defensive lineman of his time, from opening kickoff to the final seconds.
Defensive tackles
Kennedy Tulimasealii
>> Waianae (2010-12), 6-1, 300
>> Three-time All-State first team
Faatui Tuitele
>> Saint Louis (2016-18), 6-4, 299
>> Two-time All-State first team
>> All-State second team
>> 2018 Defensive Player of Year
The top three were Tulimasealii, Tuitele and Mililani’s Rex Manu. The latter was a two-time first-teamer and Defensive Player of the Year in ’14.
Tuitele was at the apex of Saint Louis’ rebirth as a dynasty, providing leadership, talent and physicality in the trenches. He received dozens of offers and signed with Washington.
Tulimasealii was a wrecking ball with a big-time motor.
Said Star-Advertiser’s Jerry Campany on Tulimasealii: “As an aside, Reggie (Torres) once told me during golf that Kennedy was the only guy EVER who made them change their offense — almost killing the quarterback and chasing Kawe (Johnson) down on a screen on the same play probably had something to do with it.”
Tulimasealii signed with Hawaii and played as a true freshman, earning all-academic honorable mention. By sophomore year, he started eight games. He started 12 of 13 games as a junior at DE and ranked third in the MWC in tackles by defensive linemen. He was named all-conference. In the following summer, he was dismissed from the team for violating the UH student-athlete conduct code. In ’17, he did not meet academic requirements.
He played a final season at Eastern New Mexico (2018).
Defensive ends
Christian Mejia
>> Kailua (2014-16), 6-4, 219
>> Two-time All-State first team
DeForest Buckner
>> Punahou (2010-12), 6-7, 235
>> All-State first team
>> All-State second team
Buckner was highly successful in two sports — football and basketball — during his Buffanblu years. He was the state Player of the Year as a senior as Punahou won a basketball state title. He then signed with Oregon and steadily grew into a 300-pound 3-technique now with the San Francisco 49ers.
Mejia was a throwback to a rangy, long-armed ball-hawker like Ted Hendricks. Though he wasn’t thick physically, he was still a specimen who dominated his side of the line. He signed with Washington State and just completed his redshirt freshman season as a 270-pound DL.
Others: Another memorable game-changer: Kelii Padello of Mililani, the 2013 DPOY.
Linebackers
Nick Herbig
>> Saint Louis (2017-19), 6-2, 201
>> Two-time All-State first team
>> 2019 Defensive Player of the Year
Miki Ah You
>> Kahuku (2016-18), 6-1, 220
>> Two-time All-State first team
Jordan Botelho
>> Saint Louis (2017-19), 6-2, 220
>> Two-time All-State first team
Linebacker is always a loaded position in the islands. Kana‘i Mauga (Waianae, 2015-17) triggered some debate because he was as much a rover as he was a linebacker as a senior. Sometimes he lined up on the edge. Occasionally elsewhere. More often at ’backer. He did whatever his team needed. It’s difficult to dispute Ah You, Herbig and Botelho as dominant LBs.
Herbig and Botelho were cornerstones of a defensive unit that was among the best in Hawaii prep history, landing in the national rankings in the past two years.
Ah You, who missed a large part of senior year due to a knee injury, signed with Washington. He enrolled in spring of 2019, was rostered, but did not play this fall.
Herbig and Botelho have graduated early from Saint Louis. Herbig will be on the campus of Wisconsin in January. Botelho will begin classes at Notre Dame in January.
Others: Mauga, the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year at 6-2 and 215, is now a 240-pound sophomore at USC. He moved from outside to inside LB this fall. He, too, finished high school a semester early and was at USC by spring of ’18. He played in all 12 games as a freshman. As a sophomore, Mauga had 61 total tackles, including seven for loss and two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
Isaac Savaiinaea (Punahou, 2011-13, 6-3, 230, two-time All-State first team), went by Isaako at UCLA, where he finished his career in 2016. In 43 games, he had 104 total tackles and one interception.
Cornerbacks
Kekaula Kaniho
>> Kahuku (2014-16), 6-0, 170
>> Two-time All-State first team
>> 2016 Defensive Player of the Year
Stokes Nihipali-Botelho
>> Kahuku (2014-16), 5-10, 180
>> Two-time All-State first team
Kaniho was one of the aces on defense during Kahuku’s state-title run in ’15. He was also a rarity as a DPOY and two-time first-teamer. Nihipali-Botelho also proved valuable as a corner, returner and placekicker.
Safeties
Kawe Johnson
>> Kahuku (2010-12), 5-9, 170
>> Two-time All-State first team
>> All-State second team
>> 2012 Defensive Player of the Year
Keala Santiago
>> Kahuku (2013-15), 6-0, 185
>> Two-time All-State first team
>> 2015 Defensive Player of the Year
Johnson was a throwback par excellence, navigating the defensive secondary, aka the Sharks, and making pivotal plays — eight picks as a senior — with his cerebral approach. He also had part-time duty at QB when the Red Raiders ran the option. Johnson signed with New Mexico State and played three seasons before retiring due to injury.
Santiago also sparked his team to a state championship. He was the transformative playmaker for a defensive unit that was arguably the finest in state history, allowing just 53 points in 13 games. Santiago signed with Hawaii, then transferred to Utah after his freshman season.
Others: Among the many elite safeties who had outstanding prep careers: Charles Moku Watson of Leilehua, Solomon Matautia, Campbell.
Place-kicker
Jet Toner
>> Punahou (2013-15), 6-3, 180
>> Two All-State first team
>> All-State second team
Toner was All-State as a kicker as a sophomore and junior, All-State as a punter as a senior. He may be the most consistent touchback kickoff man in state history, though. More big legs: Kaimi Fairbairn, also of Punahou (2010-11 and UCLA, now with the Houston Texans, and Ceejay Santos of Baldwin (2008-10). The most clutch: Hilo’s Keanu Keolanui, who was 9-for-9 on field-goal tries, including a 47-yarder in the D-I state final, followed by a 55-yarder to win the game as time expired.
Toner signed with Stanford and was named All-Pac-12 second team in ’18 and honorable mention in ’17. He set a single-season school record for FG percentage in ’18 (.933, 14-for-15). This season, he was 12-for-16 with a long of 51 yards.
Punter
Adam Stack
>> Kamehameha (2014-16), 6-2, 170
>> All-State first team
>> All-State third team
Stack got the nod over Wailoa Manuel, ‘Iolani’s impressive multi-position standout. Manuel will be a senior next year.
Stack’s booming punts and versatility were rare enough. He signed with Oregon and became the punter as a freshman. He was limited to field goals due to injury as a sophomore. He announced plans to transfer in September.
Returner
Shepherd Kekahuna
>> Roosevelt/St. Francis (2016-19), 5-10, 195
>> All-State first team
Five kick returns for touchdowns as a Roosevelt senior, all while playing linebacker (converted from safety) full-time and offense part-time.
All-Decade team by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
