Kahuku honors fallen coaches with state football championship

Leonard Ah You has never needed extra motivation.

On Thursday, the fierce pass-rushing linebacker just didn’t want to forget.

Ah You had his pads and jersey off after Kahuku’s 49-14 rout of Saint Louis to capture the Open Division football state championship. His black T-shirt had a portrait of the late Matt Faga on his chest, a memorial to the former Kahuku defensive line coach.

“Coach Matt, he was a very inspirational man and he taught me most of what I know about the pass rush. I was playing for him, and not only him, but my grandpa Leonard,” Ah You said. “He passed away a couple years back.”

Matt Faga, Maui Kahalepuna and David Vimahi. Coaches dedicated to the brotherhood of Kahuku football on and off the field. One by one, they passed on in 2021. To a man, they would want their players to battle through every challenge, large or small.

>> RELATED: Kahuku beats Saint Louis to win Open Division title

Running back Kana Loa Kaluna followed Faga, a former Kaimuki assistant coach, across the island to Kahuku and played all four years there. His best game came in his final one: 138 yards and three touchdowns against Saint Louis. In one third-quarter drive, Kaluna had 10 carries for 96 yards — a penalty pushed the offense backward — scoring one of his touchdowns.

“I was raised in the Palolo area, but I traveled each and every day to Kahuku because I was dedicated. I kept my promise to Coach Matt that I would be there for four years and ever since my freshman year,” Kaluna said. “Since then, I’ve been here my whole life.”

Head coach Sterling Carvalho led a program built for the long haul. Built with trust and unity.

“All the adversities we’ve been through, the loss of Coach Matt, Coach Maui, Coach Dave,” Carvalho said. “Not being able to practice on our field. Potholes, muddy, doing everything that we can, playing every single game away, the resiliency of our team made us, actually, better. It bonded us closer together. This is a team of destiny.”

The departed coaches each left knowing the future of the program was in good hands. Every movement was forward through the pandemic while campuses were off-limits. From individual training, informal workouts, countless ladder drills, 1-v-1s and eventually, two Pylon tournament championships on the mainland, there was always plenty of work being done.

It had to be done. One receiver transferred out before the 2021 season to ensure a senior year of football. Wide receivers Kainoa Carvalho and Kealoha Kaio stayed, however, and with the development of quarterbacks Jason Mariteragi and Waika Crawford, the foundation for a balanced offense was set.

“Hats off to my coaches, offensively, defensively and special teams. We came in with a great game plan and I’m so proud of our boys. They executed. They all believed in what we were ready to accomplishment tonight,” Carvalho said. “For us, was it a surprise? No, because we know that this is the potential of Kahuku football.”

Kahuku football evolved this year, and a 10-0 record is proof that the modified blueprint, or redprint, is here to stay. Back in 2015, injuries at quarterback led to Kahuku mobilizing its blockers in an unprecedented way. That team threw the football just 83 times in 13 games. They ran the ball behind a jumbo set a whopping 536 times en route to a 13-0 record and state title.

Over the next few years, the rest of the state got better. Kahuku’s sledgehammer philosophy continued, and after a loss in the ’17 state final, the pendulum swung back to Saint Louis, which won the next four state championships. This fall, having a balanced offense was Kahuku’s ace card, kryptonite to every other team.

Ah You and fellow defensive playmaker Liona Lefau were among the many who made a pact to stay home. Whether it turned out to be a short, modified OIA season or not, they would live, breathe and bleed Kahuku red together.

In a more typical smashmouth, ground-and-pound football season at Kahuku, Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho would have been lucky to grab 20 catches for 400 yards and, maybe, a few touchdowns. Instead, in 2021, the speedy, elusive junior racked up 64 receptions for 1,023 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kaio, Kahuku’s wideout on the other sideline, also had 10 TD catches. Lefau, one of Kahuku’s superlative two-way players, had six TD catches on just 13 total receptions.

“This is a childhood dream ever since the fourth grade I was here as a water boy,” said Kainoa Carvalho, son of Kahuku assistant coach Stewart Carvalho. “Now I’m living my dream, scoring two touchdowns in the state championship game, it’s everything. It’s awesome.

The wisdom of Kahuku’s experienced staff meant the old and the new were valued. When the time was right, the jumbo and power-I formations were effective. The wind was howling, but didn’t stop Jason Mariteragi from throwing three TD passes including one that cut through the teeth of that 20-30 mph force. There was no team with quite as much power and balance.

“We had so many looks this year. The evolution of our offense and the stout defense that we’ve always had put together with great special teams,” Carvalho said, “it was a great victory against a great Saint Louis team. Great coaches, great players. They have a great program. We were just able to execute everything we practiced.”

Coach Carvalho and his staff went all in this year, investing time and energy as many of the team’s linebackers, defensive backs, receivers, running backs and quarterbacks trained almost non-stop through the pandemic. Getting ready for two Pylon tournaments, winning them both — including a national championship — solidified the commitment to four- and five-wide sets. Lefau was known as a college prospect as a linebacker, but the involvement of defensive talent like him, Kruze Keanu and Brock Cravens Fonoimoana on offense helped lift Kahuku to completely new horizons.

Lefau hauled in a 19-yard touchdown against Saint Louis, and also had a team-high five tackles and an interception — with Ah You providing heavy pressure on Crusaders quarterback AJ Bianco.

The question coming into the state title game was simple: Would this be the night when the state’s most talented young, middle-school-aged pass catchers — and quarterbacks — get confirmation that Saint Louis is still the premier destination for playmakers? After Thursday night, the answer isn’t clear-cut, but Kahuku is in the picture. Mariteragi will graduate, but Crawford, who started while Mariteragi healed up from a midseason injury, will return for his senior year.

Kaio will graduate, but Kainoa Carvalho will return. Kaluna will graduate, but Clyde Taulapapa and Kingsley Ah You will return to the backfield.

With so many underclassmen on both sides of the ball — including Lefau and Ah Hoy — Kahuku will look forward to defending this championship.

Lefau and Ah You are hoping for another busy offseason of training. Another trip to the continent for Pylon tournaments and championships would be exciting, but with 15 scholarship offers, Lefau doesn’t necessarily need more exposure. Ah You has offers from Arizona State, BYU, Hawaii and Oregon State.

The chance to unify, train and compete against some of the nation’s best football athletes during the offseason is irresistible.

“Yeah. One more. We’ll take the Pylon. We’ll take whatever we can,” Lefau said. “Keep winning.”

—

At Skippa Diaz Stadium

Saint Louis (6-4) 0 14 0 0 — 14

Kahuku (10-0) 21 7 14 7 — 49

KAH—Kana Loa Kaluna 6 run (Kainoa Carvalho kick)

KAH—Kaluna 4 run (Kain. Carvalho kick)

KAH—Malosi Lefau 29 interception return (Kain. Carvalho kick)

KAH—Liona Lefau 19 pass from Jason Mariteragi (Kain. Carvalho kick)

STL—Boston Opetaia 2 run (Lason Napuunoa kick)

STL—Trech Kekahuna 46 pass from Alexander Bianco (Napuunoa kick)

KAH—Kain. Carvalho 61 pass from Mariteragi (Kain. Carvalho kick)

KAH—Kain. Carvalho 16 pass from Mariteragi (Kain. Carvalho kick)

KAH—Kaluna 17 run (Kain. Carvalho kick)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Keola Apduhan 5-18, Opetaia 4-13, Elijah Dolor 1-12, Keonimanamemanao Catrett 3-9, Ratu Bonaveidogo 1-5, Kauna’oa Kamakawiwo’ole 1-0, Bianco 6-(minus 4). Kahuku: Kaluna 16-138, Mariteragi 6-30, Clyde Taulapapa 7-19, Kelsyn Tangaro-Kanoa 3-16, Kain. Carvalho 2-7, Zarrion Bridges 1-2, Waika Crawford 1-0, TEAM 3-(minus 4).

PASSING—Saint Louis: Bianco 11-20-2—143, Kamakawiwo’ole 4-7-1—41. Kahuku: Mariteragi 10-13-0—186.

RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Jaysen Peters-deLaura 6-52, Kekahuna 4-82, Yosei Takahashi 2-27, William Reed 1-11, Mason

Muaau 1-9, Nicholas Delgadillo 1-3. Kahuku: Kain. Carvalho 6-135, L. Lefau 2-36, Kaimana Carvalho 1-8, Kruze Keanu 1-7.