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Defending state champion Kahuku did not make the MaxPreps preseason Top 25 released Tuesday, but it will get more than one opportunity to crack the rankings.
The Red Raiders, who return reigning All-State offensive and defensive players of the year Kainoa Carvalho and Liona Lefau and All-State first-team defensive players Leonard Ah You and Brock Fonoimoana, will play two of the teams ranked in the top three of the initial rankings.
Kahuku will travel to the mainland for the first time since 2019 to play No. 1 St. John Bosco of Bellflower, Calif., on Sept. 17, and host No. 3 Saint Frances Academy of Baltimore, Md., on Sept. 30.
St. John Bosco, which has finished in the top 10 in the MaxPreps rankings in six consecutive seasons, played in Hawaii in 2019, beating Mililani 42-10 at John Kauinana Stadium.
Kahuku, which won all 10 games last season by an average of 35.1 points, won 34-14 at Timpview (Utah) in 2019. It played then-No. 1 Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas in 2016, losing 35-7.
Saint Frances, which finished fourth in the country last season, is 42-2 over the past five years.
