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Hawaii has long been known for producing outstanding linemen, and now there are two starting quarterbacks in the NFL from the same Honolulu high school, Saint Louis.
But the most spectacular island-bred players have often been little guys who don’t look like they belong on the football field at all.
No, we’re not talking about those who specialize as place-kickers — but that does happen to be one of the many jobs handled by Kahuku’s Kainoa Carvalho. He’s the latest in the endless line of undersized all-purpose superstars in Hawaii football, going back nearly a century to 5-foot-4, 140-pound Tommy Kaulukukui from Hilo.
Carvalho is listed at 5 feet 7 and 165 pounds on his recruiting profile (he’s committed to Utah, where his dad played running back). He doesn’t look even that big, but plays much larger.
“He doesn’t pass the eyeball test,” Campbell coach Darren Johnson said. “But he passes the football test.”
If his return from an ankle injury continues on schedule, Carvalho could be a huge factor Friday when Kahuku tries to defend its state championship against Punahou.
He’s listed as a wide receiver, but when he’s healthy Carvalho does a little — no, make that a lot — of everything. It’s virtually impossible to come up with a strategy to stop him. When he’s not catching passes, he’s running the ball, kicking it or returning kicks.
Carvalho was the Star-Advertiser’s Offensive Player of the Year last season. If we honored the best special teams player he probably would’ve won that, too, since he accounted for 61 points on field goals and extra points, and was voted first team as a return man (three TDs on kickoffs, two on punts) as well as wide receiver (64 receptions, 1,023 yards and 10 touchdowns).
Of course, he’s not a one-man team; there’s no such thing in football. And, as usual, Kahuku is loaded with talent — enough to run its unbeaten streak against Hawaii opponents to 21 games, even with Carvalho out most of the season.
That includes when Kahuku edged Punahou 27-20 on Sept. 3.
Kainoa’s younger brother, Kaimana, has helped fill the void with 58 receptions for 713 yards (both team-leading) and three touchdowns.
Since returning from the injury four games ago, Kainoa has gradually worked his way back toward his normal workload.
He started Kahuku’s scoring in its 32-7 semifinal win Friday over Campbell with a 33-yard field goal. He had just two receptions and two rushes for a combined 17 yards, but the defense dominated with three touchdowns on interception returns.
Ten years ago, Kahuku beat Punahou 42-20 for the state championship, a year after beating the Buffanblu 30-24 for the title in 2011.
Back then, Kahuku also had an undersized all-purpose star and Player of the Year. Kawe Johnson was a 5-foot-8, 160-pound safety, receiver, kick returner and occasional option quarterback. His run for a first down on a fake punt was one of the key plays in the 2012 championship rematch.
He suffered a career-ending injury at New Mexico State but found a way to stay close to the game by starting TMF Elite Athletic Training, where Carvalho worked out in the offseason.
“Kaikai (Carvalho) puts in the extra work,” Darren Johnson said. “Speed, smarts, football IQ, training. Kaikai’s very explosive, he breaks tackles and the future is good for him.”
In the early 1980s, 5-foot-9, 160-pound Darren Johnson was a standout at Kahuku with a skill set similar to those of his son and Kainoa Carvalho.
“What makes them special is that they’re small, so nothing was given to them and they had to work,” said Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho, who is Kainoa’s uncle. “What separates them is they know where to be, what window to sit in, what angles to see. And they know it from any position. They might not even be the fastest, but they play bigger and they play faster. It’s angles and football IQ. Know where to be and how to get there and understand the game.”
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