Effort was never a question.
In fact, the Kamehameha Warriors put in the hours on and off the field, but the wins were tough to come by in recent seasons. In 2023, they have done something that has not happened since 2013: win their first four games.
There was a 3-0 start in ’14 after a canceled game with Waianae. In ’15, another 3-0 start was followed by a 31-27 loss to Saint Louis.
In ’17, the Warriors started 3-0, dispatching Farrington, Lahainaluna and Carson (Calif.) by a collective score of 101-35. Then came a loss to the dynastic Crusaders, 44-0.
This fall, under new coach Kaeo Drummondo, Kamehameha has already equalled the win total of the last two seasons. From a nuts-and-bolts perspective, the tough-nosed ground attack and bone-crunching defensive mentality remain from former coach Abu Ma‘afala’s era.
Jevin Bolos-Reyes has emerged as a high-efficiency decision maker at quarterback. The junior has completed 69 percent of his passes at an astronomical yards-per-attempt rate (16.9) with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. That adds up to a ridiculous passer rating of 283.0, and it is buoyed by his prowess as a runner.
While Moe Passi leads the Warriors in rushing (305 yards, five TDs, 6 yards per attempt), Bolos-Reyes has 214 yards and one TD on the ground (8.2 per carry). Nainoa Melcor (148 yards, four TDs, and Nainoa Simmons-Kaohelaulii (77 yards, one TD) bolster the smashmouth attack.
This week’s core of trench men paving the way includes left tackle Malakai Lee, left guard Terrance Pemasa, center Hudson Lee, right guard Ailama Morton and right tackle Elvis Miller. Kamehameha has run the ball 139 times, including Bolos-Reyes’ scrambles, while passing just 49 times.
Those lofty numbers may be harder to come by on Friday when the fourth-ranked Warriors host No. 2 Punahou at Kunuiakea Stadium. The Warriors will also need their stingy defense that has permitted just 11 points per game to be at its best.
The Buffanblu (3-2), coming off a stunning 38-23 nonconference loss to Campbell, have not lost to Kamehameha since 2021. Punahou quarterback Ty McCutcheon was sacked 10 times against Campbell, mostly by a talented four-man front.
“There has been no time to dwell on last week. Every game from this point forward is a game of consequence. Everything prior has been preparatory,” Buffanblu coach Nate Kia said. “We are focused on playing our best football this Friday.”
Drummondo, the head coach and director of football operations, has varsity, I-AA, intermediate, 12-under and 10-under programs under his watch — quite a busy load for the former police officer and ex-athletic director.
“Abu helped start that. It was something new the school wanted to offer, to internally develop our athletes,” Drummondo said.
After graduating from Kamehameha and thriving in Hilo following college, he led the Vikings to two Division I state titles in a three-year span. In five years as a head coach or co-head coach, his Hilo teams were 47-10.
He always yearned for a bigger pond. Drummondo was prepared to become a defensive coordinator at a junior college after Hilo’s 2017 state title. After the second state crown in ’19, he was ready to become Kamehameha’s defensive coordinator, but was reined in by Hilo to become its AD.
Now 38, he is back at his alma mater with a dream job. What he learned as a Warrior under then-coach Kanani Souza reverberates today. He was an All-State second team linebacker as a player, an ILH all-star along with teammates Brennen Carvalho, RJ Willing, Keoni Ruth, JP Kennedy and Kekoa Smith.
Drummondo doesn’t dwell on the past, but the foundation of his program is all about intangibles.
“Coming back to my alma mater, it’s a huge privilege. There’s not too many of these positions that exist. It’s a big responsibility,” Drummondo said. “I hope I’m doing right by the institution. I look forward to being able to establish a foundation we can build upon. It’s challenging, but it’s exciting.”
Drummondo could have settled in as Hilo’s coach or athletic director for years and decades. His drive to coach and succeed brought him home.
“It’s been crazy the last several years. I found a home and career that can last a long time, but I can’t take anything for granted. I’ve been fortunate to have great opportunities, just try to do the best job I can collaboratively with the people I work with. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s just timing. This position has just been unexpected.”
While programs like Kahuku and Mililani set the blueprint by implementing Pylon and youth programs with the same template — down to schemes and terminology — ILH powerhouses have finally followed suit. It coincides with a sliding economy that has brought many of the state’s top college prospects back to their public high school districts, rather than pay tuition or make the long commute from home to urban Honolulu.
Kamehameha’s youth teams, currently in season in outside leagues, have been dominant, as well. Imagine that: the navy blue helmets and jerseys on youth teams playing across Oahu, potentially year-round.
“Our 12U roster is in the mid-40s. Our 10U in the spring had high 30s, low 40s,” Drummondo said.
His teams at Hilo ran four-wide sets and were happy to throw the ball given the chance, but would always stick with the ground game as a priority.
“We’re always going to try and adapt to our personnel,” Drummondo said. “We have base systems we want to run, but at the end of the day, we adapt, put our players in the best position so they can be successful. I’m not really surprised by anything. This is a much larger program to manage. That’s the most challenging part. When it comes to football, there’s more similarities than differences. The kids are great. They respond well very much to what we had in Hilo.”
This will be his first battle with Punahou as a head coach.
‘With the excitement of opening up league play, we’re trying to stay consistent with our preparation,” Drummondo said. “Our message to the team is to not get caught up in the moment of homecoming or our opponent. We need to steer that energy toward our preparation.”
The Warriors are well aware of Punahou’s hunger.
“Punahou still comes into league play with a very experienced team coming off of competing in the state championship game (in 2022). Regardless of records, Punahou presents issues in all three phases of the game and have a bunch of great athletes,” Drummondo said. “So we have to be prepared for a very competitive contest.”
BEST OF THE REST
Damien at
No. 10 ‘Iolani
Kozuki Stadium and Eddie Hamada Field
Friday, 3:15 p.m.
The Monarchs’ 59-29 loss to Damien (Calif.) three weeks ago did nothing to slow their momentum. Since returning, Damien (4-2, 2-0 ILH) resumed its roll with wins over Pac-Five (29-10) and Punahou I-AA (54-20).
QB AJ Tuifua continues his evolution as a patient decision maker in the pocket, while Sylas Alaimalo leads the ground attack. Tuifua has made good use of pass catchers Dayton Savea, Nalu Chinen-Zablan and Ian Sera.
First-year starting QB, CJ Villanueva, has passed for 729 and 10 TDs with just one pick while completing nearly 86 percent of his attempts for ‘Iolani (3-1, 2-0). RBs Ronin Fanelli and Jones Vierra have combined for 305 yards and seven TDs on the ground.
No. 3 Campbell
at No. 9 Farrington
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Campbell’s offense, whether in high-octane aerial mode or ground-and-pound game management, got most of the highlight reels through five games. That changed last weekend with a 10-sack performance against defending ILH champion Punahou.
It wasn’t just Nazaiah Caravallo-Lawelawe, T’nias Tavale and Titus Ringor bringing heat with two sacks each. Miah Timoteo, Zechariah Alualu-Tuiolemotu, Niah Lepaga-Telona and Jensen Tanele also recorded sacks.
Sacks and snacks were the menu that night. The Sabers (5-1, 3-0 OIA) limited Punahou to 13 rushing yards on 29 attempts. The massive sack total clearly impacted the numbers, but Punahou RB Ala‘i Williams struggled to get 29 yards on 11 attempts. That does not bode well for Farrington (3-1, 2-1) and its magnificent RB, Sitani Mikaele (516 yards, seven TDs, 7.1 yards per carry).
This may be the best Campbell defensive front seven in coach Darren Johnson’s era. The mobility of Farrington QBs MJ Moreno and Noah Spencer will help the Govs, but is 2.8 seconds enough time to make mental adjustments post-snap against a fiery pass rush?
Farrington is willing to deploy something that Kahuku mastered over the years: a jumbo/elephant offensive package. The Govs’ hopes may hinge on this.
No. 6 Kapolei
at Kailua
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
The Division I Surfriders have righted the ship with wins over Castle (30-15), Kaimuki (38-12) and Waianae (21-20). The Surfriders will be tested by an Open Division team for the second time.
On Aug. 19, Mililani routed Kailua, 59-7. Kapolei (5-1, 3-0 OIA) won the previous two matchups with Kailua (3-2, 2-1), The programs have not met since 2017, and Kailua last beat Kapolei in 2015, 20-6, at Alex Kane Stadium.
Since losing to Saint Louis, the Hurricanes have roasted D-I competition, outscoring Radford, Waipahu and Castle 180-44. There was also a 48-30 win at Calabasas (Calif.).
QB Tama Amisone has been brilliant with 1,226 passing yards, 22 TDs and only one interception while completing nearly 65 percent of his attempts. The junior also leads the ‘Canes with 441 yards and seven TDs on the ground (9.8 per carry).
His favorite target, Kaina Kamohaili, has racked up 40 receptions for 676 yards and 11 TDs.
No. 1 Kahuku
at Nanakuli
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Post-game pandemonium: The initial shock waves of Kahuku’s clutch 30-23 win over St. John Bosco have passed. The post-game celebration will be tough to match even if Kahuku captures a third consecutive Open Division state title.
“The community was going crazy,” defensive back Aiden Manutai said. “Having fun, fire knifing, lighting fireworks, drumming, controlling traffic, everything you can think of.”
The glow remains, days after the massive victory.
“Like Coach Sterling (Carvalho) always says, ‘All in!’ Without our amazing community, none of our successes would be possible,” Kahuku linebacker Maximum Fonoimoana said. “No matter what, our community is always cheering us on.”
Players are still acclimating to a Top 10 national ranking by MaxPreps.
“The jump to No. 9 was huge, but that’s a bigger target on our backs,” defensive back/returner/receiver Kaimana Carvalho said. “That was a big game we just played, but the season isn’t done. We still have to come with the strong mentality and finish through the season.”
When Kahuku (5-1, 2-0 OIA) meets Nanakuli (1-3, 0-2) on Saturday, it’ll be an OIA Open versus OIA D-I matchup, which has been largely dominated by the former. Kahuku is the kind of powerhouse that few D-I teams want to play. Saving hobbled starting players for D-I games has been the norm for many programs going back to the OIA-ILH crossover years before the pandemic.
Coaches have worked out a handshake agreement to field backup players as soon as an Open team builds up a significant margin. In many cases, that begins as early as the second quarter.
For Kahuku, the mentality doesn’t change regardless of who is on the field.
“The mindset is still the same. This week is a new week. We are 0-0 and now we focus on Nanakuli and continue to play Kahuku football,” Manutai said. “I feel great, but we got way more to prove.”
STANDINGS
ILH
Team Conf. PF PA Overall PF PA
Open
Kamehameha 0-0 0 0 4-0 158 44
Punahou 0-0 0 0 3-2 183 109
Saint Louis 0-0 0 0 2-3 127 185
Division I
‘Iolani 2-0 81 28 3-1 140 61
Damien 2-0 83 30 4-2 223 182
Division II
Pac-Five 0-1 0 41 0-1 0 41
———
Saint Louis I-AA 1-1 62 52 2-2 96 135
Kamehameha I-AA 1-1 .36 41 1-1 36 41
Punahou I-AA 0-2 27 78 0-2 27 78
OIA/Division I A
Team Conf. PF PA Overall PF PA
Campbell 3-0 151 7 5-1 265 84
Kahuku 2-0 55 20 5-1 194 115
Farrington 2-1 97 75 3-1 141 89
Leilehua 2-1 62 62 3-3 107 139
Nanakuli 0-2 0 82 1-3 80 149
Moanalua 0-2 34 58 0-4 41 154
Aiea 0-3 7 102 1-4 40 177
OIA/Division I B
Team Conf. PF PA Overall PF PA
Kapolei 3-0 180 45 5-1 263 117
Mililani 2-0 117 14 4-1 209 41
Kailua 2-1 58 94 3-2 103 125
Waipahu 2-1 147 90 2-3 196 190
Castle 0-2 18 84 1-2 35 97
Waianae 0-2 40 64 0-5 55 181
Radford 0-3 28 197 0-4 42 141
OIA Division II
Team Conf. PF PA Overall PF PA
Pearl City 3-0 88 37 4-0 130 49
Kalani 2-1 52 25 3-1 80 31
Kalaheo 2-1 102 71 2-1 102 71
Kaiser 2-1 67 64 2-2 80 81
Roosevelt 1-2 59 58 2-3 123 106
Waialua 1-2 50 70 2-3 81 124
Kaimuki 1-2 92 108 1-4 130 205
McKinley 0-3 13 90 0-4 13 124
OPEN DIVISION STATISTICS
PASSING
Player, team C A I Yd TD
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Camp. 132 196 4 1,771 16
Kaunaoa Kamakawiwoole, StL 107 178 11 1,411 10
Tama Amisone, Kapolei 79 122 1 1,226 22
Ty McCutcheon, Punahou 70 103 3 963 7
Kini McMillan, Mililani 69 96 0 838 11
Jevin Bolos-Reyes, Kamehameha 22 32 0 541 7
Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa, Kahuku 45 71 2 535 9
RUSHING
Player, team Att. Yds TD YPC YPG
Tama Amisone, Kapolei 45 441 7 9.8 88.2
Vaaimalae Fonoti, Kahuku 51 324 4 6.4 81.0
Moe Passi, Kamehameha 51 306 5 6.0 76.5
Keola Apduhan, Saint Louis 50 254 5 5.1 50.8
Reeno Teo, Kapolei 15 244 0 16.3 122.0
Nakoa Kahana-Travis, Mililani 26 223 3 8.6 55.8
RECEIVING
Player, team Rec. Yds TD YPC YPG
Titan Lacaden, Saint Louis 49 736 7 15.0 147.2
Kaina Kamohalii, Kapolei 40 676 11 16.9 135.2
Tana Togafau-Tavui, Camp. 26 373 5 14.3 93.3
Rusten Abang, Campbell 24 338 1 14.1 56.3
Astin Hange, Punahou 20 322 1 16.1 80.5
Jordan Nunuha, Saint Louis 15 318 3 21.2 63.6
DIVISION I STATISTICS
PASSING
Player, team C A I Yd TD
AJ Tuifua, Damien 46 78 6 788 9
Romeo Ortiz, Kailua 55 106 5 741 5
CJ Villanueva, ‘Iolani 60 70 1 729 10
Joshua Manu, Waipahu 41 67 1 650 5
Hanohano Plunkett, Leilehua 63 111 4 615 3
Kanoa Torres, Nanakuli 66 118 6 613 5
Elijah Mendoza, Waipahu 36 66 0 483 9
RUSHING
Player, team Att. Yds TD YPC YPG
Cole Northington, Leilehua 116 562 7 4.8 93.7
Sitani Mikaele, Farrington 73 516 7 7.1 129.0
Ikaika Quidashay, Kailua 44 233 1 5.3 46.6
Christian Asinsin, Nanakuli 52 212 3 4.1 53.0
Sylas Alaimalo, Damien 27 202 1 7.5 101.0
Camren Flemister, Leilehua 30 182 2 6.1 36.4
RECEIVING
Player, team Rec. Yds TD YPC YPG
Eric Stephens, Waipahu 29 505 6 17.4 101.0
Timothy Arnold, Leilehua 30 429 3 14.3 71.5
Jayden Chanel, Waipahu 28 370 5 13.2 74.0
Richard Federico, Nanakuli 20 346 4 17.3 86.5
Tai Aipia-Barrett, Waipahu 18 297 3 16.5 59.4
Dayton Savea, Damien 17 296 4 17.4 98.7
DIVISION II STATISTICS
PASSING
Player, team C A I Yd TD
Trey Dacoscos, Pearl City 74 136 5 1,036 13
Iosefa Letuli, Kaimuki 78 127 2 963 8
Sean Connell, Kaiser 64 120 8 744 7
Ioane Kamanao, Roosevelt 52 107 3 678 8
Jude Weber, Kalaheo 35 82 5 518 5
Kynan McCartney, Kalani 36 76 6 481 6
Emey Abilla, Waialua 25 66 6 307 2
RUSHING
Player, team Att. Yds TD YPC YPG
Dillon Reis, Kaiser 72 440 3 6.1 110.0
Zechariah Kuratsu-Cook, Kaim 79 310 4 3.9 62.0
Iosefa Letuli, Kaimuki 55 251 5 4.6 50.2
Makoakai Fierro, Waialua 69 239 2 3.5 59.8
Sonny Iaea, Kalani 55 230 3 4.2 57.5
Seth Miller, Pac-Five 43 213 1 5.0 106.5
RECEIVING
Player, team Rec. Yds TD YPC YPG
Keaton Tomas, Pearl City 19 345 3 18.2 86.3
Jeremiah White, Kaimuki 25 335 4 13.4 67.0
Kamalu Jordan, Kalaheo 14 326 3 23.3 108.7
Jesse Shinagawa, Kaiser 27 322 1 11.9 80.5
Keagan Lime, Kaiser 27 320 5 11.9 80.0
Tobias Vazquez, Pearl City 15 309 7 20.6 77.3
