In more than five decades of coaching, Ron Lee has coached from the highest level of high school football, to the college ranks, to Division II prep football, and back to Kalaepohaku.
Year 3 of his role as head coach of the Saint Louis Crusaders has been a microcosm of his career. Ups and downs, the daily grind of film study and on-field reps. The Crusaders need a win on Saturday against first-place Punahou to keep title hopes alive. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Alexander Field.
A win in the regular-season finale would push Saint Louis to 3-1 in ILH Open Division play, forcing a tiebreaker battle with the Buffanblu.
“We’ve been playing better. We’re improving. We had a bye last week, getting ready for Punahou,” Lee said. “We can’t make mental errors.”
Saint Louis’ transformation this fall has surprised some neutral observers. The Crusaders opened with a 42-28 win over Kapolei, then lost to Kahuku and Liberty (Nev.) before edging Desert Pines (Nev.). After returning to the islands from Nevada, Saint Louis was throttled by Mililani, 41-3.
Two weeks later, Saint Louis gave Punahou a scare before losing, 42-28. Since then, the Crusaders beat Kamehameha twice, 40-21 and 38-21.
Since the Mililani game, the front seven have been much more consistent. The offense, led by quarterback Kaunaoa Kamakawiwoole, has been sharp, decisive and fluid.
“ ‘Oa didn’t play last year. He got hurt against Kapaa and sat out. He’s getting better, showing more leadership, too,” Lee said.
Kamakawiwoole’s ability to make big plays in the open field — much like AJ Bianco two years ago — has taken the offense to another level.
“Sometimes you run, and it’s knowing when to take off. You can sit in the pocket for so long, and it takes reps, knowing when to go,” Lee said.
Kamakawiwoole was 25-for-34 for 222 passing yards in the loss to Punahou. He threw for three TDs, but was also picked off twice. In the two wins over Kamehameha, he passed for 509 yards and six TDs with just one interception.
His completion rate in ILH play: 70.5 percent. He has also run for 78 yards on 27 attempts.
Titan Lacaden leads a disciplined, speedy corps of receivers. The versatile junior has 71 receptions for 946 yards and 13 TDs.
Will it be enough to stop No. 4-ranked Punahou? Coach Nate Kia’s squad has been outstanding on defense, setting up the offense with favorable field position most nights. Even the Buffanblu defense couldn’t do much to stop Campbell’s momentum in a 38-23 loss to the Sabers in mid-September. Since the nonconference loss at Campbell, Punahou has gone 3-0 in league play, outscoring Open foes 110-31.
“Looking back on the Campbell loss, it was absolutely necessary. It allowed us to begin troubleshooting our team,” Kia said. “Had we won that game, we wouldn’t have been able to examine exactly where we are misaligned. It’s a continual process. We aren’t there yet, but we have been blessed to have trials that help refine us throughout the season.”
With RB Ala‘i Williams out for the past month, much of the weight has been on the shoulders of QB Ty McCutcheon. Like many of the successful first-year starting QBs in ILH history, he has adapted and evolved as both a game manager and an improvisational weapon. Like Kamakawiwoole, his mobility has been one of the keys to his team’s progress.
The Buffanblu had control in the first half against Campbell, but wound up allowing 10 sacks and key takeaways by the Sabers. That problem has seemingly been corrected.
“Ty’s continual improvement has made us more consistent on offense. The development of our passing game has been a combined effort of the entire offense,” Kia noted. “Correct reads by the quarterback, offensive line protection, precision routes by the receivers. When we are firing on all cylinders, we have shown what we are capable of.”
Astin Hange has been absolutely lethal with 44 receptions for 794 yards (18 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. Noah Macapulay (27 receptions, 359 yards, two TDs) is another big-play threat, while freshman Zion White (24, 484, six) has emerged as a clutch target in the red zone.
A big plus for Punahou: Williams returned against Kamehameha last week and rushed for 57 yards and two TDs in 10 carries.
“Ala‘i is healthy and ready to rumble,” Kia said. “It has been uplifting for everyone to have him back in action.”
Fifth-ranked Saint Louis (4-4 overall) won the ILH crown in ’21, Lee’s first year as head coach after brother Cal Lee stepped down. Last year, Punahou captured the ILH title, returning most of its key contributors this year. Now Punahou (6-2, 3-0) can finish the ILH season. The reward would also include an extra week of rest and healing. The First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships Open Division bracket doesn’t begin until Nov. 17.
It’s a new era with public-school football programs stepping into prominent status. The top three teams in the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10 are from the OIA. The economy has been a direct influence on prep football in the islands.
“It’s hard financially for a lot of families. The dimensions now, the top public schools — Mililani, Campbell, Kahuku, Kapolei — they get a lot of the kids now,” Lee said. “The ILH, we have huge tuition fees. The public schools, it’s like the wild, wild west. There’s no boundaries. The rich get richer. We’ve got so many kids that are now at Mililani, Campbell, Kapolei, Kahuku. They just transfer and play right away. The dimensions now, when they used to worry about the ILH recruiting, it’s not even close to what it is now. OIA, you transfer over, you can play right away.”
>> No. 5 Kapolei (8-2) at No. 1 Kahuku (9-1), Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
The path to an OIA crown often runs through Kahuku for the Kapolei Hurricanes. Kahuku has won the last 11 matchups with Kapolei, which last beat Kahuku 16 years ago. That 14-7 win at Carleton E. Weimer Field on Oct. 26, 2007 was a rarity.
Since then, Kahuku’s record at home is phenomenal. The team won its next 53 home games before losing to Mililani, 38-10, on Sept. 29, 2018. Dillon Gabriel passed for 312 yards and two TDs for Mililani in the win.
Kahuku won its next six home games. Then came the canceled 2020 season, and a ’21 schedule with no home games as the new field was under construction.
In ’22, Kahuku won its first four home games, extending that streak to 10 in a row, before losing to nationally ranked Saint Frances (Md.), 23-15, on Sept. 30. Kahuku won its last three home games of the ’22 season.
This fall, Big Red is 6-0 at home. That includes a 30-23 win over defending national champion St. John Bosco (Calif.) and two forfeits.
Since the loss to Kapolei in ’07, Kahuku’s record at Weimer Field is 72-2.
Kapolei QB Tama Amisone is racking up phenomenal numbers. He has 2,128 yards and 31 TDs by air, and has 910 yards and 13 TDs on the ground.
>> No. 3 Campbell (8-2) at No. 2 Mililani (8-1), Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Logic says this: Mililani lost to Punahou, 21-14, and Campbell beat Punahou, 38-23. Thus, the Sabers should win this OIA Open Division semifinal matchup.
But there’s also this: OIA teams fill the top three slots in the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10, a rarity over the decades. That’s how powerful Mililani and Campbell are this season.
Two stellar defensive units, and two sometimes spectacular offensive machines. By this time of the season, Campbell and Mililani have already met in the regular season. This year’s Open/Division I blended schedule in the OIA had the two programs in different pools, making this their first showdown of the 2023 season.
Campbell is coming off a 41-0 win over Waianae in the opening round of the OIA Open playoffs. Mililani had a bye last weekend.
The edge has been with Mililani for more than a decade. The Trojans have won the last 14 matchups with the Sabers, who last beat Mililani on Sept. 16, 2011. Justin Tago-Sue passed for 202 yards in Campbell’s 32-12 win.
Since then, both programs have benefited from the development of youth football in their respective communities.
One of the top players out of either district, wide receiver Tana Togafau-Tavui, remains sidelined with a knee injury. Coach Darren Johnson hopes the elusive playmaker can return for the state tournament, provided Campbell qualifies.
The winner of Saturday’s tilt at John Kauinana Stadium will play Kahuku or Kapolei for the OIA Open title next week. The losers of Saturday’s semifinal games will play for third place and the final berth in the state tournament.
This game will pit two standout QBs in Mililani’s Kini McMillan and Campbell’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. McMillan has passed for 2,025 yards and 28 TDs with just three interceptions. He has completed 70 percent of his attempts. Sagapolutele has passed for 2,878 yards and 30 TDs with seven picks. He has completed 67 percent of his throws.
>> Roosevelt (6-3) at Kaiser (5-3), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
The winner of this OIA D-II semifinal game will advance to the final and will secure one of the two state-tournament berths. The loser is done for the year.
The Rough Riders and Cougars met on Sept. 9. Kaiser prevailed at home, 27-24. The Cougars have won five of their last six games. Keagan Lime remains a reliable, versatile contributor (49 receptions, 631 yards, eight TDs). Kaiser’s ground attack has been solid with Dillon Reis (547 yards, six TDs) leading the way. QB Sean Connell can be elusive on the ground (395 yards, six TDs), which makes him potentially dangerous on the move as a passer (1,271 yards, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions).
Sophomore QB Ioane Kamanao (1,382 passing yards, 17 TDs, six INT) runs a diversified offense for the Rough Riders. Keawe Davis, Taimane Souza-Fautanu and Jahsiah Souza-Armstead lead the receiving corps, while RB Kaleikaumaka Akiona has been a workhorse in the backfield.
Roosevelt is in D-II for the first time since 2019. The Rough Riders finished second, then beat Kamehameha-Hawaii, 31-7, in a play-in game. Roosevelt’s season ended with a 35-0 loss to eventual state champion Lahainaluna.
>> Leilehua (5-5) at Waipahu (4-4), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Leilehua QB Hanohano Plunkett has elite-level weapons in RB Cole Northington (968 yards, nine TDs) and WR Timothy Arnold (54 receptions, 902 yards, nine TDs). Camren Flemister’s skill set is utilized as a scatback-type running back who is a major threat in the flat as a pass catcher. Flemister has a combined 625 yards and six TDs.
Waipahu’s offense has been more airborne this season with a combined 276 pass attempts and 150 rushes. Sophomore QB Elijah Mendoza has been efficient with a 60.6-percent completion rate, 21 TDs and four picks.
Eric Stephens has been superb with 44 receptions for 905 yards and 11 TDs. Jayden Chanel (45, 618, nine) and Tai Aipia-Barrett (28, 473, four) bring game-changing potential and experience.
The Mules are 4-2 against the Marauders since 2015, when Bryson Carvalho became head coach at Waipahu. Last year, Waipahu won a nonconference matchup with Leilehua, 36-25.
Division I Waipahu embraced the challenge of Open Division competition long before the OIA released its blended Open/D-I schedule. The Marauders scheduled Campbell and Kamehameha for nonconference play and finished 4-2 in Pool B. They opened with a multitude of returnees and incoming transfers, lost to Campbell, Kapolei and Kamehameha by an average margin of 28.7 points per game.
Waipahu went on a four-game win streak, routing Radford, Waianae, Castle and Kailua by an average margin of 45.8 points. Mililani provided an exclamation point with a 74-18 win over the Black Flag to close the regular season two weeks ago.
Waipahu has been a powerhouse in D-I for several years, but not quite as close to the elite tier of the best Open teams just yet. Meanwhile, Leilehua was reassigned to D-I after recent struggles in OIA Open. The Mules went 3-3 in Pool A with wins over Moanalua, Aiea and Nanakuli, and losses to Kahuku, Campbell and Farrington.
Strategically, a rash of injuries led the Mules to forfeit its regular-season finale against Kahuku. Six days later, Leilehua was fresh and relatively healthy in a 43-14 playoff win over Radford.
This is Leilehua’s first playoff game in D-I since 2019, when the Mules lost to Moanalua in the OIA final, 21-20. They beat Baldwin, 34-7, then lost to Hilo, 19-9, in the state final. Since returning to OIA Open in ’21, Leilehua has a 2-14 mark against all Open teams.
While Open could almost practically be defined as “open enrollment,” D-I programs like Leilehua are mostly programs with rosters of players from their home districts. This is where programs like Leilehua find their footing.
>> Kailua (5-4) at Farrington (5-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Similar philosophies, different styles. Kailua will spread the field with four wide receivers and give slasher-type RBs like Ikaika Quidachay, Kristian Yamamoto and Caysen Samson a chance to churn yardage. It also allows QB Romeo Ortiz to exploit defenses. Ortiz has rushed for 252 yards and six TDs.
Farrington was 1-2 against Open teams (Kahuku, Moanalua, Campbell) and 4-0 against D-I competition. In their second season at D-I after years in Open Division, the Governors have a cannonball playmaker in RB Sitani Mikaele. The 5-foot-10, 238-pound senior has rushed for 999 yards (7.7 yards per attempt) and 14 TDs. The Governors won’t hesitate to go full jumbo formation and smash defensive fronts into submission.
Edge rusher/linebacker Anelu Lafaele sparks a defensive unit that has permitted just 7.5 points per game against D-I opponents.
Farrington has not played a game since beating Leilehua, 40-9, three weeks ago. The Govs have not won a playoff game since 2017, when they ousted Radford, 36-13, then lost at Waianae, 27-21.
>> Kaimuki (4-5) at Pearl City (8-0), Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Coach Robin Kami and his staff have always steered the Chargers into success, maximizing potential year after year. This may be Kami’s gem of gems. The Chargers won three of their seven OIA D-II games by single-digit margins, including a 34-27 win over Kaimuki three weeks ago.
Victory in this semifinal matchup secures a state-tournament berth for the winner. The loser turns in helmets and pads.
Pearl City QB Trey Dacoscos has been outstanding with 2,122 passing yards, 25 TDs and just seven interceptions in 294 attempts. Kami’s balanced offense tilted to Dacoscos’ strengths. When Dacoscos suffered a season-ending injury last year against Kaiser, Pearl City wasn’t the same.
The speedy QB hasn’t run as often — he has 44 rushing attempts this season — but his mobility is a huge edge. So is his field vision. Dacoscos has seven receivers with at least 15 receptions.
Kaimuki’s cast of iron men closed out the regular season with a 28-0 win over McKinley two weeks ago. No team scored as much as Kaimuki did against Pearl City during the regular season. Iosefa Letuli has been hard-nosed as a short-yardage ballcarrier and efficient as a passer with 17 TDs and just three picks in 234 attempts.
The Bulldogs haven’t relied on the ground attack as often as they did in recent years, but Letuli’s command with the ball has kept them in every game.
Jeremiah White, one of the iron men, has 53 catches for 753 yards and 10 TDs. If the Bulldogs can control the clock and move the chains, that lessens the load for their two-way players.
Since 1978, the schools are even in their series with 11 wins by Kaimuki, 11 by Pearl City, plus two ties.
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OIA TOURNAMENTS
>> OPEN DIVISION
First Round
Friday, Oct. 20
At Kapolei
Kapolei 68, Moanalua 33
Saturday, Oct. 21
At Campbell
Campbell 41, Waianae 0
Semifinals
Saturday
Kapolei at Kahuku, 6:30 p.m.
Campbell at Mililani, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 or Saturday, Nov. 4
Final
Teams/Site, TBD
Third place
Teams/Site, TBD
>> DIVISION I
First Round
Friday, Oct. 20
At Leilehua
Leilehua 43, Radford 14
Saturday, Oct. 21
At Kailua
Kailua 21, Aiea 14
Semifinals
Friday
Leilehua at Waipahu, 7:30 p.m.
Kailua at Farrington, 7:30 p.m.
Final
Friday, Nov. 3 or Saturday, Nov. 4
Teams/Site TBD
>> DIVISION II
First Round
Friday
Roosevelt at Kaiser, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Kaimuki at Pearl City, 7:30 p.m.
Final
Friday, Nov. 3
Teams TBD, 5 p.m. at Mililan
