Game Day: Kahuku vs. Saint Louis

KAHUKU OFFENSE

The biggest change offensively for the Big Red Wall is … well, it’s more about modest adjustments than outright overhaul. When Kahuku trampled over the competition en route to the state crown last year, it was behind a take-no-prisoners power formation featuring two fullbacks, six offensive linemen and a tight end, with some slight modifications from series to series. It was a stampede of elephants and rhinos obliterating mere mortals who stood in their way. The one-on-one mismatch was as much as an 80-pound advantage in some of those engagements of battle.

Kahuku still employs that jumbo formation from time to time, but is no longer limited offensively. The 2015 offense featured, for most of the season until injuries slowed him, a running back-turned-quarter in versatile, talented Kesi Ah-Hoy. The ’16 offense has a freshman, Sol-Jay Maiava, at the wheel, and Ah-Hoy is now a stellar part of Kahuku’s elite defense as a safety. With Maiava, who received a scholarship offer before he took his first high school snap from center, the Red Raiders have the kind of balance that isn’t a 50-50 split between run and pass. Their I-formation behind a superior offensive line has been a sledgehammer in its own right, even though they rarely, if ever, run the triple option out of it the way Kawe Johnson did some years back.

Their 1-2 combo of Harmon Brown and Elvis Vakapuna is unmatched statewide, a pair of physical, fast ballcarriers with excellent vision and patience. Maiava’s ball handling is impressive at a young age, setting up easy passes to his tight ends like Pua Falemalu on play-action. When the RBs aren’t pounding and chipping away — before breaking off long runs — it is Maiava who is possibly their best breakaway threat. When Kahuku lines up in a shotgun, two-RB set, defenses have to be disciplined enough to handle the handoff to either side, and Maiava will patiently work that game. When nine crash the box, Maiava pulls the ball back into his pocket and takes off around end with the kind of acceleration that is matched only by a few QBs in recent history.

KAHUKU DEFENSE

This is a unit that has permitted a mere 43 points, 3.9 per game, in 11 games against in-state teams. The Red Raiders have banked on their defensive prowess for what seems like centuries now. In a different universe, all the size, speed and talent that stars on Kahuku’s defensive unit would be doing something akin to what Kapolei does offensively. But Kahuku’s blueprint offensively is built around massive, athletic blockers and a core of runners.

That means the logical personnel grouping on defense features the type of athletes that normally would catch 50 or 100 passes in a different program. Cornerbacks Stokes Nihipali-Botelho and Kekaula Kaniho were first-team All-State selections last year as juniors, the first time in recent memory that one team stocked the position so well. Their ability to control and contain opposing WRs frees up the rest of the defense, including safeties Codie Sauvao and Ah-Hoy.

KAHUKU SPECIAL TEAMS

Nihipali-Botelho has been a utility weapon at the highest level on special teams alone, not just on defense. He booms most kickoffs into the end zone, giving the Red Raiders a massive advantage in field position. He has field-goal range up to 45 yards and sometimes more. He also is one of the top kick returners in the state. He gives the team in red an immeasurable value edge in three of four special teams. Sekope Latu occasionally fills in and he, too, has regularly sent kickoffs well into the back of the end zone.

SAINT LOUIS OFFENSE

Tua Tagovailoa has earned every bit of attention from near and far, noted as the nation’s No. 1 dual threat by many and an outright top QB prospect by some. But Tagovailoa’s patience since the introduction of a receiver corps that was largely comprised of first-year starters in 2015 has paid off. Noah Alejado, Tosh Kekahuna-Kalawe and Chandler Washington-Villanueva are just a few of the many capable receivers in the rotation. Running back Ronson Young has been hot of late, turning in some sterling performance that includes last week’s three-TD performance against Waianae.

Young and Dylan Silva provide experience in the four-wide, single-RB formation that offensive coordinator Ron Lee has mastered. The show, however, doesn’t explode without Tagovailoa, who has been stunning and amazing most nights. He will go hurry-up mode or slowdown at any time, a maestro conducting his final concert on Saturday night. It doesn’t help any defense to see the southpaw as healthy as could be expected this late in the season. His scintillating 80-yard TD run last week was pure Tua.

Year 3 of the Return of the Brothers Lee — Cal the head coach and Ron the offensive coordinator — has been as basic as could be expected. Even as flexible as the offense was more than a decade ago — who remembers Prince Brown in a power formation? — this team doesn’t vary very far from the classic shotgun, four-wide look. That can work wonders on most nights, but against a tall, big, fast, athletic defense like Kahuku’s, this is the ultimate test.

SAINT LOUIS DEFENSE

After three weeks idle, the Crusaders defense took the field against Waianae last weekend and immobilized a normally stout Waianae ground attack. Saint Louis, with Dylan Toilolo and Isaac Slade-Matautia plugging the middle, surrendered just 66 rushing yards (1.7 per carry) en route to a 42-7 win. That’s an interesting comparison to Saturday’s Kahuku matchup, maybe only because Kahuku is another run-heavy team. Waianae wound up throwing the ball 23 times, a number Kahuku has not come close to approaching against any Hawaii team.

Noa Purcell (shoulder stinger) should be healthy enough to play. Every able-bodied tackler, including rangy and excellent safety Isaiah Tufaga will be needed to take on Kahuku, a team that can deploy jumbo sets and smashmouth plays at any moment.

For a defense that prepared for four-wide sets through most of its ILH schedule, Waianae and Kahuku back to back present the ultimate game plan reversal.

SAINT LOUIS SPECIAL TEAMS

Junior Jacob Tobias has been reliable and steady all season long. The nature of many Saint Louis games didn’t offer Tobias a lot of field-goal opportunities — 50 extra-point conversions, no field goals made — but his emergence allowed last season’s PK, Alejado, to focus on playing WR. Tobias has touchback range on kickoffs, but his kicks landed short of the 5-yard line last week.

Chance Beyer, a sophomore, had trouble with one punt last week against Waianae, nearly muffing it.