When Saint Louis dominated Hawaii high school football for a decade and a half, people paid attention.
It would take a while, but there were enough energetic young coaches eager to learn and enough talented kids, spread throughout the islands, to eventually change the paradigm.
It didn’t seem like it at times, but it was inevitable that other schools would catch up to the standard the Crusaders set in the 1980s and ’90s when they won 14 consecutive Prep Bowls and state championships.
The architects of that dynasty, coaches Cal and Ron Lee, find a different Hawaii prep football world than the one that existed when they left Saint Louis for arena ball and the University of Hawaii around the turn of the millenium.
After a couple of years resurrecting Cal’s alma mater, Kalani, they’re back as the Crusaders head coach and offensive coordinator. But their team simply didn’t have enough bullets to keep up with a loaded Mililani squad Saturday at packed Kauinana Stadium, and fell 63-47.
Saint Louis obviously no longer has anything close to a monopoly on talent — it actually didn’t when it was at the peak of its powers, because schools like Kamehameha and Kahuku always had plenty of raw material, too. The Crusaders won for so long because they had no weaknesses — superb players, coaches … a system. Offense, defense, special teams.
Now, over the years, a sleeping public school giant has finally awoken and is at full alert. Observers often cited Kapolei as the one that would join Kahuku as a consistent threat to private school supremacy. But it is Mililani that has steadily evolved into a powerhouse program, under coach Rod York.
The Trojans won the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship last year and gave Punahou all it could handle before falling in the state title game.
Saturday’s outcome was not a surprise since Saint Louis lost most of its defensive starters from last year, and Mililani has some of the most exciting playmakers in the state on both sides of the ball.
One of them is Vavae Malepeai, a bullish running back whose father and uncle were key components of the Saint Louis dynasty of a generation ago. The irony doesn’t end there, as Crusaders All-State quarterbacks Darnell Arceneaux, Timmy Chang and Bobby George have helped build the Trojans offensive machine as coaches.
Now Saint Louis finds itself with a quarterback controversy. Senior Ryder Kuhns has the experience but threw two interceptions Saturday night, helping to open the door for exciting sophomore Tua Tagovaiola. Tagovaiola possesses rare play-making ability with his arm and feet.
But so does Mililani’s McKenzie Milton, and he has a fleet of dangerous receivers and a battering ram of a runner to work with — not to mention a turnover-producing defense, all guided by a strong coaching staff.
The formula sounds familiar, and Saint Louis hasn’t had a patent on it for quite a while now.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads Opens in a new tab.
