The combatants in today’s Division II final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships are no strangers.
Two-time defending champion Lahainaluna (10-0) and Kapaa (7-2) met for the koa trophy in 2016, when the Lunas prevailed 21-14.
“We played them in 2013, 2014, twice in 2015 and 2016, and this year once already,” Warriors coach Philip Rapozo said.
In those seven meetings, Lahainaluna holds a 4-3 advantage, with 112 points for and 107 against. The only other playoff game pitting the two teams in that span came in 2015, when Kapaa won 24-0 in the state semifinals.
“Lahainaluna is the standard in Division II,” Rapozo side. “They’ve been the guys for years now. If we can get this job done and bring home that big trophy, it’s going to be amazing, not just for our community, but for the whole island. The KIF has come close many times.”
No KIF team has ever won a football state championship.
Lunas co-head coach Garret Tihada, despite a 30-10 victory over the Warriors in August, isn’t about to let his team take Kapaa lightly.
GAME DAY: KAPAA VS. LAHAINALUNA
>> When: 1:30 p.m. today
>> Where: Aloha Stadium
>> TV: Spectrum PPV 260
>> Radio: 1500-AM
“They’re fundamentally sound,” Tihada said about the Warriors. “They’ve been for years now. You know what you’re getting from them. They’re going to show up. Their defense is almost like our defense — they react very well to the ball. On offense, they’re explosive with a great running back (Ryno Banasihan) and are a pretty good passing team also.”
KAPAA OFFENSE
Running back Ryno Banasihan made a big impact for the Warriors in the last two-thirds of the regular season. That’s when Kapaa climbed back from an early-season loss to Kauai High and rolled to the KIF championship.
“He was injured in the second preseason game and sat out the first round of the KIF,” coach Philip Rapozo said about Banasihan. “He lit the fire for us on offense, and the O-line has played solidly all year.”
Banasihan scored on a 50-yard run to give the Warriors an early lead in their 20-12 state semifinal victory over Kaimuki last Saturday.
Eli Unutoa — who is 6 feet 5 and 290 pounds — anchors the line, and Rapozo raves about the cohesiveness of that unit.
Kahanu Davis, only a junior, provides leadership at
the quarterback position, and he is a dual threat. He can make defenses miss on the run, and he often throws
out of a four-wide setup. Three seniors — Lanakila
Pagtolingan, Nakela Snyder and Jai Alapai — are among his favorite targets.
Kapaa averaged 32.2 points in six league games and 29.0 points in nine overall games.
EDGE: Kapaa
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
QB 7 Kahanu Davis 5-11 165 Jr.
RB 21 Ryno Banasihan 5-8 160 Sr. REC 10 Micah Tabura 5-9 140 Jr.
REC 1 Jai Alapai 5-10 160 Sr.
REC 4 Nakela Snyder 5-10 155 Sr.
REC 2 Lanakila Pagtolingan 5-9 150 Sr.
LT 74 Diego Hernandez 6-2 255 Jr.
LG 72 Matthew Baltazar 5-10 245 Jr.
C 68 Caleb Alalem 5-11 260 Fr.
RG 65 Eli Unutoa 6-5 290 Sr.
RT 56 Daniel Higa 5-10 225 Sr.
KAPAA DEFENSE
When coach Philip Rapozo meets new people, he may as well give them a calling card that has big block letters spelling D-E-F-E-N-S-E on it.
“Defense is the strength of our team and it always has been,” he said. “And I love that. You don’t have to score 50 points to win a game.”
For this opportunity against Lahainaluna, Rapozo said being disciplined is the main ingredient.
“Once you start making little mistakes, you’re going to pay for it,” he said.
Rapozo counts on the defensive leadership of middle linebacker Raffy Perono and outside linebacker Stetson Telles-Kelekoma. Telles-Kelekoma made a game-saving interception in the state semifinal win over Kaimuki.
Jai Alapai, a defensive back who plays offense as well, is among the other big defensive playmakers for the Warriors.
“He’s more of a cover guy, but he can also play the run,” the coach said.
In six league games, Kapaa yielded 6.7 points per game. Overall, the Warriors gave up an average of 9.1 points in nine contests.
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
DE 71 Raiden Kurisu 5-7 185 Jr.
DE 42 Patrick Peters 6-2 200 Sr.
DT 55 Joshua Baltazar 6-0 245 So.
DT 75 Kupapa Flores 6-0 225 Sr.
OLB 35 Kesomi Fonua 5-10 180 Sr.
OLB 3 Stetson Telles-Kelekoma 5-10 200 Jr.
MLB 33 Jeff Brown 6-0 180 So.
MLB 5 Raffy Perono 5-6 175 Sr.
DB 9 Kaiola Lingaton 5-8 155 So.
DB 8 Raphee Khae-Chawat 5-8 150 So.
DB 20 Keilan Ibaan-McCarthy 5-10 170 Jr.
KAPAA SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker and punter Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo has been a steady and spectacular player for the Warriors.
“He has been sensational,” coach Philip Rapozo said. “He’s hit field goals of 48 and 45. He missed one from 47 (in the state semifinals against Kaimuki). It was a little to the right, just missed. Kicking, punting, he does everything for us. He’s really composed, making so many good plays. One snap got over his head and he got it and got it (punt) off. Solid.”
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
P/K 44 Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo 5-10 200 Sr.
KR 11 Seth Balajadia 5-8 160 Sr.
PR 22 Kawika Na‘o 5-7 165 So.
PR 3 Stetson Telles-Kelekoma 5-10 200 Jr.
LS 33 Jeff Brown 6-0 180 So.
HO 2 Lanakila Pagtolingan 5-9 150 Sr.
LAHAINALUNA OFFENSE
The Lunas’ wing-T offense is a throwback. The way Lahainaluna plays in general is a throwback. It’s about running the rock.
That’s why coach Garret Tihada, when asked, mentioned two senior offensive linemen — tackle Ikaika Tihada-Viela and guard Tausinga Hafoka — as the guys who make things tick.
“Those are the guys in the trenches and they do all the dirty work,” Tihada said. “They’ve been with us for six years, since their days in the Big Boyz league. They know what to expect. Being on the line, they’re very unselfish and they spread that message around.”
Joshua Tihada is one of the go-to guys at running back, and he also runs behind someone playing the ultimate throwback position — fullback Sheldon Frias. Tihada has major state tournament experience. He scored the winning touchdown in Lahainaluna’s 75-69, seven-overtime victory in last season’s championship game against Konawaena.
Quarterback Nainoa Irish and wide receiver William Kai Bookland are among those making their second straight start in the title game. Seven of the Lunas’ offensive starters started in the championship game a year ago.
Lahainaluna averaged 39.1 points in 10 overall games and the same number in eight league games.
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
QB 9 Nainoa Irish 5-9 170 Jr.
RB 33 Joshua Tihada 5-9 175 Jr.
RB 11 Kamalei Watson 5-6 130 Sr.
FB 40 Sheldon Frias 6-0 180 Sr.
WR 18 William Kai Bookland 5-10 150 Jr.
WR 13 Kawehi Gillcoat 5-7 150 Sr.
T 52 Ikaika Tihada-Viela 6-1 210 Sr.
G 53 Joshua McCoy 5-8 210 Sr.
C 63 Hookipa Sakalia 5-11 250 So.
G 56 Tausinga Hafoka 5-11 230 Sr.
T 78 Taai Galoia 6-1 305 So.
LAHAINALUNA DEFENSE
Numbers can mean a real lot when it comes to football. For instance, Lahainaluna’s defensive unit yielded an average of 3.9 points in 10 overall games and an average of 2.4 in eight league contests. Many opposing offenses have been stifled along the way.
Nyles Pokipala-Waiohu is a force at middle linebacker for the Lunas, but he is also one of the leaders who brings the defense together as a unit.
“He’s the son of one of our coaches and he’s heard the same message his entire life — team football, no individuals,” coach Garret Tihada said about Pokipala-Waiohu, who is one of four defensive starters who started last year’s
75-69, seven-overtime victory over Konawaena in the state final. The three others are linebacker Etuati Storer, who also sees action at running back and can play quarterback on offense, linebacker Devon Sa-Chisolm, and strong safety Kaihulali Casco. Another part of the crew, defensive lineman Apakasi Felemi, was an O-line starter a year ago.
Cornerback Tre Rickard intercepted two passes in last week’s 48-10 victory over Roosevelt in the state semifinals.
EDGE: Lahainaluna
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
DL 45 Apakasi Felemi 5-11 225 Sr.
DL 51 Tuipulotu Lai 6-2 265 Jr.
DL 41 Elijah Oliveira-Kalalau 6-0 185 Sr. LB 3 Etuati Storer 6-0 185 Sr.
LB 19 Nyles Pokipala-Waiohu 5-10 200 Sr.
LB 2 Devon Sa-Chisolm 5-11 160 So.
LB 23 Nainoa Kulukulualani-Sales 5-7 150 Jr.
FS 21 Kaihulali Casco 6-0 180 Jr.
SS 11 Kamalei Watson 5-6 130 Sr.
CB 5 Brysen Rickard 5-10 155 Jr.
CB 15 Tre Rickard 5-7 130 So.
LAHAINALUNA SPECIAL TEAMS
Kamalei Watson is a standout kick returner for the Lunas, but he has plenty of backups should the coaches decide that his starting strong safety assignment is more important.
“When he was out with an injury, others have stepped in and used that same scheme for that week,” coach Garret Tihada said. “We need everybody to be real consistent.”
Watson returned a kick for a TD and Tre Rickard returned two punts for scores in the semifinals last week against Roosevelt.
Pablo Rico, the kicker and punter, can boom the ball.
“The kicking game is decent,” Tihada said. “Most times we can get the ball in the end zone. Field goals, we’ve struggled a bit this year.”
EDGE: Lahainaluna
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. CL.
K 67 Pablo Rico 6-2 280 Sr.
P 3 Etuati Storer 6-0 185 Sr.
LS 13 Kawehi Gillcoat 5-7 150 Sr.
Ret. 15 Tre Rickard 5-7 130 So.
Ret. 11 Kamalei Watson 5-6 130 Sr.
HO 18 William Kai Bookland 5-10 150 Jr.
