The dominance of state champion Kahuku was evidenced by its sweep of the major awards on this year’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State team.
The all-league honors prove it was truly a team effort out on the North Shore.
Sixteen Red Raiders earned first-team honors this season after they blew away the competition.
Eight of the starting 11 on defense hail from Kahuku, which allowed just 10.5 points per game in league play and less than 10 points a game overall en route to another undefeated season and a record ninth state championship.
Offensive Player of the Year Kainoa Carvalho and defensive winner Liona Lefau garnered a lot of the spotlight, but they had a ton of help from a talent-rich roster.
Offensive linemen Judah Kaio, Sione Heimuli and Brayden Mailo helped protect first-team quarterback Jason Mariteragi, giving him plenty of time to find Carvalho and Kealoha Kaio in Kahuku’s much-developed passing game.
Defensive linemen Donavyn Atuaia and Isaiah Tuliloa weren’t always the guys recording the stats on individual plays, but the attention they received up front allowed for Kahuku’s trio of first-team linebackers — Lefau, Leonard Ah You and Kruze Keanu — to finish the job.
Junior safety Brock Fonoimoana was a ball hawk as the last line of defense, but his aggressiveness was helped out knowing he had fellow first-teamers Chansen Garcia and Malosi Lefau back there with him, making sure there were no holes in the defense to be exploited.
The end result was a 28th OIA championship for the Red Raiders, and with six of its first-team selections underclassmen, the future is equally bright.
OIA OPEN DIVISION
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
POS. | NAME | SCHOOL | HT. | WT. | CL.
OL | Tavo Motuapuaka | Mililani | 6-3 | 270 | 12
OL | Sione Heimuli | Kahuku | 6-4 | 370 | 12
OL | Judah Kaio | Kahuku | 6-2 | 280 | 12
OL | Brayden Mailo | Kahuku | 6-1 | 330 | 11
OL | Moeva Pine | Mililani | 6-3 | 240 | 12
RB | Nehemiah Timoteo | Mililani | 5-11 | 200 | 12
RB | Kolu Quspuirin-Sabagala | Waianae | 5-10 | 230 | 12
REC | Kainoa Carvalho | Kahuku | 5-7 | 160 | 11
REC | Kealoha Kaio | Kahuku | 6-0 | 185 | 12
REC | Dominick Espinda | Campbell | 6-0 | 170 | 12
QB | Jason Mariteragi | Kahuku | 5-11 | 170 | 12
U | Rowan-Ray Bucao | Campbell | 5-10 | 165 | 10
K | Kainoa Carvalho | Kahuku | 5-7 | 160 | 11
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
POS. | NAME | SCHOOL | HT. | WT. | CL.
DL | Iosefa Tapeni | Kapolei | 6-3 | 288 | 11
DL | Michael Agasiva | Mililani | 6-1 | 240 | 12
DL | Donaveyn Atuaia | Kahuku | 6-0 | 255 | 12
DL | Isaiah | Tuliloa | Kahuku | 6-2 | 205 | 12
LB | Liona Lefau | Kahuku | 6-1 | 210 | 11
LB | Leonard Ah You | Kahuku | 6-3 | 195 | 11
LB | Kruze Keanu | Kahuku | 5-11 | 195 | 12
DB | Brock Fonoimoana | Kahuku | 6-2 | 190 | 11
DB | Malosi Lefau | Kahuku | 5-7 | 175 | 12
DB | Chansen Nicodemus-Garcia | Kahuku | 5-8 | 162 | 11
DB | Makanalea Meyer | Mililani | 6-0 | 200 | 12
U | Gavin Hunter | Mililani | 6-1 | 190 | 11
P | Kana Loa Kaluna | Kahuku | 5-11 | 200 | 12
RET | Kainoa Carvalho | Kahuku | 5-7 | 160 | 11
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
POS. | NAME | SCHOOL | HT. | WT. | CL.
OL | Jaedon Garcia | Kapolei | 6-4 | 315 | 12
OL | Roebeck Rupp | Kahuku | 6-4 | 350 | 11
OL | Valeliano Tovi | Mililani | 6-2 | 260 | 12
OL | Calzic Ili | Campbell | 6-3 | 270 | 12
OL | Kanale Coelho | Leilehua | 5-9 | 300 | 11
RB | Chauncee Lopez | Campbell | 5-7 | 175 | 11
RB | Ezra Sidotti | Kapolei | 5-11 | 215 | 12
REC | Chayce Gomes | Waianae | 5-9 | 160 | 12
REC | Keawe Andres | Leilehua | 5-10 | 170 | 12
REC | Liona Lefau | Kahuku | 6-1 | 210 | 11
QB | Emana Tarape | Mililani | 6-0 | 180 | 11
U | Kana Loa Kaluna | Kahuku | 5-11 | 200 | 12
K | Makel Paiva | Mililani | 6-0 | 180 | 10
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
POS. | NAME | SCHOOL | HT. | WT. | CL.
DL | William Kulihaapai-Alovao | Kapolei | 6-3 | 230 | 12
DL | Semeri Ulufale Jr. | Mililani | 6-1 | 230 | 12
DL | LJ (Laauli) Liki | Farrington | 5-8 | 316 | 11
DL | Kelsun Feleti | Waianae | 6-0 | 270 | 10
LB | Kamaehu Roman | Mililani | 6-0 | 200 | 10
LB | Diego Betancourt | Campbell | 6-2 | 185 | 12
LB | Kaymen Tago-Sue | Mililani | 5-11 | 200 | 12
DB | Aidan Manutai | Mililani | 6-1 | 180 | 9
DB | Horyzen Farley | Kahuku | 5-11 | 195 | 12
DB | Seau Maiava | Kahuku | 6-0 | 200 | 12
DB | Kela Moore | Campbell | 6-1 | 170 | 10
U | Selau Aiava | Leilehua | 6-0 | 185 | 12
P | Bailey Lopez | Campbell | 5-8 | 165 | 9
RET | Josiah Chaffin | Farrington | 5-8 | 145 | 12
RELATED STORIES
>> No ’backer was better than Kahuku’s Liona Lefau, the All-State Defensive Player of the Year
>> Kahuku’s Kainoa Carvalho made all the right moves to earn All-State Offensive Player of the Year
>> Fun facts about the 14 players on the Star-Advertiser All-State 2021 Defense team
>> Fun facts about the 14 players on Star-Advertiser All-State 2021 Offense team
>> Coach of the Year Sterling Carvalho molded talent into a state title for Kahuku
>> Saint Louis’ AJ Bianco, Punahou’s Tevarua Tafiti reliable assets in all-ILH Open Division
>> ‘Iolani enjoyed sweeping success in all-ILH Division I/Division II
>> Kahuku was strong across the board in all-OIA Open Division
>> Roosevelt’s Kaeo Akana wins in runaway, Moanalua’s Jayce Bareng in close voting in all-OIA Division I
>> Record-breakers lead way in all-OIA Division II
