Three Kaua’i teams playing off-island this weekend
The bodies aren’t necessarily in place.
That’s the point of preseason, to align the puzzle pieces.
But the excitement and anticipation has secured a firm hold. Members of the island’s three high school football teams have tired of beating on one another. They’re ready for new meat.
This weekend, Waimea, Kapa’a and Kaua’i will travel off-island in search of opponents. And coaches will finally get a chance to assess their players’ performances in a game setting.
And that should serve to bolster the island’s already-prevalent buzz that this Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation will be one of the more exciting in recent memory.
Waimea again enters the season as the team-to-beat. The Menehunes will be working toward their 10th consecutive KIF title when league play begins September 7. The westside team opens its preseason at Punahou Saturday afternoon.
Kapa’a, sufficiently clouded in mystery, is expected to prove more formidable than in years past. After narrowly loosing to Waimea twice last season, the Warriors, and their 24 seniors, could turn the 2001 season into a two-headed race. Kapa’a opens play on Maui against King Kekaulike Saturday evening at 7 p.m.
The biggest mystery will come from Lihu’e. Kaua’i, which finished 0-6 in the KIF last year, spent the summer running itself ragged and expanding its playbook knowledge. Even if the Red Raiders are a year or two away from challenging for the title, the unknown is interesting. Kaua’i has the tallest opening-weekend order. It faces Maui, the defending Maui Interscholastic League champion.
Waimea vs. Punahou
This will be the second half of a home-and-home series for the Menehunes (8-0 last year; 6-0 KIF). Last year, the Buffnblu traveled to Hanapepe, where Waimea quieted them with a 21-13 victory.
The win may have been Waimea’s most significant. It proved the team worthy of state-wide recognition. And would likely do so again this season.
“It’s going to be a very stiff challenge,” Waimea head coach Jon Kobayashi said. “Traveling to Punahou and facing an experienced team will not be easy.”
Kobayashi said that Punahou returns starters at all of the skill positions.
“They’ve got good athletes who can run the single-wing very well,” Kobayashi said. “But we’re excited.”
Though he wouldn’t elaborate, Kobayashi said Waimea is dealing with a few “everyday injuries” to some of its personnel.
“We’re going to have some guys playing different positions,” the coach said. “We’ll be getting a feel for our guys.”
A necessity, considering the Menehunes will be charged with replacing 18 seniors, eight of whom were KIF All-Stars.
More pressing will be the coaching staff’s evaluation of the quarterback position. In May’s annual Blue-White game, Timmy Chang-Wo showed well. However, Kobayashi will be assessing sophomore Jon Palacio and junior Corey Rita.
Kapa’a vs. King Kekaulike
The Warriors (4-4 overall; 3-3 KIF) wasted no time with their transition from the 2000 season to 2001’s installment. With 24 seniors – a class that won the junior varsity championship two years ago and nearly shocked Waimea last season – the coaching staff and Kapa’a community are ready.
“This season began as soon as last year ended,” Warriors assistant coach Alvin Sasil said.
And it starts against a team that Kapa’a has spent little time scouting.
“They finished in the middle of the pack of a tough Maui league,” Warriors head coach Gordon Muramaru said of King Kekaulike. “That’s all we know.”
Kapa’a opted instead to concentrate on itself and getting its experienced players in order.
“We’ve got a lot of experience, and we’ll be relying on that initially,” Sasil said.
For all its experience and senior leadership, though, Kapa’a’s fortunes may rest on the shoulders of a junior. Quarterback Dustin Mundon returns an inch taller, a few pounds heavier and, most importantly, a year wiser.
Kaua’i vs. Maui
This game rivals Waimea-Punahou in terms of intrigue. It’s difficult to know how the Red Raiders (0-8 overall; 0-6 KIF) will fare when they hardly know themselves.
“I don’t know exactly what to expect,” Kaua’i coach Keli’i Morgado said. “But I’m excited.”
Odds are, Morgado and his staff will have a better idea after Friday night’s game at Maui. The Sabres compiled an 8-1-1 record, were the champions of the MIL last year and made an appearance in the state playoffs.
The biggest problem for the Red Raiders will be Maui’s size.
“They’re going to be huge – everywhere,” Morgado said. “Their linebackers will be bigger than our linemen.
“But we’ve got speed.”
More importantly, though, do the Red Raiders have heart?
“Last year, when we got down, we had a tendency to fold,” Morgado said. “We need to see if that’ll be the case this year.”
Which makes the Maui game of utmost importance.
“If we were to fall behind, will we stay in it?” Morgado said. “But, I don’t think we’ll fall behind.”
The coach has reason to believe.
Not only have his varsity numbers bumped from 22 last year to 33 this season, but the offensive and defensive schemes implemented in 2000 are taking hold.
Especially encouraging has been the play of quarterback Kamo’i Refamonte and running back Jameson Smith.
The Skinny
Preseason football gets underway this weekend. All three Garden Island teams are away. Here is this schedule (last year’s record in parenthesis):
Friday
Kaua’i (0-8) at Maui
War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Waimea (8-0) at Punahou
Punahou High School, 3 p.m.
Saturday
Kapa’a (4-4) at King Kekaulike
King Kekaulike H.S., 7 p.m.
