Not everybody thinks Kamehameha is the No. 1 Hawaii high school football team at this point in the season.
Some do.
Saint Louis coach Ron Lee is perhaps the most notable person who believes the Warriors are the team to beat. That’s exactly what he told Bedrock Sports Hawaii the day after his four-time defending state Open Division champion Crusaders lost to Kamehameha 23-21 last Friday.
Of course, Lee may be deflecting attention away from his own powerhouse team. But certainly, he was giving credit where credit is due. Saint Louis lost. How will the Crusaders respond? Those are questions Lee hopes to have a big say in as the season heads down the home stretch.
But, like Lee’s tip of the cap, it’s time to put Kamehameha at No. 1 in Bedrock Sports Hawaii’s Top 10.
The Warriors, even if they hadn’t won the game in such dramatic fashion at the end (when Dylan Palama sacked Saint Louis quarterback AJ Bianco), showed they are a solid outfit.
The way Kamehameha played looked very much like sixth-year head coach Abu Maafala has put all the pieces together for the way he wants his team to play the game of football.
And Maafala’s way of football is this: RUN, CONTROL THE CLOCK AND PLAY TOUGH, HARD-NOSED DEFENSE.
The most impressive part of Kamehameha’s game against Saint Louis was its offensive line, and Lee noticed just how good they were, too. They were firing off the line to blow holes open for Noah Bartley, a big running back sensation this year who has gone over 100 yards rushing in the Warriors’ two games.
And defense? For the first time in a long time, the Saint Louis offense looked somewhat tentative against a Hawaii opponent. Bianco did not have time to set up and when he did, his receivers more often than not were covered.
Ahh, and so we move on to what promises to be a grand second round in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. All three Open Division teams — Saint Louis, Punahou and Kamehameha — are 1-1.
It would be a mistake to count out any of those teams. And you know Saint Louis is taking a good, long look at the game videos of the loss and trying to get things in order.
On Oct. 8, the Warriors meet the Buffanblu at 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium. In their first encounter this season at Punahou, Saint Louis won relatively handily, 41-23, but the Buffanblu continued to fight back and show resilience all the way to the final seconds.
This Friday, Kamehameha takes on Punahou at 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.
Aside from Lee and Bedrock Sports Hawaii, ScoringLive.com has Kamehameha at No. 1. HawaiiPrepWorld.com, on the other hand, has Saint Louis and Kamehameha sharing the top spot.
At the end of this article, you will find BedrockSportsHawaii’s latest Top 10 list.
Brody Bantolina Keeps Piling Up The Yardage And ‘Iolani Keeps Winning
No. 7 ‘Iolani clinched the ILH Division I championship and a state berth by defeating Damien 38-0 last Friday at Kozuki Stadium.
Quarterback Micah Hoomanawanui rushed for 107 yards and a TD to lead the way. Teammate Keao Miyahira picked up 84 yards and a TD on the ground, and Brody Bantolina added 70 yards and two TDs for ‘Iolani (5-0, 2-0 ILH D-I).
Peyton Dalmacio rushed for 50 yards for Damien (2-3, 0-2).
So far this season, Bantolina has 505 yards rushing and 10 TDs.
‘Iolani 38, Damien 0
At Kozuku Stadium
Damien (2-3, 0-2 ILH D-I). 0. 0. 0. 0. — 0
No. 7 ‘Iolani (5-0, 2-0 ILH D-I). 7. 24. 7. 0. — 38
Moe Passi Grounds Out 171 Yards To Power Kamehameha II
Moe Passi rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown, leading Kamehameha II past PAC-5 25-8 on Friday at Aloha Stadium.
Noah Spencer and Nazaiah Caravallo also rushed for TDs for the Warriors (1-2, 1-0 ILH D-II).
Joshua Arcayena rushed for 77 yards for the Wolfpack (0-4, 0-1 ILH D-II).
Kamehameha II 25, PAC-5 8
At Aloha Stadium
Kamehameha II (1-2, 1-0 ILH D-II). 0. 3. 8. 14. — 25
PAC-5 (0-4, 0-1 ILH D-II). 0. 0. 0. 8. — 8
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Bedrock Sports Hawaii’s Football Top 10
(Sept. 28, 2021)
>> 1. Kamehameha, 1-1 … (Warriors’ 23-21 win over Saint Louis comes with perks). Previous rank: No. 6.
>> 2. Saint Louis, 1-2 … (Crusaders were in field goal range on final drive in 2-point loss). Previous rank: No. 1
>> 3. Punahou, 1-1 … (A lot on the line for Buffanblu in back to back games against the Warriors and Crusaders). Previous rank: No. 4.
>> 4. Mililani, 0-0 … (Coach Rod York and the Trojans open at home vs. Waianae on Oct. 15). Previous rank: No. 2.
>> 5. Kahuku, 0-0 … ( Coach Sterling Carvalho and the Red Raiders open at Kapolei on Oct. 15). Previous rank: No. 3.
>> 6. Leilehua, 0-0 … (Coach Mark Kurisu and the Mules open at Waianae on Oct. 22). Previous rank: No. 5.
>> 7. ’Iolani, 5-0 … (Raiders are the first team to clinch a state berth). Previous rank: No. 7.
>> 8. Campbell, 0-0 … (Coach Darren Johnson and the Sabers open at home against Farrington on Oct. 15). Previous rank: No. 8.
>> 9. Lahainaluna (0-0) … (Coach Todd Rickaard and the Lunas open at home against Maui on Oct. 22). Previous rank: No. 9.
>> 10. Hilo (0-0) … (Coach Chris Todd and the Vikings open at Konawaena on Oct. 22). Previous rank: No. 10
On the cusp: Kapaa, Roosevelt, Kapolei, Waianae, Farrington.
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MORE AT BedrockSportsHawaii.com:
>> Major ILH Football Upset: Kamehameha Sacks No. 1 Saint Louis
>> Saint Louis And Coach Ron Lee Show Class After Upset Loss
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