EXPECT A BIG YEAR FROM KAHUKU!

By Bob Hogue  Digital Sports Hawaii

Senior Sports Correspondent

      The
operative word for the the defending state football champion Kahuku Red
Raiders this year is HUGE.

‘We’ve got some big kids,’ says Reggie Torres, Kahuku’s second year head football coach.      Given the reputation of Kahuku High School football and its propensity for large athletes, when Coach Torres says ‘big’, then you know the 2007 Red Raiders are REALLY big. The offensive line this season is expected to go 320, 325, 340, 290, and 305 from right to left.  Patrick Au, the expected starter at right tackle, is gigantic at 6-feet 9-inches tall and 320 pounds.

Patrick Au

The right guard is Anthony Si’ilata at 6-feet
1-inch and 325 pounds.  The
starting center is highly-recruited Benji Kemoe’atu�??recruited by
everyone from USC to Notre Dame to LSU and Florida�??who
stands 6-feet 5-inches tall and weighs in at 340 pounds.  The
left guard is the smallest of the bunch, 6-foot 2-inch 290-pound Semiu
Tonga and the left tackle is 6-foot 3-inch 305-pound Danny Kinikini.

     The
key for that line is to move the football.  A
year ago, with all of Kahuku’s success, the offense struggled at times.   Coach Torres expects that to change in 2007.

     ‘We’ve
made some adjustments,’ says Torres. 
‘For one thing, it will be Sterling‘s
show this year.’

     ‘Sterling‘
is Sterling Carvalho, the Red Raiders’ offensive coordinator.  He shared the responsibilities of
play-calling last year.  This
upcoming season, with a full-year under his belt, he’ll make all the
offensive calls, Torres says.

     The
first thing Torres and Carvalho will have to do is settle on a
quarterback.  Three
players�??Nalu Carvalho, Tima Tapusoa, and Jray Galeai�??are competing for
the starting signal-caller spot.  All three are expected to get a lot of snaps
during the pre-season.  Their
first test will be a scrimmage at Kamehameha, Friday August 10. 

    A
couple of key skill players for Kahuku will be star running back Junior
Mata’afa, who should put up big numbers this season behind his massive
offensive line.  And
a good target for whoever is chosen at quarterback is 6-foot 6-inch
wide receiver Willie Ching.

Defensively, the Red Raiders have tremendous depth.  ‘That’s our skill area,’ says Torres             Heavily-recruited Shilo Te’o�??who is getting interest from a wide range of big name powers like Florida, USC, BYU, Hawaii, Utah, LSU, Arizona, Notre Dame, and Florida State�??anchors the defense at strong safety.  At just under 6-feet tall and weighing in at 205 pounds, Te’o has earned a reputation as a hard-hitter with tremendous athletic skills.

Shilo Te’o

     The
Red Raider linebacker corps is very solid.  6-foot
3-inch 205 pound Alema Tachibana and 6-foot 4-inch 220-pound Paipai
Falemalu lead the way.  Kulia
Pickard, at 5-11 and 205 pounds and Kaena Adolpho, at 5-10 and 180,
make it a linebacking fearsome foursome.

     Leading
the defensive line will be Jerome Acoba at 6-3 and 230 pounds.

     ‘We’ve
got a lot of good players,’ says Torres.

     That’s
bad news for Kahuku’s opponents this season.  The
Red Raiders face last year’s state runner-up St. Louis�??the team they
edged 7-6 in the 2006 state championship game�??in the pre-season opener,
Saturday August 18 at Aloha Stadium.  Two weeks later, on
September 1^st, Kahuku will be on the Mainland to face Utah 5-A state champion Bingham High School.

     ‘We’re
going to be very competitive,’ Torres says.

      Knowing
the tradition of greatness for Kahuku football, that’s an
understatement.

Check back for the St. Louis Football team preview by Bob Hogue! 

David Kawada: Digital Sports Hawaii Correspondent

Slowly
but surely, the word has gone out that Hawaii, per capita, produces the
highest rate of college football talent from the prep ranks. 
After today, the â??wordâ? will turn into song and verse.  Leading
the singing will be Max Emfinger, owner and operator of the
All-American Bowl Game Super Combine, held today at the Kamehameha
Schools Football Complex on the Kapalama Campus.
                                                                                                  

A total of 123 prep athletes participated in the full combine schedule that included the standard agility drills in the morning â?? 10 & 40 yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle, T-test, and bench press.  The afternoon concluded with position drills, 7-on-7 for skill positions, and 1-on-1 for lineman.  Emfinger had to control his excitement over some of the results.
	Hawaii Max Emfinger All-American Bowl members: (Bottom Row L to R: Choy, Pescaia, Mataafa, Andrews, Vehikite, Top Row L – R: Hoke, Markowitz, Tipoti, Koehler)

The event was partially sponsored by former Farrington Governor, UH Warrior, and current Jacksonville Jaguar Vince Manuwai.  â??I just wanted to have some role in this Combine, a way to help the local kids.â? The results of the combine will be posted on www.maxemfingerrecruiting.com, and will be specifically sent to various college coaches throughout the country.

Front row (L-R): Abe Markowitz(Punahou), Jimmy Robinson(Farrington), Kahai Choy(Kamehameha), Solomon Kohler(Castle), Joshua Fernandez(Farrington), VJ Fehoko(Farrington), Shawn Reed(Kalaheo), Kahikolu Pescaia(Kamehameha), Aldodius Colquitt(Aiea), Kona Schwenke(Kahuku), Junior Mataafa(Kahuku) 2nd row (L-R): Sili Pale(PAc-5), Jordan gomes(Kamehameha), Josh Costa(Kamehameha), Pono Perez(Kamehameha), Lake Casco(Lahainaluna), Simione Vehikite(Lahainaluna), Michael Hoke(Kamehameha), Bruce Andrews(Kalaheo), Aaron Tipoti(Pac-5)

Awards
were given out to the top 16 performers of the day, plus top performers
for offense, defense, and the 7-on-7 and 1-on-1 drills.  The
most anticipated announcement was who would receive the 5 invitations
to participate in the Max Emfinger 4^th
Annual 2008 All-American Bowl Game Classic to be played on January 8,
2008, at Veteranâ??s Memorial Stadium, in Jackson, Mississippi.

 Award
winners were Abe Markowitz (Punahou), Joshua Fernandez, VJ Fehoko,
& Jimmy Robinson (Farrington), Solomon Kohler (Castle), Sili Pale
& Aaron Tipoti (Pac-5), Shawn Reed & Bruce Andrews (Kalaheo),
Aldodius Colquitt (Aiea), Michael Hoke, Jordan Gomes, Josh Costa, Pono
Perez, Kahikolu Pescaia, & Kahai Choy (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Kona
Schwenke and Junior Mataafa (Kahuku), and Lake Casco and Simione
Vehikite (Lahainaluna).

 Selected
to participate in the All-American Bowl Game Classic were Kohler and
Choy  (pre-selected before combine), Mataafa, Pescaia, Markowitz,
Hoke, Tipoti, Andrews and Vehikite. 

To
view All American Video Highlights view home page video player. 
More to come!  Mahalo to family members for emailing corrections

To contribute content send articles, photos etc to kahyou@digitalsports.com

The Max Emfinger All American Football Game

1st  Honolulu, HI- Super Football Combine

Invites:         5 Invitations to play in the Max Emfinger 4th Annual 2008 All-American Bowl Game Classic- January 5, 2008- Jackson Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi Awards:         16 Gold Medallions given to the All-Combine Team Award Ceremonies- 5:00 – 6:00 pm Hawaii Contact: Linda Lee Fehoko Cell: 1-808-342-0143  lindaleefehoko@yahoo.com
	Website:        Maxemfingerrecruiting.com

To Register for Hawaii Combine, log onto: maxemfinderrecruiting.com, pacificathleticalliance.com or email Hawaii Contact.

2007 Laie Basketball Classic  

Over 250 community members participate

Click here to view more Basektball Photos!
                                                                                                               

Laie, Hi-  The beautiful Cannon Activities Center is the home of the BYUH Seasiders.  However, for the past 4 evenings it has been the home of the Koolauloa residents as the 2007 Laie Pioneer Basketball Classic sponsored by the Laie Community Association  (LCA) comes to a conclusion tonight.	Sina Funaki and her teamates!

Check out video highlights of this years 2007 Laie Basketball Classic.  Laie Park vs Team Hawaii highlights on our home page player.  More to come! 1112813032 2007 Laie Basketball Classic     Tipa Galeai, LCA board member and director of the Classic  is pleased with the great participation.  This years classic features 16 mens teams and 6 womens teams.  Mahalo to the many volunteers who serve their community by assisting with the scores table, officiating and even baby sitting as mothers and fathers enjoy the competition. Tipa Galeai Director of the 2007 Laie Pioneer Classic.

The Hawaii Ironworkers Union

Education 1st Game Plan

Academy and Football Camp in Laie July 5th-7th