Kahuku girls remain unbeaten

Hi'ilei Cummings scored 18 points and Rachel Tailele 16 as host Kahuku remained unbeaten with a 67-35 rout of Leilehua last night in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association White Conference girls basketball game.

Kahuku (4-0) handed Leilehua (3-1) its first loss of the season.

Alandra Hooks scored 10 points to lead Leilehua.
Leilehua (3-1) 11 12  1 11—35
Kahuku (4-0) 17 17 14 19—67

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Kahuku girls edge Kalāheo in two overtimes, 59-52

Hi'ilei Cummings scored 17 points, Joshlyn Noga added 13 and visiting Kahuku beat host Kalaheo, 59-52, in double overtime last night in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association White girls basketball game.

The Red Raiders outscored the Mustangs 11-4 in the second overtime. Both teams scored six points in the first overtime.

Kourtni Thomas scored 18 points for Kalāheo.
Kahuku (1-0) 12 12 6 12 6 11—59
Kalheo (0-2) 8 9 13 12 6 4—52

Kalāheo — Kamele Perry 0, Tiffany Harada 12, Chelsea Dyer 12, Kourtni Thomas 18, Kaua Cale 4, Miranda Rojas 1, Aysia Burnett 0, Jordy Smith 5, Gemma Mazzera 0, Kawai Almedia 0. Totals 13 22-39 52.

3-point goals — Kahuku none. Kalaheo 4 (Thomas 2, Smith 1, Harada 1).

JV — Kahuku 57, Kalāheo 4

Reported by Nicole Cale
Honolulu Advertiser

Farrington, Kahuku seek repeats

WHITE CONFERENCE

The favorite: Kahuku. Despite struggles early on — losses to Clovis West (Calif.) 78-36, 'Iolani 51-40 and Mid-Pacific 70-46 — the Lady Raiders have plenty of size and skill.

Last year's team (21-3, 14-1 OIA White) dominated the conference before losing a 60-56 stunner to Kapaa in the state quarterfinals. Coach Junior Avei is trying to transform his team into a consistent, aggressive, high-octane performer.

With such an early start, however, Kahuku won't be any different from other OIA teams still trying to establish a foundation with just a few weeks of practices. In time, Kahuku could emerge as one of the best teams in the state regardless of classification.

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Gov, Red Raider honored

A pair of sleek, shifty and swift football players, Farrington running back Harry Tuimaseve and Kahuku defensive end Kona Schwenke, earned top postseason honors in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference after a recent voting by league coaches...

Schwenke helped anchor a Kahuku defense that pitched three shutouts and allowed only 32 points in six regular-season games (5.3 ppg). No East team scored more than 14 points against the Red Raiders.

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Kamehameha captures state title

In a game billed for the defenses, No. 2 Kamehameha knocked off No. 1 Kahuku, 34-21, last night to capture the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division I Football Championship.

An Aloha Stadium crowd of 21,661 saw the highest scoring title game, beating out Kahuku's 27-26 win against Saint Louis in 2003.

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Welcome to house divided

When Kahuku meets a private school in football, there's bound to be some North Shore talent on the Interscholastic League of Honolulu team. But it doesn't get any more personal for Kahuku offensive coordinator Walter Santiago.

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Kahuku-Kamehameha as good as it gets

Top-ranked and top-seeded Kahuku will face its most formidable opponent of the season when it plays second-ranked and second-seeded Kamehameha tonight in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I State Football Championship.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

The Red Raiders (12-0), ranked No. 1 for the past three months, will face a Warriors team (11-1) that is coming off dominating performances in winning the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title in the regular season finale against defending state champion Punahou and by ousting 2007 state champion Leilehua in last week's semifinals.

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Kahuku seeking 6th state crown

Although Kahuku is the winningest team in the 11-year history of the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Tournament, the top-ranked Red Raiders return to the title game for only the first time in three years when they play No. 2 Kamehameha Friday at Aloha Stadium.

The Division I championship starts at 7:30 p.m.

Two-time defending champion 'Iolani will be seeking its fourth overall Division II title when it meets Kaua'i at 4:30 p.m.

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Mercado gives Kahuku a leg up

Kahuku High School senior Cameron Mercado is not intimidated by long distances, whether it's 50 yards or 5,000 miles.

Mercado, whose three field goals — including a 49-yarder — lifted the Red Raiders to a 9-6 victory over Farrington last night, transferred to Kahuku from Boca Raton (Fla.) High School in January. His sister had been attending Hawai'i Pacific University, and he was looking for a change in scenery.

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Kahuku shows uncanny ability to pull out wins

Along with their red T-shirts, red-and-white pom poms and glittery poster board signs, the thousands of Kahuku High School football fans making the trek to Aloha Stadium for tomorrow's state semifinal game against Farrington should remember to pack one more thing:

High-blood pressure medicine.

Because if the 4 p.m. showdown is anything like the Red Raiders' past three games, hearts will be racing in the fourth quarter.

Kahuku, the state's only Division I unbeaten team at 11-0, has reached this point only after an O'ahu Interscholastic Association playoff run that included a goal-line stand in the closing seconds against Mililani, a game-winning touchdown with 27 seconds remaining vs. Castle and a fourth-quarter, two-TD rally to edge Leilehua in the championship game.

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Kahuku's D-line loves to pressure

Kahuku football coach Reggie Torres is a man with high expectations. But that hasn't been a problem for a trio of Red Raiders' defensive linemen.

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Kahuku rallies late to topple Leilehua, 24-20

Hauoli Jamora achieved a lineman's dream by scoring a touchdown, but he'll take the five sacks that helped top-ranked Kahuku rally past No. 3 Leilehua 24-20 last night at Aloha Stadium to win its second consecutive and 14th O'ahu Interscholastic Association football title since 1970.

Punga Vea's 44-yard touchdown run on an end reverse with five minutes, six seconds left in the game was the second of two fourth-quarter TDs to help the Red Raiders come back from a 20-10 deficit after three quarters.

Kahuku (11-0) draws a first-round state Division I tournament bye and plays in one semifinal Nov. 27 at Aloha Stadium.

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Kahuku move along

The Red Raiders' Amanda Tonga was just too tall and powerful for Na Ali'i.

Tonga, a 6-foot-1 senior, had 14 kills and five blocks as Kahuku handed 'Aiea its first loss of the season, 25-23, 25-14, 25-22.

"She's definitely a force on our team," said Kahuku coach Uila Fotu Vendiola. "She's one of the key players we look to."

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Kahuku stonewalls Mililani

Kahuku came up with a goal-line stand with 13 seconds remaining last night to hold off Mililani, 35-27, for a pulsating quarterfinal victory in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs.

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No. 1 Red Raiders get kick out of transfer Mercado

Remember cringing when ever Kahuku tried for a point-after-touchdown kick in previous seasons?

For all the great athletes who played for the Red Raiders — All-State and Player of the Year selections who went on to play Division I college football and later to the NFL — none could kick a PAT with consistency. It got to the point where Kahuku would just go for the 2-point conversion.

Granted, the Red Raiders have improved in that area in recent years. St. John Lessary III was reliable, but sometimes it was asking a lot of him to kick after he was winded from scoring a TD because he was an all-star running back as well last season.

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Kahuku surges to 4-0 start

No. 2 Red Raiders score 21 in fourth to beat Roosevelt, 38-12

KAHUKU — Tyrone Brown's 55-yard touchdown scamper on the final play of the third quarter broke open a close game and Kahuku went on to race past Roosevelt, 38-12, last night in O'ahu Interscholastic Association football action.

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Kahuku topples Punahou, 24-14

Playing like a team with more experience, Kahuku came out firing on all cylinders to beat defending Division I state champion Punahou, 24-14, last night at Aloha Stadium.

The nonleague game was the season opener for the Buffanblu (0-1), who are looking for a successor to all-state quarterback Cayman Shutter.

Meanwhile, the Red Raiders (2-0) looked like a team ready for its O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East opener Saturday at Kailua.

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HHSAA Track and Field

Congratulations to our Lady Raider Track & Field team. Our team of 8 girls finished their season, 5th place in the State. Zhane Santiago is the 2009 State Champion in the 100 Meter High Hurdles and the Triple Jump. Great Job Ladies! Big Mahalos to all for your support through out this season. GO BIG RED - RED RAIDERS FOR LIFE!! - G. Spurrier

Kahuku's Galea'i flashed many skills

Helping bring basketball fever back to the island's most feverish football community, Kahuku senior Jray Galea'i led the Red Raiders to a perfect and thrilling O'ahu Interscholastic Association regular season.

For his efforts, he was named OIA Red Conference Eastern Division Player of the Year after a recent vote of league coaches.

Galea'i, a 6-foot guard, was an explosive force in the open court who also could pull up and drain the 3-pointer or penetrate and dish to teammates.

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Roosevelt and Kahuku repeat

A state champion can carry the team only so far.

But behind an all-around team effort, championships are more than possible.

The Kahuku High School girls retained its team title at yesterday's 7-plus-hour O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division Track and Field Championships at Kaiser. The Red Raiders edged runner-up Kaiser, 131-116.

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