Kahuku parts ways with football head coach Sterling Carvalho

Sterling Carvalho was one win away from guiding the Kahuku football team to a fourth consecutive state title in 2024.

He won’t get an opportunity for redemption with the Red Raiders in 2025.

Carvalho, who led Kahuku to three straight Open Division state championships from 2021 to 2023, is no longer the head football coach for the Red Raiders.

In a March 31 letter to parents and guardians of student-athletes of the team that was sent to the Hawai’i Sports Radio Network, Principal Donna Lindsey wrote that: “coach Sterling Carvalho will no longer be serving as head coach of the KHIS (Kahuku High and Intermediate Schools) Football Program.”

Letter dated March 31, 2025 written by Kahuku High and Intermediate schools Principal Donna Lindsey.

Sources with more knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to HSRN early Wednesday morning. Billy Hull of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser was the first to break the story late Tuesday night.

Lindsey also wrote: “plans are in place to ensure continued support and stability for our student-athletes and the football program. An interim head coach will be assigned while we begin the process of selecting a new head coach.”

As of Wednesday morning, no interim coach has been named yet, per a source.

Carvalho coached the varsity squad for six seasons and went 59-18 while reaching the OIA Open Division championship game every year.

Kahuku head coach Sterling Carvalho patrols the sideline during a regular season game against Mililani in 2024. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

With Carvalho at the helm, the Red Raiders won four league titles and three state titles and enjoyed a 32-game winning streak against Hawai’i opponents from 2021 to 2023. During that span they also defeated reigning national champion St. John Bosco, who was ranked No. 3 in the country at the time.

Carvalho also helped bring stability to the program.

Prior to Carvalho getting promoted to head coach in early 2018 after coaching three seasons at the junior varsity level, the Red Raiders had a revolving door at head coach. The school fired Reggie Torres after the 2013 season, Lee Leslie stepped down after one year in 2014, Vavae Tata was the head man for the next two seasons and Makoa Freitas was the interim coach in 2017.

In its current 2025 non-league schedule, Kahuku will take on reigning state champion Saint Louis, travel to Division I state runner-up Konawaena on Hawai’i Island, host Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas and go across the Pacific Ocean to face Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).