Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

May 25, 2026

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

The annual 808 P.R.O. Day football showcase continues to grow in its third year, drawing more than 200 participants and nearly 10 college programs to Waipahu High School’s Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex last Saturday.

The event provides student-athlete with athletic testing, position drills and direct instruction and evaluation from college coaches. Organizers also expanded the showcase this year to include middle school athletes, creating exposure opportunities for the upcoming generation.

P.R.O. stands for “Player Recruitment Opportunity.”

Founded by Ray and Lei Ma’ae, the showcase launched in May 2024 with just three college programs in attendance. This year’s event featured coaches and representatives from programs including Central Washington, Missouri Southern, Puget Sound, Valley City State, Utah Islanders, Azusa Pacific and Sul Ross State. A representative from the from the National Junior College Prep Football League, which represents 18 institutions nationwide, also attended.

“We are so excited that we were able to bring this event to the kids so that the kids have an opportunity to get in front of college coaches,” Lei Ma’ae said.

“It’s really giving exposure to our athletes so that they don’t have to travel to the mainland and spend exorbitant cost to get there.”

A number of college coaches were in attendance to scout and evaluate talent from Hawai’i at the 808 P.R.O. Day.

Prospective student-athletes visit a college booth after the 808 P.R.O. Day.

Event organizer Lei Ma’ae chats with a coach from Missouri Southern.

The event also continued to expand opportunities for girls flag football players. Organizers held a separate girls showcase May 17, which drew strong participation and interest.

About 40 athletes traveled from neighboring islands to attend this year’s showcase, highlighting the growing statewide reach of the program.

The genesis of the showcase was inspired by longtime college football coach Terry Donahue and the California Showcase, which attracts coaches from over 60 NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college programs.

Lei Ma’ae said adding middle school athletes this year allowed younger players to gain valuable experience in a competitive environment.

“They got the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and try something new that they haven’t done before, and they got to do it side by side with the college coaches,” she said.

The Ma’ae family’s connection to football recruiting runs deep. Their son, Treven Ma’ae, is currently a defensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders. He began his high school career at Kapolei before relocating to pursue greater exposure, later playing collegiately at Oregon and Baylor.

Organizers said they hope to continue expanding the showcase in future years.

“If we can continue this and be like the California Showcase with 60 colleges in Hawai’i, let’s shoot for the stars and see where we can take it,” Lei Ma’ae said.

The family also plans to bring the 808 Senior P.R.O. Bowl to Maui in December.

“There’s so many people in the community who believe in our athletes and that is the message,” Lei Ma’ae said. “We have to believe in our athletes and help them take the next step.”

Linda Fehoko of the Fehoko family addresses the participants and families at the 808 P.R.O. Day.

The 808 P.R.O. Day and 808 Senior P.R.O. Bowl are hosted by the Hawai‘i Chapter of the National Football Foundation, in partnership with the Fehoko Family Foundation.

The National Football Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) organization with 120 chapters across 47 states, uses amateur football as a platform to promote leadership, sportsmanship, academic discipline and personal growth. The Hawai‘i chapter focuses on helping local student-athletes gain recruiting exposure and scholarship opportunities, particularly for families unable to afford mainland camps and showcases.

2026 808 P.R.O. DAY TOP PERFORMERS

Defensive lineman Joel Taylor was a top performer at the 808 P.R.O. Day for a second straight year.

HIGH SCHOOL LINEMEN
Offensive MVP: Angel Watson-Amaral
Defensive MVP: Joel Taylor
Trystin Nahinu
Andrew Nohara
John-Michael DeFreitas
Chaysten Maauga
Peyton Taumua
Jake Brown

HIGH SCHOOL SKILLS
Offensive MVP: Loea Aseuega-Stark
Defensive MVP: Stryker Sua
Blake Alo
James Tuazon
Ace Williams
Vitale Elisara-Savea
Jason Ganiron
Kanoa Kameehonua
Tayvin Kahele
Matteo Nera-Voa

HIGH SCHOOL QUARTERBACK/SPECIALIST
Overall MVP: Dominick Kelley
Overall MVP: Kekoa Keau-Davis
Memphis Baker
Caizel Jesus-Kapesi
Tyler Gines-Hufana
Jacob Ballesteros
Long Snapper: Alex Oishi
Kicker: Tyler Fujimoto

Kamehameha-Kapalama kicker Tyler Fujimoto is one of the top prospects in the state at his position.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LINEMEN
Offensive MVP: Khaisyn Sakaria-Moore
Defensive MVP: Issac Rearson
David Maielua
Shane Harrington Jr.
Roman Tai
Payton Masalosalo-Leaeno

MIDDLE SCHOOL SKILLS
Defensive MVP: Malachi Liua-Lewis
Offensive MVP: Rayson Dumlao
Shayzen Merseburgh
Mattiaus Puletasi
Tuff Mandaloniz
Lawai’a Asuega-Stark

MIDDLE SCHOOL OVERALL
Overall MVP: Shayzen Merseburgh
Airae Gomes
Anthony Gamboa

Hawaii Men’s Volleyball outlasts USC in four sets to reach NCAA Final Four

Hawaii Men’s Volleyball outlasts USC in four sets to reach NCAA Final Four

May 2, 2026

Hawaii Men’s Volleyball outlasts USC in four sets to reach NCAA Final Four

Hawai’i outside hitter Louis Sakanoko smiles after the Rainbow Warriors defeated USC. | Photo: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

PRINTABLE VERSION

MANOA — See you in Los Angeles Rainbow Warrior fans.

The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team punched its ticket into NCAA Final Four with a 25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 32-30 victory over the University of Southern California in a quarterfinal regional before a record crowd of 10,300 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center Saturday night.

Hawai’i improved to 28-5 with the win as the Rainbow Warriors advanced to the final four for the 11th time in program history as they’ll continues their hunt for their first national championship since 2022 when they meet Long Beach State in the semifinals on May 9th at Pauley Pavilion.

Sophomore opposite Kristian Titriyski, who missed last year’s NCAA tournament due to injury, led the effort with a match-high 19 kills.

“It’s good winning at home, definitely so happy and we expected to win this game and advance to the next stage of the tournament,” said Titriyski.

“We were preparing well all week for this team. We were watching a lot of film and in the practice gym following their tendencies.”

Sophomore opposite Kristian Titriyski put down a match-high 19 kills in his first-ever NCAA tournament match. | Photo: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

After only seeing five ties and two lead changes in the first two sets, the final two frames saw a combined 37 ties and 15 lead changes that ultimately ended up in Hawai’i’s favor.

“These guys have played a lot of high level volleyball. There’s nothing out there that we haven’t seen before,” said Hawai’i coach Charlie Wade.

“Just keep battling, keep making plays and I thought they really embraced that tonight and that’s how we were able to win the close sets and ended up winning the match.”

Outside hitter Adrien Roure added 13 kills while hitting .458 and had a career-high seven aces — including a stretch of four consecutive points to give Hawai’i a 20-13 lead in the fourth set.

Louis Sakanoko also finished with double-digit kills as he shook off a slow start to put down 10 of his 12 kills in the final two stanzas. The junior outside hitter started the match 0-for-9 with two hitting errors before getting his next two swings to go down for kills in the second set.

Middle blocker Trevell Jordan added eight kills without any errors on 12 swings and had a hand in four blocks.

The Rainbow Warriors also saw the return of middle Justin Todd, who went down with an injury during the Big West tournament. He added six kills with three blocks.

“Justin is on such an ascendent kind of phase in his career,” Wade said of Todd. “He really is emerging into one of the dominant middle blockers in the U.S.”

Setter Tread Rosenthal, the Big West Player of the Year, had 56 assists to pilot the offense as Hawai’i hit .328 as a team to USC’s .294. Rosenthal also had a dominant serve to close out the pivotal third set to give the Rainbow Warriors’ an important 2-1 lead in the match.

Tread Rosenthal holds up the NCAA tournament board in celebration after defeating USC. | Photo: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

“He’s got the clutch gene and you know when the game is on the line, he’s going to give you a good effort,” Wade said of Rosenthal.

The Rainbow Warriors advance to play Long Beach State in the semifinals in what will be the two team’s fourth meeting this year. Hawai’i won the two regular season matchups, but lost in the conference tournament a weekend ago.

“Extremely motivated,” Titriyski said on the rematch against Long Beach. “We have a couple of days of rest now so we’ll clear the heads. Just try to rest as much as we can and we’ll get back to work.”

Meaux, Sharks turn the lights out on Sunbirds in series win

Meaux, Sharks turn the lights out on Sunbirds in series win

Apr 4, 2026

Meaux, Sharks turn the lights out on Sunbirds in series win

HPU closer Noah Meaux stares down a Fresno Pacific batter in the top of the ninth inning. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

WAIPAHU — Noah Meaux’s mother has never seen him pitch in a collegiate game heading into the week.

Against Fresno Pacific, she saw him make four pitching appearances in two days.

Meaux and the Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team are riding high after taking the series win over the Sunbirds with a pair of wins on Wednesday and a Game 4 victory to close out the series Thursday night at Hans L’Orange Park.

It was a much-needed series victory for the Sharks, who are fighting for their postseason lives as they improved to 13-11 in PacWest conference play.

“It definitely meant a lot,” Meaux said. “My mother has never seen me pitch in a collegiate game so that was awesome. As far as four appearances in two days — I’d blow my whole arm out. I’d do anything for my guys at the end of the day.”

Wednesday’s games saw HPU clutch up in a 13-9 win and a 3-2 victory with Meaux recorded saves in both games.

Noah Meaux picks up his first save of the series in Game 1 against Fresno Pacific. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Thursday had potential to end really badly for the Sharks however.

In Game 3 of the series, HPU took a pair of one-run leads after the sixth and seventh inning before giving up two in the top of the eighth and six more in the top of the ninth in a 15-8 loss.

The drought continued to start Game 4 with Fresno Pacific scoring in the first three innings to take a 6-0 lead.

But the Sharks battled back and capitalized on the Sunbirds’ miscues and free passes as the home team tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on just two hits.

HPU scored the go-ahead run on a one-out groundout in the fifth before plating three more runs to take a 10-6 lead heading into the sixth. Meaux came in to pick up the final six outs as the Sharks went on to win the series, 12-7.

“It was just phenomenal,” Meaux said of how Thursday’s games ended. “We didn’t start off too hot, we could have pressed and we really could have gave up in the beginning, but our guys started to piece it together. We put up a whole bunch of runs, started a rally and gave us a chance to win.”

Noah Meaux enters the dugout after getting out of the eighth inning in Game 4 against the Sunbirds. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

The left-handed Meaux entered Game 4 with a four-run lead — just one run over the save conditions — but in the team’s eyes, he recorded three saves in the series.

“This is the best closer not just in Division II, not in the PacWest, in all of college baseball and he showed it this weekend why he’s that guy,” said HPU pitching coach Zachary Swanson.

Meaux pitched 6 and 1/3 innings across four pitching appearances in two days against the Sunbirds, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six, including the final three outs of the series.

His shortest stint was Game 3 when he picked up the final two outs of the top of the eighth inning after Fresno Pacific tied the game. Meaux made sure the coaching staff knew to leave him on the mound the next time.

“Noah Meaux is unbelievable,” said HPU head coach Dane Fujinaka.

“My only regret is not leaving him out there in Game 3. He made four appearances, pitching every game. If I leave him in there, we win Game 3 too so that’s kind of on me. He came up to me after Game 3 and said ‘I better be in Game 4 at some point with the lead.’ I’m speechless. I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s the toughest pitcher I’ve ever coached in my career.”

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Despite loss, HPU Baseball shows promise ahead of busy April

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Mar 27, 2026

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HPU pitcher Jacob Vanek and second baseman Jayden Gabrillo smile after getting out an inning against Hawai’i. | Photo: Brian Bautista

They didn’t come away with the upset win to send shockwaves across the state — but for a stretch — the Hawai’i Pacific University Sharks smelt blood in the water.

The HPU Baseball team fell short to the University of Hawai’i Wednesday night in a tightly contested matchup that resulted in a 4-1 victory for the Rainbow Warriors at Les Murakami Stadium.

Despite being hitless through the first six innings, the Sharks were able to keep the Rainbow Warriors off the scoreboard themselves with the game being scoreless through that stretch.

The breakthrough for HPU came in the top of the seventh inning.

Owen Wessel opened with a one-out single to right field, followed by a towering double from Jayden Gabrillo that reached the wall. Wessel was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice for the second out, but a wild pitch allowed Gabrillo to cross the plate, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Jayden Gabrillo celebrates after crossing home plate for the first run of the game. | Photo: Brian Bautista

Hawai’i would go on to score four runs in the bottom of the frame — two on free passes with the bases loaded — but HPU (12-14 overall, 10-10 PacWest) showed some moxie for a team that hasn’t lived up to preseason expectations so far.

“I’m really happy about the effort our guys gave tonight,” said HPU coach Dane Fujinaka. “There’s a lot to be proud of. At the end of the day, we all expect to win, regardless of who we’re playing. We had opportunities to win that game, and that was the message to the team — look, guys, we can play alongside anybody in the country. A lot of positives to take away for sure, and we’re going to use it to get better against Fresno Pacific next week.”

Pitching and defense were bright spots for the Sharks.

HPU escaped bases-loaded jams in the first, fifth, and sixth innings, keeping the game within reach. Jacob Vanek pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts as the first reliever out of the bullpen, while Cristian Garcia faced the minimum over two scoreless innings, marking his first such outing this season. Former UH pitcher Rylen Bayne closed out the eighth inning, giving HPU a final chance to rally.

“I thought they did a good job of that today despite a little unlucky line drive hits that they had and we were able to pitch out of some jams which is really positive for us because I did think we’ve been struggling a little bit in that area as of recent so it’s really nice to see some of our arms come up in big spots and be able to pick each other up,” said Fujinaka.

HPU third baseman Tyler Arnold gets Jake Redding out in a run down. | Photo: Brian Bautista

“I thought our defense made some big plays as well. That’s just how it goes. It was a good baseball game, came down to a few pitches here and there. I’m proud of our guys effort that’s for sure.”

The Sharks will face Fresno Pacific in a pair of doubleheaders next Wednesday and Thursday before hosting Chaminade for a doubleheader on April 6. After that they go on their final road trip to the continent for the regular season when they try to play 11 games in a 12-day stretch.

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Inouye earns first save with Hawaii, shuts down former team in 4-1 win

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Mar 26, 2026

Inouye earns first save with Hawaii, shuts down former team in 4-1 win

MANOA — Redemption came full circle for Ryan Inouye on Wednesday night.

The right-handed side-arm pitcher recorded his first save with the University of Hawaiʻi, closing out a 4-1 victory at Les Murakami Stadium over his former team — Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

Inouye entered in the top of the ninth inning for his seventh appearance of the season — and his first since March 8 — and delivered a clean outing to secure the win for the Rainbow Warriors.

“I didn’t pitch much overall the past couple weeks, but to be able to get back on the mound like that is pretty special,” Inouye said.

The Kailua High graduate worked one inning, allowing one hit while striking out one and issuing no walks against four batters. The lone blemish came on a single by HPU’s Noah Hata, just the Sharks’ third hit of the game.

“Definitely wanted to get all of them out, but Noah got a hit so he’s definitely going to hold that one over me,” Inouye added.

The outing marked a bounce-back moment for the 5-foot-9 reliever, who had struggled in his previous appearances, surrendering two home runs during a series against Cal Poly.

Before transferring to Hawaiʻi, Inouye built a decorated career at HPU. He holds the program’s all-time saves record with 20 and set a single-season mark with 13 in 2024, helping lead the Sharks to their first PacWest tournament appearance since 2010.

Ryan Inouye throws a pitch to plate for the Sharks in 2025. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Ryan Inouye comes off the mound at Les Murakami Stadium to make a defensive play against the University of Hawai’i in 2025. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

He also played a key role in HPU’s runner-up finish at the 2025 PacWest tournament, including three perfect innings in a semifinal appearance in which he struck out four without allowing a hit or walk.

Despite being on the losing side, HPU coach Dane Fujinaka expressed pride in seeing his former closer succeed.

“I’m super happy for him,” Fujinaka said. “It’s weird seeing him in green on the other team, but it’s awesome to see him be able to play here every day and have a huge role for them.”

Fujinaka played a part in helping Inouye land at Hawaiʻi, reaching out to Rainbow Warriors coach Rich Hill and pitching coach Keith Zuniga after Inouye’s Division II eligibility expired.

Dane Fujinaka (left) chats with Ryan Inouye after the Sharks and Rainbow Warriors game Wednesday night.

“As soon as the season ended I hit up Zuni and Rich and said, ‘Hey, is there any interest here? I think he’s the perfect fit,’” Fujinaka said. “He lives five minutes away. He’s a different arm that a lot of your league hasn’t seen.

“I’m just really happy that UH and Rich gave him a chance to continue playing.”

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