When the reigning Open Division state champion has a new player transfer to the program in the middle of the season, everybody talks.

Even more so when it’s a top quarterback making the move across the Pacific Ocean from the No. 2 ranked team in the country.

The big news that hit the state Monday morning is when 247 Sports’ Greg Biggins reported that St. John Bosco quarterback Matai Fuiava has enrolled at Kahuku (6-3 overall, 3-1 OIA) ahead of the Red Raiders’ anticipated matchup on Saturday against Campbell, the No. 1 team in the state.

Kahuku and St. John Bosco has played against each other the past two years with the Red Raiders going to Bellflower in 2022 and Kahuku beating the Braves at home in 2023.

Per 247 Sports, Fuiava is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior who has offers from Arizona and UNLV. His father, Robert has been an assistant coach at St. John Bosco for numerous years and older brother Paki played tight end for the Braves and graduated in 2018. 

Fuiava has started in every game this year for St. John Bosco except for one game where he was injured and recently played against Santa Margarita (Calif.) last Friday when he split time with freshman quarterback Koa Malau’ulu. The Braves also have a game scheduled this Friday against Servite in SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

Hawai’i Sports Radio Network got a chance to chat with Paki Fuiava on Tuesday to explain why the family moved to the islands all of a sudden.

HSRN: Why the move to Kahuku and why now?

Paki Fuiava: “Right now, my dad has actually got a job offer here in Hawai’i that he had to take advantage of as soon as possible and we just had to make that move over here and we were already familiar with Kahuku and some of the football teams here on the island and we just felt like that would be the best fit for Matai. Sometimes it’s more to life than football. My dad has to do the best to put us in the best position possible as a family. That’s what he had to do.”

HSRN: Your family has been around the Bosco program, the Braves, for a long time. You were a graduate from Bosco, your dad has been coaching and Matai has been around the program for long. I think early in the year he said this was his dream to finally get his shot, so just kind of talk about your guys’ experience at Bosco and all of that.

PF: “Bosco was a great experience. We’ve been there for years, I was like Matai before he was growing up at Bosco. My dad has been there since Josh Rosen days and when I was a young little kid there running around. I went to Bosco, I played tight end there and then from there I graduated as a Brave. Later on it was Matai’s turn where he was being a water boy hanging out all around campus all the time and then it was his turn to go there and play quarterback. He went there, played quarterback, did some good things for St. John Bosco, made some records, set some records for the team that are still written there today and he handled business. It was a great environment for him, he learned a lot there, but we had to do what was best for the family.”

HSRN: There was a lot of talk on social media about this new freshman quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, but as we saw Twitter, it’s all love between you guys and Koa and the family. Kind of talk about that relationship and how it’s not like you guys are running from the competition.

PF: “Koa is a stud, He is a stud, Matai’s performance speaks for himself, He started every single game except for one which he was hurt at,  and he didn’t play the whole game. The whole competition thing and all that going around, it doesn’t really make any sense and we don’t agree with it at all as a family and Koa wouldn’t either because that’s like family to us. We grew up with Koa, we grew up with his dad George, we’ve known them for years, since we were kids. There’s no competition there. The tweets on Twitter or on X that we talk about showing love and Koa’s post, that’s all genuine. People can say what they want and try to add some division to what our relationship is like with Koa, but there is no division there and he’s a stud. Bosco is in good hands with him there.”

HSRN: What kind of player and human being are the Kahuku Red Raiders getting in Matai?

PF: “First of all they’re getting a God-fearing young man. Someone who loves god, he’s put it all in His hands. He’s had very good emotions about coming to Kahuku and he’s just been blessed since he’s got here. He’s a great leader, the Bosco boys will attest for that and tell how much he’s just become a good leader there. He’s just looking forward to helping out Kahuku and coming there and making his stamp there.”

HSRN: You mention the move, what do you guys know about Kahuku and the area and here in the state? Bosco and Kahuku has kind of had a little friendship-rivalry over the past two years. I was at the game when Kahuku came up to Bosco and then Bosco came down here last year and Kahuku beat them and I know the refs kind of helped a little bit, but what do you know about the rich, great tradition at Kahuku. You saw the fanbase when they came down to the stadium so what do you know about Kahuku, the program and the community and all that?

PF: “The one thing that we knew coming into this is that they’re a family and that’s the biggest thing for us. We’re Samoan and Mexican young men, both of those cultures come with family. That’s all we kind of needed to know coming into it. It’s been nothing but love since we’ve gotten there. We have never felt such a level of love that we feel at Kahuku. That is the biggest thing, the family, and then of course, the parades, the fireworks and the cheering that we had to deal with last year because all of us as a family were here last year, Matai was the backup quarterback when we lost to Kahuku, once again like you said, with some contributions from the refs, but just because we’re Kahuku Red Raiders now, I’m still going to defend Bosco on that one. Like you said, just the area and the environment, we felt it as soon as we landed. The way that they treated us and took care of us, it’s amazing.”

HSRN: The Red Raiders, they are the defending state champions for multiple years now in the Open Division, the best division in Hawai’i, but this year has been a little bit of a rough patch, what are your thoughts on this year’s team and the coaching staff?

PF: “We think that they have a great team, an even better coaching staff because players are good, but it’s the coaches that win games in my personal opinion. Matai has already trained with some of the (Kahuku) kids over at Speedburners with coach Rick (Hagedorn) back at California so he already has a relationship with them and he’s just always gotten along with the Hawai’i boys here and also back home at Bosco. 

You said another (thing) about the season. We had no idea that this was their homecoming week or their senior night or anything like that. We moved here because of our timing. There’s a lot of talk about the big game this week, we didn’t even know who Campbell was. We had no idea, we’ve never played them at St. John Bosco. We’ve only played Mililani and Kahuku and Saint Louis so we didn’t really know the competition that we’re going against, but those are the opponents that are in front of us and Matai is going to hopefully help the team and go handle business. We heard that there was a little bit of a tough season going so far, but we hope to contribute to that tough season turning around.”

HSRN: This weekend is Campbell and I believe there is a bye before the OIA playoffs and then after the OIA playoffs is the state tournament so every game is pretty much a playoff game. How excited are you guys to be a part of this and see Hawai’i high school football?

PF: “So excited. A little part of me is a little bit nervous, it’s different when you’re not the performer going out and you’re the one watching your little brother go out. Other than that, I’m so excited being in that atmosphere because last year when we were on the opposite sideline we were all amazed at how Kahuku celebrates and yells for their team, just the team spirit. Losing or winning, it’s amazing. We’re just excited to be a part of that environment and feel that love that Kahuku comes with.