Hawaii football commits shine in Bishop Gorman’s win over Kahuku

Hawaii football commits shine in Bishop Gorman’s win over Kahuku

Sep 2, 2025

Hawai’i football-commit Maika Eugenio fires a pass against Kahuku in Bishop Gorman’s 38-0 win over the Red Raiders. | Photo: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawaii football commits shine in Bishop Gorman’s win over Kahuku

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1, 2025

KAHUKU — Saturday night’s non-league matchup between nationally-ranked Bishop Gorman and host Kahuku provided a mini preview of future members of the University of Hawai’i football team.

Led by quarterback Maika Eugenio, a trio of Rainbow Warrior commits from the class of 2026 played a hand in the Gaels’ 38-0 win over the Red Raiders at Carleton E. Weimer Field over the weekend.

Eugenio completed 31 of his 38 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

“I love it,” Eugenio said of the trip to Hawai’i. “Just taking a look at the beach, all the scenery, all the people all the families that are around here.”

One of his favorite targets was slot receiver Isaiah Nickels, another Hawai’i-commit, who finished with eight receptions and 73 yards to help set up multiple scoring drives.

“It’s just a blessing to be in Hawai’i right now,” Nickels said. “As a young boy I never really got to experience Hawai’i like that. My mom grew up here so it was good to be back and see the environment and play football here.”

 

In the previous week, Nickels said he was able to see the Rainbow Warriors defeat Stanford on a walk-off field goal for a 23-20 win to cap week 0 of the college football season.

“I thought it was an amazing game,” he said. “It’s just the start for Hawai’i. People doubt Hawaii thinking they’re not a good team this year but I think Hawai’i is on the come up.”

The third Hawai’i-commit was kicker Hudson Borsari, who booted five PATs and made a 38-yard field goal.

“It was great,” Borsari said of the experience. “Starting to feel like home a little bit out here and I’m just excited to get it going with them next year and get work in.”

Kahuku did get two sacks and an interception from Teave Crawford to spark some life energy to its fans in attendance, but it was pretty much a dominating by the visiting Gaels from Las Vegas.

Starting Kahuku quarterback Matai Fuiava completed just three passes for two yards before giving way to Troy Mariteragi, who completed 9 of his 12 pass attempts for 64 yards.

“Defensively we played pretty tough,” said Kahuku interim coach Nihoa Pule. “We were on the field quite a bit, but we did shutdown their running game to a certain extent. Offensively we got a spark in the second half, it’s just putting it all together now.”

2026 OIA Football Schedule

2026 OIA Football Schedule

Aug 5, 2026

CLICK HERE for 2026 Playoff Schedule 2026 OIA Division Breakdown Open: Kahuku, Mililani, Campbell, Kapolei, Kailua, Leilehua Division I: Waipahu, Farrington, Waianae, Moanalua, Aiea, Nanakuli, Radford, Roosevelt Division II: Pearl City, Castle,...

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2025 OIA Football: September Schedule

2025 OIA Football: September Schedule

Sep 1, 2025

2025 OIA Football: September Schedule

BY HSRN STAFF
PUBLISHED SEPT 1, 2025

The Hawai‘i high school football season is in full swing, and with September comes the highly anticipated kickoff of official OIA league play.

The landscape of OIA football is shifting. Leilehua, crowned 2024 Division I champions, ascends to the Open Division, trading places with Waipahu’s return to Division I. Meanwhile, Kaiser rises to Division I and Pearl City reclaims its place in Division II, reshaping the tiers and writing new storylines for the season ahead.

Click HERE for the OIA October schedule.

Check out the MIL schedule HERE.

*schedule below subject to change*

OIA REGULAR SEASON

Thursday, Sept 4
Waialua vs Pearl City (Spectrum XCast)

Friday, Sept 5
Farrington vs Leilehua (Spectrum XCast)
Aiea vs Moanalua
Radford vs Waipahu
Nanakuli vs Waianae
Castle vs McKinley

Saturday, Sept 6
Kailua vs Kaiser
Kalaheo vs Kaimuki
Kalani vs Roosevelt

Friday, Sept 12
Campbell vs Leilehua
Waianae vs Kailua
Waipahu vs Moanalua
Kaiser vs Aiea (HSRN 95.1 FM, AM 760, hawaiisportsradio.com)
Roosevelt vs Castle
Waialua vs Kalani

Saturday, Sept 13
Kahuku vs Kapolei (Spectrum OC16)
Mililani vs Farrington
Radford vs Nanakuli
Pearl City vs Kaimuki
McKinley vs Kalaheo

Friday, Sept 19
Aiea vs Kailua

Saturday, Sept 20
Campbell vs Kahuku (Spectrum OC16)

Friday, Sept 26
Kapolei vs Farrington (Spectrum XCast)
Leilehua vs Kahuku
Aiea vs Radford
Moanalua vs Kaiser
Roosevelt vs Pearl City (HSRN 95.1 FM, AM 760, hawaiisportsradio.com)
Castle vs Kalani

Saturday, Sept 27
Campbell vs Mililani (Spectrum XCast)
Waianae vs Waipahu
Kailua vs Nanakuli
Kalaheo vs Waialua
Kaimuki vs McKinley

Thriller in Salt Lake as Moanalua outlasts Nanakuli, 49-35

Thriller in Salt Lake as Moanalua outlasts Nanakuli, 49-35

Aug 30, 2025

Thriller in Salt Lake as Moanalua outlasts Nanakuli, 49-35

BY HAWAII SPORTS RADIO NETWORK STAFF
PUBLISHED AUGUST 30, 2025

SALT LAKE – Moanalua and Nanakuli squared off in a high-scoring OIA Division I matchup on Friday, with Na Menehune pulling away late for a 49-35 victory.

The home team wasted no time getting on the board, as Kamuela Farias powered into the end zone on a 6-yard run. Moments later, Farias struck again—this time breaking free for a 56-yard touchdown that gave Moanalua a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter.

Nanakuli answered in the second quarter when quarterback Allix Yap connected with Vainuupo Fanuaea on a 25-yard scoring strike. The period featured four total touchdowns, and Moanalua carried a 28-13 advantage into halftime.

The Golden Hawks came out strong to open the third quarter. Yap capped a drive with a 2-yard rushing score, then completed a successful two-point conversion to Fanuaea, cutting the deficit to 28-21. Nanakuli found the end zone again soon after, pulling within one at 28-27 midway through the quarter.

Moanalua responded with authority, stringing together back-to-back touchdowns to push the lead to 42-27 heading into the final period. Nanakuli kept fighting, as Naehu Kipi punched in a 4-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game. But Na Menehune sealed the win with a late touchdown run from DJ Miller, closing out the 49-35 victory.

Aiea makes loud statement in home-opener against Castle

Aiea makes loud statement in home-opener against Castle

Aug 16, 2025

Senior ATH Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo totes the rock for one of his four TDs in ‘Aiea’s home-opening 60-2 victory over Castle. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Aiea makes loud statement in home-opener against Castle

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 16, 2025

‘AIEA – A-Town, A-plus performance.

‘Aiea Na Ali’i (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening road loss on Friday night, dominating the Castle Knights, 60-2. Senior ATH Trystin Lee “Hiki” Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo helped Na Ali’i ambush Castle with 144 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) over nine total touches on his way to Fun Factory “VIP of the Game” honors.

In just the second home contest on their home field since the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Aiea got active early and often in all three phases. Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo returned the game’s opening kickoff 35 yards and a personal foul penalty against Castle (0-2) nearly pushed Na Ali’i into Knights territory before the first offensive snap was taken.

‘Aiea junior RB Legend Byrd-Tauala carried his team on the first possession, tallying all 60 yards and putting Na Ali’i on the board with a 25-yard touchdown catch from freshman QB Caizel Jesus-Kapesi less than two minutes into the action.

Na Ali’i added two more touchdowns before the first quarter ended, seeing Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo find paydirt on a nine-yard run and LB Ethan Toia jump Castle QB Noa Sebay’s pass for a 60-yard pick-six to extend the lead to 21-0 after 12 minutes of action.

Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo added two more touchdowns in the second quarter with a 17-yard rushing score before taking a Jesus-Kapesi dump off throw 66 yards to the house for his lone receiving TD of the night.

‘Aiea freshman QB Caizel Jesus-Kapesi throws a pass while getting protection from his offensive line. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The freshman QB tossed his third touchdown of the first half just over a minute later, finding Champ Colburn from five yards out before Royale Tavale-Petersen ended the half with ‘Aiea’s second interception for a score to make it a 49-0 lead at the break.

Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo added his fourth TD of the game on a direct snap from three yards out in the opening minutes of the third quarter, extending Na Ali’i’s lead above the half-century mark as he found Andreas Adams for the two-point conversion. Kicker Dominic Okada drilled a 35-yard field goal to cap ‘Aiea’s scoring for the evening at 60 points with under two minutes left in the third frame.

Castle’s defense continued to battle into the fourth quarter, finally breaking through to get the Knights on the board with 7:16 left to play as an errant snap skipped by Kim Choy-Keb-Ah-Lo for a safety.

Sophomore QB Draven Kalawa, who entered to relieve Noa Sebay for Castle in the second half, ended the night with some boom-or-bust plays as he went 5-of-15 passing for 83 yards to lead the team. The 5-foot-9 signal caller also tossed an interception, one of four total turnovers by the Knights throughout the night.

Senior RB Kauanahe Kalahiki-Gohier led the ground attack for Castle, totaling 41 yards on seven carries. Senior WR Ha’a Felipe paced all Knights receivers with 48 yards on two catches, including an acrobatic juggling snag from Kalawa.

Freshman QB Caizel Jesus-Kapesi turned in a strong performance in his second varsity start, completing 14-of-20 passing attempts for a game-high 145 yards and three touchdowns while getting intercepted once. Legend Byrd-Tauala paced the rushing attack with 86 yards on just eight carries while adding 25 yards and a score as a pass catcher for ‘Aiea.

Castle will wrap up a challenging non-league preseason schedule next Saturday when they host another OIA Division I opponent in Nanakuli. ‘Aiea will face their final non-league test when they welcome in ILH foe ‘Iolani at 6:30 p.m. on the same Saturday, August 23.

Saint Louis blanks Kahuku on the road to open the 2025 season

Saint Louis blanks Kahuku on the road to open the 2025 season

Aug 10, 2025

Saint Louis blanks Kahuku on the road to open the 2025 season

BY HSRN STAFF
PUBLISHED AUGUST 10, 2025

KAHUKU — Saint Louis open up defense of its state championship with an impressive feat — shutting out Kahuku on its home soil for the first time since 1996.

The Crusaders used a strong defensive performance to pull away from the Red Raiders for a 20-0 win at Carleton E. Weimer Field Saturday night.

“I’m happy for the kids. This is not it, we got a more coming,” said Saint Louis coach Tupu Alualu. “We got a lot of mistakes. We’re going to go back to the drawing board, watch our mistakes and get better.”

Saint Louis allowed just 17 passing yards and had two interceptions against Kahuku, the first of which was a 44-yard pick-six by Urijah Belaras to break a scoreless game with 10 seconds left in the first quarter.

Offensively the Crusaders were balanced with a 100-yard rusher in Tenari Fuumatu-Maafala (19 carries, 102 yards) and a 100-yard receiver in Kingston Siliado (13 receptions, 142 yards, 22-yard touchdown).

Quarterback Nainoa Lopes completed 60 percent of his passes for 157 yards and a scoring pass while adding a 2-yard TD run at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Red Raiders will try to bounce back with a home game on Aug. 16 while the Crusaders have a bye week.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN BAUTISTA

Defense, ground game leads Waipahu over Leilehua in season-opening win

Defense, ground game leads Waipahu over Leilehua in season-opening win

Aug 9, 2025

Waipahu’s Jhayean Baptista celebrates in the end zone after scoring on an interception return against Leilehua. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Defense, ground game leads Waipahu over Leilehua in season-opening win

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU 
PUBLISHED AUGUST 9, 2025 

WAIPAHU – Welcome back, high school football.

The Waipahu varsity football team used dynamic defensive performances and a steady rushing attack to open the 2025 season in a big way, taking down Leilehua on Friday night in front of a packed house at the Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex, 37-13.

Marauders running back Tristan Pacheco led the charge, toting the rock 24 times for 110 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening victory as the hosts totaled 237 yards on the ground. Waipahu junior quarterback David Vidinha completed 16-of-23 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns and was intercepted once.

Leilehua (0-1) started strong, forcing a pair of punts before putting the first points of the season on the board midway through the opening quarter when QB Bennett Strobel found RB Kyin Rivera-Galbraith for a 14-yard touchdown to go up, 6-0. After being penalized on the first try, the Mules’ second PAT was blocked.

The blocked kicked sparked Waipahu (1-0) after a slow beginning, seeing the offense march down the field and answer back with a touchdown as Vidinha connected with Titan Figueroa for a 40-yard score with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Figueroa took a direct snap in right after for a two-point conversion, pushing the hosts ahead, 8-6.

Waipahu linebackers Wyatt O’Neill and Colossus Letalu took turns jumping in front of Strobel passes in a scoreless second quarter, helping the Marauder defense with a pair of interceptions as the teams traded stops. Leilehua leaned on the passing attack in the frame, abandoning the run as Rivera-Galbraith received just four total carries across the opening 24 minutes.

Jhayean Baptista extended Waipahu’s lead to nine less than a minute into the second half, returning Strobel’s third interception of the night 36 years for a touchdown. Leilehua finally returned fire with a 100-yard pick-six from junior defensive back Willie Canyon, pulling the Mules back within two, 15-13.

Jayvren Pinera registered a large chunk of his game-high 92 receiving yards after hauling in a 42-yard touchdown catch before the third quarter concluded, helping Waipahu reclaim full control of the contest. In command, the Marauders drained the clock with a strong rushing attack while Pacheco and Jayvien Smith each tacked on scores in the fourth quarter to put the bow on the 37-13 win.

Leilehua’s Strobel ended the night completing 21-of-29 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while getting intercepted four times in the non-league loss. The Mules attempted just 13 designed runs, seeing senior back Kyin Rivera-Galbraith lead the way with 39 yards across eight carries. Rivera-Galbraith added five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield, good for the second-highest receiving output by a Leilehua player all night.

Senior receiver Brennen Kepaa led the way for Leilehua with seven receptions for 62 yards. The Mules, who moved up to the OIA’s Open Division after winning the 2024 Division I league crown, will look to bounce back after a bye week when they host the Hilo Vikings for another non-league contest.

Waipahu, who moved back down to Division I after a tough 2024 run in the Open Division, will be back in action next weekend with eyes on defeating another Open Division foe when they host the Campbell Sabers for their final non-league game. Campbell went on the road and dominated Moanalua on Friday night, dropping Na Menehune, 50-22.