LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders boarded their flight yesterday evening, taking to the air and briefly hovering above the friendly confines of Vidinha Stadium, before cruising into Honolulu for what will be the biggest football game many
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders boarded their flight yesterday evening, taking to the air and briefly hovering above the friendly confines of Vidinha Stadium, before cruising into Honolulu for what will be the biggest football game many of them have ever played.
Today’s Division II championship game against No. 1 seed ‘Iolani (11-2) has a chance to be an historic one if the Red Raiders of Kaua‘i (11-0) can overcome the machine-like precision of the two-time defending state champions. Each team typically wears red and black and both go by the nickname of “Raiders,” so the desire to bring home a title is not the extent of these squads’ similarities.
Kaua‘i’s mantra since early in the season has been “One team, one dream.” It has been a phrase of togetherness and support, pointing towards the team’s ultimate goal, which is now within reach.
“It has become our shout-out, our cheer,” said Kaua‘i head coach Derek Borrero, Thursday afternoon before he and the team were scheduled to depart.
Borrero said they hadn’t planned on the phrase becoming the rally cry it has. It was just something the kids took to as a way of bringing themselves together. After last year’s KIF championship team graduated 34 seniors, players had to understand their new roles coming into this season.
“As they jelled and molded together, they just started yelling that out,” Borrero said.
That togetherness will be necessary if Kaua‘i is to come out on top in a game they will be entering as a decided underdog for the first time this season.
“We’re the underdog, from what I hear,” Borrero said. “We have high expectations for ourselves, but I think most people are looking for ‘Iolani to come out on top.”
The coaches and players don’t necessarily agree with that perception after spending about 20 to 25 hours this week studying game film. Borrero said that as the team watched more and more footage, they realized that ‘Iolani makes the same mistakes Kaua‘i does, creating more confidence with each film session.
“Hey, we’ve got a chance here,” he said.
This unyielding confidence has been in place all season, according to Eugene Fernandez, the team’s manager of football operations.
“Amazingly, it doesn’t matter if they’re ahead or behind,” he said. “They believe in themselves.”
‘Iolani runs a run-and-shoot offense that has become synonymous with KIF action. It will feature plenty of empty-backfield sets and count on its wide receivers, namely Kevin Barayuga (11) and Trevyn Tulonghari (23) to run quick, precise routes to find openings in the defense for quarterback Jarrett Arakawa (12).
Running back Ammon Baldomero (1) will also be relied on to present a balance to ‘Iolani’s attack.
“The game plan is to stop the run and we’ll take our chances in the air,” Borrero said.
Defensively, ‘Iolani will present one look that will be unfamiliar to Kaua‘i, other than during the film sessions that were ongoing this week. ‘Iolani will run a Cover 6 defense, essentially using six defensive backs as two outside linebackers will drop into the secondary. If this weren’t enough of a wrinkle, they also like to have two of their defensive ends line up in a standing position instead of a typical three-point stance that most linemen exhibit. This allows them to confuse the quarterback and try to alter his perception of what is about to happen.
“They are a swarming defense, they execute very well and they take advantage of mistakes,” Borrero said.
What this emphasis on the secondary could allow is a big day for Paleku Yasay, the leading rusher in the KIF. If ‘Iolani decides to continually use just five defenders in the box, Borrero feels they will have “a lot of opportunity for us to run the ball on the inside.”
However, they are prepared to adjust if ‘Iolani begins to creep its defenders closer to the line of scrimmage.
“If they bring ‘backers up, we’ve got to throw the ball,” he said.
The fact that Kaua‘i has been a much stronger second-half team than first-half team througout most of the season presents a catch-22. They may feel that a strong second half is inevitable and a first-half deficit would not shake their confidence. However, a slow start against a team like ‘Iolani will present different challenges than any other games this season.
Borrero is not at all worried about the moment getting the best of his team. He knows that the butterflies will be active before the game and plans to get his team on the field a few hours before kickoff, allowing them to get used to their intimidating surrounding.
“It’s going to be the normal feeling that a 16, 17, 18-year-old will feel,” he said. “They’re going to be nervous, maybe a little more nervous than ‘Iolani.”
‘Iolani will be used to the bright lights at Aloha Stadium, having played there numerous times this decade.
Yet Borrero indicated how impressed he has been by his team’s business-like approach all season. He said they have tried to instill that in the kids, preparing them for life and not just that week’s game. He feels he knows what their mentality will be once kickoff arrives at 4:30 p.m.
“It’s nothing personal and this is business,” he said.
Probable starting lineups
OFFENSE
3 Paleku Yasay, RB
7 Taran Tani, WR/RB
8 Shea Shimabukuro, WR
9 Kalena Rodero-Workman, WR
14 Trey Shimabukuro, QB
20 Kevin Reyes, WR
62 Bryson Galiza, OL
65 Noah Gusman, OL
66 Ross Ozaki, OL
75 Aaron Victorino, OL
79 Chaysen Medina, OL
DEFENSE
2 Kalen Nakaahiki, DB
4 Cameron Largusa, DB
5 Jamen Kealoha-Albarado, LB
11 Puna Hanohano, LB
25 Kele Hanohano, DB
32 Travis Koga, LB
44 Niko Chow, LB
50 Camtin Ragudo, DL
51 Kepa Nakaahiki, LB
53 Daylin Huni, DL
72 Scot Sasan, DL
SPECIAL TEAMS
4 Cameron Largusa, KR, PR
5 Jamen Kealoha-Albarado, P
7 Taran Tani, H
8 Shea Shimabukuro, PK
51 Kepa Nakaahiki, LS
‘IOLANI HIGH SCHOOL RAIDERS
OFFENSE
1 Ammon Baldomero, RB
11 Kevin Barayuga, WR
12 Jarrett Arakawa, QB
23 Trevyn Tulonghari, WR
51 Dave Miyamoto, OL
54 Tiras Koon, OL
55 Micah Baclig, OL
65 Ryo Chow, OL
66 Grant Yonemoto, OL
82 Josiah Sukumaran, WR
84 Matt Talavera, WR
DEFENSE
3 Sean Nada, DB
5 Andrew Skalman, DB
7 Reid Saito, DB
8 Addison Kogami, DB
21 Cody Petro-Sakuma, LB
32 Greg Lum, DL
35 Dylan Goto, DB
41 John Foy, LB
45 Matt Padaca, LB
75 Kaena Moose, DL
99 Seali’I Epenesa, DL
SPECIAL TEAMS
3 Sean Nada, KR
5 Andrew Skalman, PK
11 Kevin Barayuga, KR
23 Trevyn Tulonghari, P
50 Micah Freitas-Garrido, LS
