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Guts and Glory, part 3




It's the final day of the three part series. No theme for today, just wrapping up the final four returning quarterbacks that haven't been discussed yet.

Larry Tuileta – Punahou Buffanblu

2012 stats – 10 GP, completed 156-of-246 passes, a 63.4 completion percentage, 2588 passing yards, 28 TD, 4 INT

Two state championship appearances, two losses. There's no doubt that senior Larry Tuileta would like to complete his high school career by getting over the hump and bring home a state title.

The Buffanblu looked like they would take the whole thing in 2012 with a state semi-final victory over Mililani. Tuileta posted his best game of the season in that game: 420 yards passing, five touchdowns, no picks; a stat line that would even have NFL quarterbacks jealous of. However, in the title game the week after, Tuileta posted his worst stat line of the season, tossing only 171 passing yards while getting picked off three times. So which Tuileta will we see more of in 2013?

Neither.

"It's a whole new year," said Tuileta in an interview for ScoringLive's 16 in 16 series. "We just want to start a new tradition, (to) start a new legacy (at Punahou). This year we are emphasizing (on) finishing; finishing our reps, finishing the play the right way."

With Punahou coach Kale Ane placing more emphasis on the run game this year, expect a different style of approach from Tuileta. Many fans were looking forward to an aerial dogfight in Punahou's opener against Mililani, but they were treated to a grind-it-out ground show instead. While Tuileta still needs to work on being more consistent on handoffs, the run game helped stymie the Trojans aggressive pass rush. The Buffanblu ratio on pass attempts to non-QB rushes were pretty much balanced at 31 to 30, a formula that bore fruit with a 24-14 win.

Having a strong run game to back you up is nice, but having weapons to throw to is ever better. One of those weapons that Tuileta will enjoy airing it out to is reigning DI leader in receiving (1289 receiving yards and 16 TDs in 2012) Kanawai Noa. The 6-foot, 180-lb pass catcher was most known for being a deep threat last year, but has expanded his game to be more proficient at catching passes on the short and intermediate routes. A more versatile Noa will keep defensive backs on their toes and guessing his every move.

Besides Noa, Tuileta will also be tossing the rock to slots Luke Morris and Trent Sitar. They each caught five passes and a TD in Punahou's win over Mililani. Having all these weapons will make Tuileta's time behind center a pleasure.

Not only will Punahou fans will be watching Tuileta this year, but Rainbow Warrior fans as well. Tuileta has already committed to the University of Hawaii and will play both football and volleyball. Tuileta's senior campaign will give a sneak peek on what to expect when he dons the black and green in 2014. Die-hard Rainbow Warrior fans will have a vested interest in Tuileta's final year at Punahou; in process, they will unknowingly root for his success, no matter what their alma mater may be.

While St. Louis' Ryder Kuhns might give Tuileta a run for his money, Tuileta is still the best quarterback in the state. Two state championship appearances speak for itself; you have to be good all season to get to the final game for all the marbles. Tuileta has also participated in San Francisco's Elite 11 QB camp, a camp for all the best high school quarterbacks in the nation.

Even with all these accolades, achievements, and weapons, you have to still actually play the game. Punahou is not even a lock to enter the state tournament anymore; they still have to go through St. Louis and Kamehameha. Back to back state title appearances doesn't give you a free pass to make it back there again. History is history for a reason. It doesn't matter what you did in the past when you still got football to play today. In the modern day sports world, the fans that are the loudest and brag the most are the ones who enjoy success right now.

A magnificent story is waiting to be told once the prep football season is over; only time will tell if it'll unfold the way the script is written. One thing is for sure though, all Hawaii sports fans will be watching.

Noah Brum – Kalani Falcons

2012 stats – 8 GP, completed 130-of-258 passes, a 50.4 completion percentage, 1701 passing yards, 16 TD, 11 INT

Returning to pilot the Ron Lee pass-and-shoot offense for the Falcons this year is Noah Brum. After hanging 30 unanswered points on the six-time defending DII champs in the Father Bray game, Kalani looks like they could make a run at the playoffs this year. A Brum-led offense will give the Falcons their best shot to make some noise in the OIA White in over 10 years.

"I really do," said Brum when asked if the Falcons can end their playoff drought. "Our lineman might be younger, but they (are) really pulling their part; I was very surprised and pleased. We have a great coaching staff that's doing their best and making good play calls."

Brum is also another quarterback who will have to take his game to the next level if he wants to lead his team to newer heights. He acknowledges that there are still holes in his game that he has to improve on.

"Definitely not (having) as much picks," said Brum when asked about what he needs to work on. "Last year I had way too many picks. (I also need to) get my reads down and quicker and just (get things) going. Last year it was really slow and everything, but this year is it's really picking up; I'm liking it."

One thing that Brum will like doing all season will be airing it out to receiver Brandon Roberts. The nifty receiver caught two touchdown passes and also threw for one in the loss to Iolani.

"Brandon Roberts can get up there and jump and get the ball," said Brum. "He's a really good guy to have."

Brum and the Falcons are the sleeper team in the OIA White. They will surprise teams and make them pay if they think that Kaiser and Radford are the only threats in the White divsion.

Kekoa Kaluhiokalani – Waianae Seariders

2012 stats – 10 GP, completed 93-of-161 passes, a 57.8 completion percentage, 1201 passing yards, 8 TD, 10 INT

Back to back OIA Red JV championships is something every team would love to have. The familiarity and team bond on this year's Searrider squad will be much greater than majority of the teams in the state. Kekoa Kaluhiokalani returns at the helm for Waianae, and can perform well knowing that this group of guys can and has already won a championship together.

Waianae got off to a rocky start in 2012, going 1-3 in their first four games. A tweak in the run to pass ratio mid-flip the script to the Searriders season and came within two minutes of upsetting the eventual state champions at home.

The Searriders have always been a run-first kind of team, a throwback to the old-school kind of football. Kaluhiokalani will have an easier time with throwing the ball, knowing that the pass isn't the numero-uno thing defenses are concerned at. Having a dominant run game opens up the opportunity for play-action passes, fakes that Kaluhiokalani is skilled at.

Kaluhiokalani also possess good speed and will escape the pocket on occasion. Don't be fooled though, when Kaluhiokalani scrambles, he looks downfield first before taking off. Deep-threat Pookela Noa-Nakamato will torch any undisciplined defensive backs peeking into the backfield. Noa-Nakamato has already tacked on 160 receiving yards and two TDs on only five catches in two games.

While some teams might still be auditioning for their quarterback, Waianae is locked in with Kaluhiokalani. Waianae's continuity and overall team chemistry could be the difference in a very tight OIA Red West division.

Montana Liana – Farrington Governors

2012 stats – 13 GP, completed 80-of-161 passes, a 49.7 completion percentage, 895 passing yards, 12 TD, 5 INT

With running backs Tyler Taumua and Amo Silva now graduated, there's no secret that the leader on offense will be Montana Liana under center. An increase to the amount of passing plays this year places a bigger responsibility on Liana's shoulders.

Last season, Liana benefitted from having two of the top five backs in the state to handoff to. Other than Siaosi Pakileata, there is no real established threat in the skill position players. This could be a long season for the Governors, and Liana and the rest of the offense will definitely have to go through some growing pains.

However, champions aren't made in August or September; if Farrington can peak at the right time, there will be upsets in the OIA Red playoffs. The running backs might get all the press at Farrington, but it's the quarterback who touches the play on every down. There's no denying that Liana has talent; it's just a matter of when that talent can translate to wins.



Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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