Da Five
The Chase continues




On a weekly basis, ScoringLive's "Da Five" will pose five questions revelant to the prep sports world, and get responses from five different individuals. What results will hopefully provide multiple angles of insight and analysis for fans to take in.

This week's edition of "Da Five" draws on some of the postseason storylines that headline Friday's slate. The five media members asked also highlights a player that college programs should be looking at.

1. Which player do you foresee having a big game this weekend.

Brandon Ching, SL reporter: I think Ranan Mamiya will have a good game and he is so athletically talented, he can hurt you in many ways. He is dangerous in open space and has the speed to outrun his opponents, so if his blockers create opportunities for him, he will make the most of it. 

Gary Dickman, ESPN 1420 Radio: I see a lot of players having big games this week. Those players include Mililani QB McKenzie Milton, Farrington RB Ranan Mamiya and Saint Louis QB Tua Tagovailoa. If I have to just pick one I would go with Mamiya. The reason is although I see Milton and Tagovailoa having big games, I think their respective teams will be up big early; diminishing their passing attempts in the second half. I see Farrington winning with Mamiya carrying the load offensively. When the Governors have the lead, he will also get the ball to help run out the clock, something that could result in some really big numbers this weekend.

Aven Santiago, SL all-purpose: I think Saint Louis quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will have huge game against Kamehameha. The sophomore sensation showed tremendous ability at the start of the season and has gotten better and better as the season went on. He put up huge numbers the last time these two teams played so it will be good to see him under lights for this game with the Crusaders' title aspirations riding on this matchup.

Josh Pacheco, ESPN 1420/ESPN Radio Big Island: Pac-Five's Kainoa Ferreira had a big day against Damien in a 26-21 loss last week. He threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns. He'll get one more shot at the Monarchs this Friday at Aloha Stadium, and I've got a good feeling that the sophomore will have another big day. He will need to improve his accuracy, though, which was just under 46 percent last week. For an offense dominated by the passing game, Ferreira's consistency will be key to giving the Wolfpack a chance at victory.

Kalani Takase, SL reporter: I'll go with Damien wide receiver Kapiina King. The 6-foot-5, 208-pound senior ranks fourth in the ILH with 401 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He caught just four passes, but for 80 yards and a touchdown in the Monarchs' 26-21 win over Pac-Five last week and with running back Samson Low breaking out with a 21-carry, 108-yard performance, it should only open things up further for King, whose best game was against Saint Louis when he caught five passes for 96 yards with two touchdowns. The Wolf Pack defense surrenders an average of 50 points and 235.1 pass yards per game.

2. What OIA quarterfinal matchup intrigues you the most?

Ching: I think all of the OIA D1 quarterfinal match ups intrigue me in their own ways. It's interesting that Kapolei and Kahuku are playing each other again, but these two teams are different from when they first met and Waianae/Farrington has a lot of history and tradition. I think the Mililani/Kaiser game will be interesting because both teams run similar uptempo offenses and I'm curious how Campbell's defense matches up against Leilehua's offense.  

Dickman: The most interesting OIA game this weekend to me is Kapolei's tilt at Kahuku. All of the quarterfinal games have some nice story lines, but I remember that in the first game of the season when Kapolei visited Kahuku, a parent of a Kapolei player passed away in the stands during the game. What a difficult situation for the player and the team. I'm sure that'll be on the team's minds as they play a great team in Kahuku. I think this game will be emotional for both teams. I see Kapolei playing off that emotion and being very competitive in this game.

Santiago: I'd like to think that the Kaiser vs. Mililani game is the most interesting. Both teams have high scoring offenses so it'll be great to see the numbers after the game. With Kaiser coming off a huge win against Moanalua, the Cougars are riding a wave of momentum that might cause some trouble for the Trojans. Although I think Mililani will win this game, Kaiser will not go down without putting up a lot of numbers and points on the board.

Pacheco: I'm looking forward to Campbell and Leilehua this weekend. It's always fun to get a matchup of teams that haven't met during the season, and this game looks to be a toss up. This game could come down to the Mules' defense, which gave up 372 yards of offense last week. Campbell's balanced offensive attack will stretch Leilehua's defense and may be enough to give it the edge.

Takase: Kaiser at Mililani. For one, it's a matchup of the OIA's two reigning league champs in the Cougars (D2) and Trojans (D1). Both teams run a high-speed, no-huddle offense mostly out of the spread formation, making for what should be a high-scoring, fast-paced affair at John Kauinana Stadium Friday night. The game also features the top two rushers in Division I in Kaiser's Jensen McDaniel and Mililani's Vavae Malepeai. The big question mark for me will be if Kaiser is healthy following the injuries to linebacker Parker Higgins and defensive back Nic Tom last week and if its 3-man defensive line can do enough to slow down Malepeai and the Trojans' prolific rushing attack.

3. Predict the two teams who will meet up in the OIA D2 title game.

Ching: Right now, I think it will be Nanakuli and Pearl City meeting for the D2 title game. However, that can change since the games have been pushed back to next week due to the impending storm so all teams have an opportunity to really prepare for their opponents.

Dickman: I don't see any upsets in the semifinals so I think it'll be Pearl City vs. Nanakuli in the title game. There aren't many upsets in high school football here and it would be an upset if it weren't either of those teams in the final. Both have had great years. I can't decide who'll win of they meet, but I'm pretty confident they'll play in the title game.

Santiago: I see Nanakuli playing Pearl City for the OIA D2 title. Nanakuli has shown that they know how to win big games and capitalize on their opponents' mistakes while Pearl City finished the regular season with its only loss to Nanakuli. The Golden Hawks should be able to handle Kalani while the Chargers may have their hands full with a hungry Radford team. Both teams are well coached and it will be interesting to see the matchups with both of them.

Pacheco: I'm predicting a Nanakuli/Pearl City matchup for the OIA Division II championship. All four teams have made each game close and exciting, but at the end of the day, I like the moxie of the Golden Hawks and Chargers to reach the title game. One of these teams will be in the state title game. Whoever wins the OIA DII title game will have the best chance to do that and possibly face Lahainaluna.

Takase: I think the seeds will hold true and both Nanakuli and Pearl City will prevail in their semifinal games next weekend. The Golden Hawks possess a proven run-game — which Kaiser rode en route to its D2 state title a year ago — behind a hard-nosed offensive line and playmakers in the skill positions. The Chargers are more of a finesse team behind second-year quarterback Jordan Taamu and running back/wide receiver Dominic Maneafaiga. If both teams can take care of business in the semifinal round, it should make for a highly-anticipated rematch of the regular-season game, which Nanakuli rallied to win, 28-21.

4. What will be the deciding factor in the Kamehameha-Saint Louis game?

Ching: Last time it was a shoot out so there wasn't much defense so I think it will come down to the defenses making stops when they need it the most. But if it turns out to be another shoot out, I suppose the deciding factor will be who can score more points. However, I think any deciding factor for a game comes down to execution, limiting mistakes and penalties for all phases.

Dickman: For the Saint Louis-Kamehameha game, I think the deciding factor will be the Crusaders' defense. I was at their first game and both teams really played well offensively. The first quarter took an hour and produced over 500 yards of total offense. With that in mind, it was Saint Louis' defensive performance in the second half that won the game. They have had a tough time stopping teams all year, but if they can slow teams down, especially in the fourth quarter, they will win games. 

Santiago: I wonder if with the threat of Tropical Storm Ana, the shortened week affected the preparation for both of these teams. With the announcement only coming yesterday about the schedule change, both teams may have not expected to have one less day to prepare. This is a huge, winnable game for both teams and it'll be good to see which one comes out on top to face Punahou.

Pacheco: Defense. We had over 1,300 yards of total offense COMBINED between these two teams on Sept. 20. Can someone make a stop? Whoever makes more of them, based on the most adjustments made since the last meeting, will win this game. 

Takase: I think you can probably look at two stats after this game and determine who won the game: Kamehameha's third-down conversions and quarterback Fatu Sua-Godinet's completion percentage. The Warriors showed that they have the offensive firepower to stay with the Crusaders — as evidenced by the 46-38 loss to Saint Louis less than a month ago — but their best chance at winning this weekend will be a low-scoring, ball-control game of field position. If Kamehameha can sustain drives with accurate passing from Sua-Godinet to keep the Saint Louis defense honest and keep talented sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa off the field, it will go a long way toward a win against the Crusaders.

5. Name an underrated prospect that you think can be successful at the college level.

Ching: I think Zeno Choi from Kaiser would make a good prospect if he is given the right opportunity. I saw him against Moanalua and gave them some trouble and I think he has the physical tools and he's aggressive, quick and I like how he plays. I think he can make a name for himself if he does well against Mililani's offensive line and they have some good prospects too. 

Dickman: It's hard to rate someone who's underrated here in Hawaii because there are so many great college prospects here. I saw someone in last week's Punahou-Kamehameha game that really impressed me. Kamehameha junior receiver Kumoku Noa made some really nice catches against the Buffanblu defense that looked uncatchable. In that game he had better catches than the best receiver in the state, Punahou senior Kanawai Noa. The younger Noa currently has five touchdowns and averages almost 15 yards a catch.

Santiago: People should take a look at Noah Taiese of Aiea. Despite being only a sophomore the Na Alii defensive back has recorded five interceptions during the regular season. All of his interceptions came against teams who are still playing in the postseason this week. Taiese also had an incredible kick return touchdown against Moanalua that caused some momentum shifts in the game. Taiese is going to be huge for Aiea in the upcoming seasons and I hope that some college programs are taking a look at him.

Pacheco: I've watched Konawaena corner Luca Vartic play against some of the league's top receivers this season. I've watched some of those receivers end plays with frustration and bewilderment. Vartic, a 6-foot-2 dominant force, has relished every tough assignment he's gotten. His size and speed are getting attention, as he's gotten several looks from Pac-12 schools. He's focused on defense and spent little time on offense, and the decision has paid off for him, as well as the team. Vartic will draw the assignment of Hawaii Prep Academy's Nicky Palleschi, one of the top DII receivers on the island, in next week's BIIF semifinals. If the results mirror what happened in the first meeting, Vartic's Wildcats may have a good chance of standing victorious again.

Takase: Tough to pick one, so I'll name a few. Leilehua wide receiver Tyreek Keough impressed me against Kaiser two weeks ago with a 3-touchdown performance. Keough isn't the biggest guy at 5-9 and 170, but has speed to get behind defenses, soft hands and great field awareness to find soft spots in zone coverage. The best part is he's just a junior so he'll have another year to improve before possibly moving on to the next level. Other players that have impressed me that were arguably underrated are Pearl City quarterback Jordan Taamu, Moanalua quarterback Kawika Keama-Jacobe and Campbell linebacker Kea Cambra — all of whom have displayed a knack for making clutch plays in big games.





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