Wai'anae hopes to right ship after worst start ever

Sophomore QB Kekoa Kaluhiokalani hopes to spark the Wai'anae offense and get the Seariders their first win of the season. ScoringLive file photo

Kapolei needed triple overtime for its first league win of the season.

Waianae just wants to win one no matter how long it takes when it hosts the Hurricanes Friday in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West game. Kickoff is about 7:30 p.m. and will be televised live statewide on OC16.

The Seariders (0-4 overall, 0-2 Red West) is off to their worst start in school history. A win against the Hurricanes (2-2, 1-1) will match Waianae's worst starts after five games from 1960 and last year.

Waianae also is looking to snap a five-game losing streak dating to last year's loss to Saint Louis in the Division I state championship. And it could've been longer had Kahuku not forfeited playoff games last year. The Seariders' losing streak would've been six because they lost in the OIA semifinals and third-place game (that eventually became the second place game after the Kahuku forfeit).

Like the rest of the West, save for Leilehua, the offense has struggled for Waianae, which has been shutout twice already this season. It has scored only four TDs to date. The Seariders have been going with sophomore QB Kekoa Kaluhiokalani (41 of 91 for 442 yards, 2 TDs, 7 INTs), apparently hoping he returns dividends by the second-half of the season or the next two years.

The Hurricanes have a returning QB in Trey Kamachi-Allen (23 of 54 for 207 yards with 0 TDs and 4 INTs), but he is a little behind, having been invited to the baseball Area Codes Games in middle August.

In other Red West games Friday, Aiea will travel to No. 3 Leilehua, where the Mules are celebrating homecoming and No. 6 Campbell will visit Radford.

Leilehua (3-0-1, 2-0) has won three in a row since tying Alaska's Service, 34-34, a month ago. The Mules have the only consistent offense in the West, in part to having one of the best QBs in the state in Kenan Sadanaga (80 of 122, 998 yards, 12 TDs, 8 INTs).

This will be only the second league game for Na Alii (1-2, 0-1), who drew a league bye two weeks ago. They have been dealing with two QBs in Duke Spencer and Isaiah Fonoti.

The Mules put a damper on Campbell's 3-0 start, handing the Sabers their first loss last week. The Sabers will rely on their defense to keep games close for their offense to show more consistency. Campbell was rocked for 32 points against Leilehua after holding three previous opponents to 14 points combined.

The Rams (1-2, 1-0), whose losses are to Interscholastic League of Honolulu teams, opened the OIA season with an upset of Mililani three weeks ago. Radford also needs more consistency on offense.