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Through the skies - OIA White




No matter the league or division, Hawai'i has a plethora of talent for your viewing pleasure. Part four of this five-part series focuses on some of the best receivers in the OIA White division.

Trevor Yamashita - Kalani

The Kalani Falcons have taken flight in their pass-happy offense with quarterback Noah Brum at the controls. Leading the team in receiving yards is senior receiver Trevor Yamashita who has caught 786 receiving yards to date. Yamashita lines up in the far right wideout position for the Falcons and will beat most cornerbacks that try to press him at the line. He enjoyed a season high in receptions against Kalaheo where he caught 11 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. His biggest receiving total came against Roosevelt where he caught five passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns.

Brandon Roberts - Kalani

On the opposite side of Yamashita is the versatile Brandon Roberts, although he does see some time in the slots. The senior playmaker is also the punter of the team and can also help in a pinch as a defensive back and as a read-option quarterback. Roberts is full of talent and has caught 14 touchdowns passes to lead the team in scoring. His best game of the season was in a shoot-out against Radford where he caught ten passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot basketball wing player is definitely a big part of the Falcons' offense and should be a big factor in the Falcons' first trip in the playoffs.

Blaise Manabe - Kalani

Manning the slots for the Kalani offense is sophomore Blaise Manabe. The slot receiver has caught 33 passes for 470 yards and five touchdowns heading into this weeks' matchup against Waialua. Manabe benefits a lot from having Roberts and Yamashita on the outside, allowing him to make defenders pay if they leave the seams open.

Enrique Gruver - Kalani

If you looked at the Falcons' receiving leaderboard, you would have never guessed that that Enrique Gruver led the team in receiving a year ago. He might not lead the team in receptions or touchdowns this year, but has a knack for making big plays with his 19 yards per catch average, a team high. Like Manabe, Gruver roams the slots and will exploit nickel backs with a double move to get down the field. Gruver can also play running back when needed, having rushed for a season high 128 yards on just 11 carries.

Jameson Pasigan - Radford

As a sophomore, Jameson Pasigan showed that he is one of the better receivers in the state when he finished the year with 59 receptions for 871 yards and 11 touchdowns to lead the team. Pasigan is a tough matchup for any defender to play man coverage on because he possesses good lateral movement and can change direction on a dime. The 5-foot-11, 170-lb receiver is a consistent target for quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen to go to, having caught 13 touchdown passes to lead the team.

Absolom Henry - Radford

Most of the talk coming into the season was on Pasigan, but Absolom Henry has done a stupendous job to give Lui-Yuen another reliable target. The 6-foot-3, 190-lb receiver currently leads the team in receiving with 42 receptions for 924 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defenders have to be wary about giving Henry any soft cushion because he can use his tall, lanky frame to torch almost anyone in his path. The emergence of Henry is one of the main reasons why Radford is returning to the OIA White playoffs for a second straight year.

Timothy Rivera - Pearl City

Losing receiver Tanner Tokunaga had the Chargers starting the year 0-2. While Pearl City does not have as talented receivers as they did in 2012, Timothy Rivera has done his best to lead his team at the receiver position. He might not seem like a threat with his 5-foot-4, 160-lb frame, but he still racks up good yardage averaging 15.3 yards per catch. Rivera leads the Chargers in receiving with 30 catches for 458 yards and four touchdowns to help complement the Chargers rushing attack.

Mila Lele - Waialua

The Bulldogs have come a long way from going winless a year ago and will have a chance to finish with a 0.500 record in the White when they meet up with Kalani this week. Waialua employs a spread-offense and Mila Lele is the main guy catching passes from the Bulldog quarterbacks. Lincoln Barit's program has struggled with numbers in recent years, and would often employ a clock-consuming offense to limit injuries. Given this, it was surprising seeing the Bulldogs go no-huddle on some occasions against Anuenue last week. Because they have talented guys like Lele on the outside, Waialua is able to run more of an up-tempo style.

Naliko Kea - Nanakuli

No one would think that this 5-foot-4, 135-lb receiver leads the team in touchdown grabs if they were to see the team at a first glance. Proving that size doesn't always matter, Naliko Kea was a big factor in the Golden Hawks near comeback against Kalani. Kea caught two touchdown passes in the final three minutes and thirty seconds of the game to pull Nanakuli within a field goal. The junior receiver has caught ten passes for 230 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Golden Hawks. Even though Nanakuli might not be playoff bound, the talent is there for Kea to make some noise in his senior campaign.

Curt Clivio - Kaiser

He might not see much playing time, but Curt Clivio is quietly becoming a secret weapon for the Cougars. Clivio only has seven catches on the year, but has reached pay dirt four times. The senior wide receiver checks in at 6-foot. 166-lbs, and leads the OIA White in yards per catch with a 20.7 yard per average. Clivio will need to step up his game for the Cougars in case the running game gets shut down by a stronger defense in the postseason.



Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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