Hawaiian Electric Game of the Week
Govs, Red Raiders to renew rivalry Friday




Hello there, old friend.

The past will be present again in Friday's Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I football semifinals at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

Perennial powers and former Red East conference-rivals Farrington and Kahuku will face off in the 5 p.m. game to be followed by the late semifinal featuring sixth-ranked Waianae (7-2) and No. 2 Mililani (8-1), who were both previously in the Red West.

The last time the seventh-ranked Governors (7-2) and fourth-ranked Red Raiders (9-0) met was a year ago to the day — Oct. 23, 2015 — also in the semifinals of the OIA tournament. Kahuku got the winning score on a 4-yard touchdown run by Kesi Ah-Hoy with just 10 seconds remaining on the clock to move on to the league finals.

"I think it helps to motivate the team," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said. "Being in the playoffs alone helps motivate the team, but as far as Kahuku, definitely, with our history of playing one another."Somebody asked about our fans and said that they love to watch our crowds because both sides are very spirited and that's why high school football is so exciting. It should be an exciting game."

Okimoto is hopeful of history repeating itself.

"If you look at the past history between the teams, you'll see that we've beaten each other every other game the past years; I'm hoping the pattern stays true," Okimoto said."

Last year's game, a 21-14 Kahuku win, was the only meeting between the teams. Farrington won the lone 2013 face off, 21-7, in the regular season. Kahuku swept both 2012 meetings. It won in the regular season, 31-6, and in a state semifinal, 47-14. The Red Raiders have compiled a record of 35-16 all-time in games played against the Govs.

"We miss playing Kahuku and we miss playing the old East and West schedule," said Okimoto, whose team is coming off a 28-0 win over Campbell in last week's quarterfinal round for its first shutout this season. "The result on the scoreboard was good to see, but at the same time when you look at the whole scope of the game, I think we had about four offside penalties and that's the stuff that drives a coach nuts. You should have those type of penalties at this time of the year."

The Govs average 30 points and 349 yards per game offensively. Junior running back Challen Faamatau (1,049 rush yds, 481 rec. yds, 18 total TDs) is the focal point of a balanced offense (186 pass yards, 163 rush yards per game). The defense surrenders 21 points and 267 yards per game defensively.

"Someone said, ‘Your defense played good Saturday,' and I heard this is church: ‘good is the enemy of great,' " Okimoto said. "I told the kids that — good is the enemy of great — because we've only got great teams left (in the postseason) and Kahuku is one of them."

Farrington's defense, which opposing teams have averaged just 51 yards per game against this year, will face a stiff test against Kahuku's power-run game.

"It's not easy to prepare for a running team like Kahuku because you don't want to get your guys hurt, but at the same time we need to practice tackling and taking on blocks the right way, so that's a tricky area right there, but we do the best we can," Okimoto said. "It's good that we like to run it ourselves, so we face ourselves and that helps, but that's always a dilemma for every coach in preparing for game day. It's so hard to simulate a game situation until you get into the game, but we look forward to it."

The Red Raiders are putting up 47 points and 265 rushing yards per game on offense. They have a trio of backs with at least 50 carries, 550 rushing yards and six touchdowns each, led by junior Kesi Ah Hoy (811 rush yds, 260 pass yds, 18 total TDs).

"Their tight ends are like (offensive) linemen, so when you add those to five linemen, it's like they have seven linemen across and then you look in the backfield — especially with Ah-Hoy at quarterback — and it's formidable for anybody to defend against," Okimoto said. "Their running backs could be o-line at some schools. They've got size and strength and it starts with Kesi Ah-Hoy. He's athletic, he can run, (but) we feel we can match up. We've done well against the run, for the most part."

Kahuku's defense has been simply stellar, giving up just 32 combined points all season — an average of just 3.6 per game. Rush defense has been a particularly impressive aspect of the unit, allowing just 5.1 yards per game.

In last week's 56-10 loss at Carleton E. Weimer field, Kapolei posted 356 passing yards, but Kahuku got four interceptions — two by junior safety Kekaula Kaniho.

"Hats off to Kapolei, they're a good team," Red Raiders coach Vavae Tata said. "Their quarterback (Taulia Tagovailoa) is slowly coming around and they've got some explosive, dynamic players on the receiving end. They just did a great job of creating space. Our guys were frustrated at first, but after the dust cleared they were able to make some plays, which was great and now we move forward to Farrington."

Tata noted the play of Faamatau, who ranks behind only Mililani's Vavae Malepeai as the state's leading rusher, and junior quarterback Bishop Rapoza (1,249 pass yards, 14 TDs, 6 INTs).

"Farrington is a great team; they've got a couple of special players in (Faamatau) and (Rapoza) is doing a good job of spreading the ball around," Tata said. "For us, we just need to take care of what we do: alignment, assignment and that's for all three phases of the game. We're still looking for that complete game and hopefully that complete game is (Friday)."

Tata expects his team to be at full strength for the game. He said despite the stakes and the opponent, nothing has changed in his team's preparation.

"Practice has been the same, we just take it one week at a time," Tata said. "Our main focus is to play at our highest level every week, week-in and week-out, and we want to be 1-0 at the end of every week. Farrington is just another opponent that is in the way of our goal. The past is the past. I told the kids that 2015 is a new Kahuku team and we'll take this opponent like it's the championship game. We take every week as it's the championship game."

———
ScoringLive reporter Stacy Kaneshiro contributed to this report.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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