Q&A
Rough Riders, Bulldogs on collision course




Friday the 13th proved to be a day of reckoning for the Kaimuki and Roosevelt football teams last year.

Both teams saw their 2017 seasons come to an end with a road loss in the OIA Division II semifinals, on the same date — Friday, Oct. 13.

This season, both squads are eyeing a return trip to the four-team league playoffs with a chance at redemption. A key test will come this Friday, when the contenders cross paths in the second week of the OIA regular season.

Kaimuki will be playing just its second game after a bye in week one. The Bulldogs (1-0) are coming off a 49-0 throttling of Kalani at Kaiser Stadium last Friday.

Jonah Stephens rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns and the defense gave up a mere 75 yards of total offense to the Falcons.

The Bulldogs scored 29 points in the second quarter alone and led 36-0 at halftime.

Meanwhile, the Rough Riders (2-0) have already established themselves as comeback kids, posting fourth-quarter rallies in wins over Nanakuli (13-7) and PAC-5 (17-15) in a span of a week.

Aalona Monteilh played the part of hero in the opener against the Golden Hawks, picking off a pair of passes on defense and pulling down both touchdown receptions on offense, including the game-winner with 40 seconds left.

Against the Wolfpack Saturday night, it was Mason Morishige — playing in his very first football game, no less — who came up clutch, kicking a 38-yard field goal as time expired.

We caught up with the coaches of both teams a few days before they face off Friday.


ScoringLive: Describe your team's current situation in one word and explain.

David Tautofi, Kaimuki coach: "Ready. We've all got much room for improvement and we find the opportunities to grow and get better. Every team has its goals and objectives for the expectations we have of our teams. For us, we're where I believe we should be at this time and where we are, I think they're ready for the season."

Kui Kahooilihala, Roosevelt coach: "Heart. They all have heart. They work hard and don't give up."


SL: What have you learned about your team so far through the first two weeks of the season?

Tautofi: "What I've seen in the first two weeks has been positive and hopeful. Where we are and where we want to be weekly gives us a good understanding on what needs to happen and what we need to do in order for us to progress daily in our goals as a team. The team is resilient and I think they are starting to realize what they can accomplish as long as they understand the value a team has over an individual."

Kahooilihala: "The kids' work ethic is great, as they have been working hard. They are still trying to find their identity and still learning to play for each other."


SL: Where has your team taken its greatest strides since the start of the summer?

Tautofi: "I think the greatest strides the team has taken since the summer has been their mentality and mindset on the game and most importantly, on who they are as a person and as a team. I've made it a point to make them realize what a blessing and a privilege it is to play this sport of football and that there is one guarantee in life of football, that they don't have forever to play this sport and that its now or never. That understanding changes the way one approaches how they prepare and how they play the game."

Kahooilihala: "They sacrificed their summer to the weight room and conditioning, working out on their own."


SL: Have there been any pleasant surprises?

Tautofi: "There are always pleasant surprises when you can see the potential that has yet to be realized or reached by the players and the coaches. One of the pleasant things wasn't so much a surprise, but just a confirmation that we're doing something right has been fitting players and placing them in the right position to succeed primarily for the player, or the players. We've been fortunate to find some strengths in certain moves we've made with players and their positions. Placing them in a position they've not really played before only to realize how well they fit there and how much more effective they are. The neatest thing about that for me is not only what that does for the team, but seeing almost a renewed being in that player, which only strengthens their confidence in themselves and in the team."

Kahooilihala: "All our underclassmen, as this is the first year we brought up a few sophomores and they have been stepping it up to play varsity."


SL: What kind of an identity do you feel your team wants to establish and how far along is it toward achieving that identity?

Tautofi: "I think the team simply looks forward to playing football. If there is an identity they've established up till now, it's that they're all in for one another and they'd go all out for each other. Developing that kind of attitude begins from the first time the team participates in team training and it doesn't stop. They've gone through more obstacles and faced more challenges as a team in the last couple of months than they have before and with the teams I've had in the past three years, the bar was raised and the level of expectations have set the pace in the culture of what Kaimuki football has become to them and what is is becoming. They'll only get out of this season all that they dedicate to put into it and I think we've come a long way since my first year and the culture is changed because of them."

Kahooilihala: "Work hard and work together as one to execute our plays effectively."


SL: What are your thoughts on this week's opponent?

Tautofi: "Roosevelt is among the top teams in our division and I feel they will have a lot of success this season building off of what coach Kui has been able to do since he's been there. This is the most talented team of the teams we've faced the last three seasons and coach Kui has done an outstanding job with that program. They've got a plethora of playmakers on that team that could be more than a handful for any team to face. They gain more players this week from AP list and that's gotta be a plus for them going into our matchup on Friday. I know they'll be ready to play come Friday. I look forward to it."

Kahooilihala: "Kaimuki is a great, aggressive team. They don't make mistakes, so we need to be ready and prepared."


SL: What will be a key matchup within the game for your team?

Tautofi: "The keymatchup in this game for our team is how we matchup with their skills. Tamaki Iijima does a great job running their offense and now with the build of their players back, he'll be comfortable with what he's responsible for at quarterback. They've also got a very talented running back in (Mitchel) Camacho and an added threat with (Aalona) Monteilh, who could be the different in the game for them. They are just a few of the many weapons they possess on offense who also have a strong role on defense for them. We've got our work cut out for us, but our focus right now has to be on our preparations today and keying our key responsibilities and objectives against a dangerous team like Roosevelt. For us, it will be limiting our mistakes and playing fast, hard-nosed football. We know what we're up against and with that being said, the discipline of our team will have the biggest impact all around for us. If one thing could hurt us besides mistakes, it would be penalties. We just have to make sure we are ready to step up to the challenge that Roosevelt brings and leave our best out on the field and see what that results in for us. It will be a game I know they're looking forward to and we are who stands in their way right now."

Kahooilihala: "Bottom line is those up front — our linemen. We need to have the push up front and be more than aggressive."


Camacho ran for a game-high 145 yards, but Kaimuki rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and went on to beat Roosevelt by a score of 14-6 despite being out-gained in total yardage, 344 to 225, when the teams last met, on Sept. 1 of last year.

Kickoff Friday is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m. at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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