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Dayton Savea

Damien football  •   #10    

Dayton Savea is making a name for himself on the football field this fall.

The Damien junior has emerged as play-making wide receiver with a team-leading 28 catches for 456 yards and eight touchdowns in four games of reported statistics. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Savea is coming off of his best performance of the season in a 63-56 loss at then-No. 9 Iolani Friday afternoon, when he hauled in 12 receptions for 198 yards and four touchdowns.

Savea set a school record for receiving yards in a single game, but it came as hardly a surprise to his coach.

"That's what I expect from him all the time and for me, that game showed what Dayton can do," Monarchs coach Anthony "Bones" Tuitele said.

Savea's first touchdown reception was a 13-yard pass from quarterback AJ Tuifua to put Damien up 21-0 after the first quarter. His second went for 15 yards and made the score 28-7 in the second quarter. Savea pulled down a 16-yard TD catch to tie the game at 42 late in the third quarter – around the same time he started to deal with muscle cramps.

Despite that, Savea went on to find the end zone once more. His 62-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter evened the score once more at 56-all. Tuitele pointed to that play as a glimpse of what Savea is capable of.

"I really like that he fought through his cramping and was still making plays. That slant that he took to the house and scored on, that's what he can do and that's what I kind of tell him: ‘You can do this on a daily basis,' " Tuitele said.

Tuitele, a former Damien quarterback himself, described the skillset that makes Savea a unique talent.

"He's very explosive, very fast – he has great hands – and his ability to catch the ball and play is space is dangerous, so he's just a playmaker. I call him the X-factor all the time because no one knows about him. He's under the radar, but ever since he came on campus I knew he was going to be special," Tuitele said.

Savea's persona on the field, however, is hardly the one he carries off of it.

"It's funny because he plays loud, but in reality he's not," Tuitele said. "He's very quiet – super quiet – laid back, chill, does everything that you want a kid to do, comes from a well-respected family, great parents, great family; just a very humble and respectful kid."

Savea is in his second year in the starting lineup, but has a much larger role for the Monarchs' offense this year. As a sophomore in 2022, he recorded 16 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown in five games. But, as Tuitele noted, everything about Savea is different this season.

"Just the way he approaches the game now, he attacks the game. He's more aggressive in the way that he attacks the game and there's just a confidence now," Tuitele explained.

During the offseason, Savea, who is also a sprinter for the Damien track and field team, would often travel from his Aiea home to Waimanalo to get extra repetitions in with Tuifua.

"His parents drove him all the way out there to put in that extra work and build that relationship with AJ," Tuitele said. "I didn't know that until AJ was telling me that Dayton had been coming out with him, so he's just works hard and nobody sees the fact that he made the extra sacrifice to put in work with his quarterback. The numbers he's putting up don't show how humble he is and the work that he puts in day in and day out and how he's always trying to perfect his craft."

Savea's sweat equity is paying off this fall for both him and the Monarchs, who are averaging nearly 40 points a game. Tuitele noted that Savea's strengths and abilities serve as complementary to fellow receivers Ian Sera and Nalu Chinen-Zablan.

"The offense is scary because we've got the two seniors (Sera and Chinen-Zablan) who can stretch the field, whereas Dayton can catch something and make something out of nothing, but the good thing is they all understand their roles and it helps the offense as a whole," Tuitele said.

With Tuifua at the controls and a plethora of talented pass-catchers, opposing defenses will have much to consider, including running back Sylas Alaimalo, who is averaging 9.9 yards per carry.

"If they load the box, we have receivers outside to give us the option to throw the ball and if the box opens up, then we'll give the ball to Sy, so it's a chess match – pick your poison – and there's a lot of options. People think the offense looks good, but I don't think we've reached our full potential of what our offense can be," Tuitele said.

Although the Monarchs came up short against the Raiders Friday – in a game that featured 119 combined points and nearly 1,200 yards of total offense between the teams – Tuitele's squad was able to draw positives out of the experience nonetheless.

"There's a lot of good that came from that game. We played a really good team – we all know how Iolani plays and I already knew 21-0 wasn't enough and the fact that we still had a lot of ball game to play – but for me it was just a learning lesson to build from this game. The thing is are we able to learn from this game and be ready for the next game, not only as players, but as coaches, especially me, but it's a whole unit of everybody learning from this game," Tuitele expressed.

Savea and the Monarchs (4-3 overall, 2-1 league) have a bye this week before they face Kamehameha II on Oct. 7 at Radford's John E. Velasco Stadium.

FOOTBALL

Rusten Abang, Campbell — Caught seven passes for 117 yards in a win over Farrington

Sylas Alaimalo, Damien — Ran for 236 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in a loss to Iolani 

Keoki Alani, Konawaena — Threw for 376 yards and six touchdowns on 27-of-35 passing with two interceptions in a win over Hilo 

Liatama Amisone, Kapolei — Threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-32 passing without an interception and ran for 162 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in a win over Kailua 

Zed Anahu-Ambrosio, Konawaena — Caught 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in a win over Hilo 

Kekai Burnett, Punahou — Recorded nine total tackles, including 6 1/2 for losses and four sacks in a win over Kamehameha 

Chase Camarillo, Kapolei — Ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in a win over Kailua 

Reilly Campbell, Kalaheo — Recovered two fumbles and returned one for a 15-yard touchdown in a loss to Roosevelt 

Nalu Chinen-Zablan, Damien — Caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Iolani 

Trey Dacoscos, Pearl City — Threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns on 36-of-56 passing with one interception and ran for a touchdown in a win over Waialua 

Evan Derauf, PAC-5 — Kicked field goals of 36, 44 and 22 yards in a win over Kamehameha II 

Kekainalu Fuerte, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Caught two passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Honokaa 

Astin Hange, Punahou — Caught five passes for 143 yards in a win over Kamehameha 

Hyrum Horita, Iolani — Caught seven passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Damien 

Excel Jury, Waianae — Made three tackles and scored on a 7-yard interception return in a win over Radford 

Slater Kaleiohi, Waianae — Scored on a 42-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Radford 

Kekama Kane, Iolani — Caught 13 passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Damien 

Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo, Aiea — Caught nine passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Moanalua 

Dayton Kuhiiki, Waianae — Ran for 144 yards on 17 carries in a win over Radford 

Noah Macapulay, Punahou — Caught eight passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Kamehameha 

Aizik Mahuka, Mililani — Scored on a 35-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Castle 

Ezekiel Kuiee-Matias, Kaimuki — Caught two passes for 124 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass in a win over Kalani 

Ty McCutcheon, Punahou — Threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing with one interception in a win over Kamehameha 

Kini McMillan, Mililani — Threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns on 16-of-21 passing without an interception in a win over Castle 

Caysean Melvin, Campbell — Caught three passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in a win over Farrington 

Carmelo Moses-Fuller, Nanakuli — Scored on a 57-yard interception return for touchdown in a loss to Kahuku 

Seth Miller, PAC-5 — Ran for 154 yards on 35 carries in a win over Kamehameha II

Abraham Ogata, Konawaena — Caught eight passes for 150 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Hilo 

Adam Perry, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Threw for 263 yards and five touchdowns on 11-of-19 passing with an interception and ran for a touchdown in a win over Honokaa 

Kayden Quon-Kaleiopu, Kamehameha — Made six tackles, including two sacks in a loss to Punahou 

Dillon Reis, Kaiser — Ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in a win over McKinley 

Kaleb Rice, Waialua — Scored on a 90-yard kickoff return for touchdown in a loss to Pearl City 

Eric Saau, Aiea — Made 5 1/2 tackles, including one for a loss, intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble in a loss to Moanalua 

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Campbell — Threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns on 24-of-34 passing with one interception and ran for a touchdown in a win over Farrington 

Reshod Scott, Moanalua — Ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in a win over Aiea 

Taimane Souza-Fautanu, Roosevelt — Ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and threw a touchdown pass in a win over Kalaheo 

Taniela Taliauli, Iolani — Scored on a 4-yard blocked punt return and recorded the game-sealing interception in a win over Damien 

Aliimalu Tan, Konawaena — Scored on a 5-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Hilo 

Aiden Trinidad, Kalani — Made nine tackles, including three for losses, and forced a fumble in a loss to Kaimuki 

AJ Tuifua, Damien — Threw for 439 yards and seven touchdowns on 26-of-40 passing with one interception in a loss to Iolani 

CJ Villanueva, Iolani — Threw for 427 yards and seven touchdowns on 29-of-43 passing with one interception in a win over Damien 

Tristan Waiamau-Galindo, Kamehameha — Made five tackles, including two sacks in a loss to Punahou  

Kayla-Jane Padayao

Campbell volleyball  •   #8  S/OP  Senior

Kayla-Jane Padayao has taken matters into her own hands this volleyball season.

After serving as a role player a year ago, the Campbell senior has ascended to become the team's starting setter this fall and she did with some old-fashioned hard work.

"She really put in a lot of work from last season, when she came in sparingly, to this season," Sabers coach Tristan Ehia said of the 5-foot-7 Padayao.

Last season, Campbell utilized a six-hitter, two-setter offense, but its primary setter graduated in the spring, which left Padayao to assume the reins of a revamped 5-1 attack. It was an anticipated move, Ehia explained, but Padayao did much of the legwork on her own.

"We talked about it from last season, but she did a lot on her own to get ready for this year. She pushed herself to play at a better club with better coaches and she really had a great club season," he said. "She really put in the work, not only with club, but doing extra clinics and really embracing her role and being a leader, whereas she had a little confidence issue last season, but at her club she really took on more of a leadership role because of her position as the primary setter for her club too, so that really helped her come along."

Padayao, a six-rotation player whose secondary position is as an opposite, was tabbed as a captain this season. Ehia said that he noticed a change for the better out of Padayao from the get go.

"From when she first came into the gym summer time, she was really one of our leaders and really pushing our girls to get there. She had a strong chance to start as a 5-1 setter already in the summer time, but she could also hit so we were kind of open to running a 6-2, but because of the injuries we just gravitated more toward the 5-1," Ehia explained.

Ehia said that Padayao has worked diligently to build a connection with her attackers.

"She gets to know all her hitters, she knows what sets they like, the speed they like, their tempo so that's been a big reason why we've been able to run our offense, because of her understanding of our hitters and really making them comfortable with what we're trying to run," Ehia said.

Campbell opened up regular season play in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Western Division with a straight-set sweep of Radford on Sept. 13. Padayao notched a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs, as well as five services aces and a pair of kills. Eight different Sabers recorded at least one kill in the win.

Padayao increased her production to another level last week. She tallied 48 assists, seven digs, three kills, one ace and a block assist in a four-set loss to Leilehua on Sept. 18. The Sabers pushed the Mules to the brink in the first set, but dropped it 27-26. They took set 2 by a score of 25-20, but fell in the third and fourth sets, 25-22 and 25-18.

"I thought she did an excellent job for us as a leader in that match. We started the season with 15 players, but even in that game we had two injuries, which put us down to eight players, but she still was able to put us in a position to win, it's just that we couldn't finish at the time," Ehia said.

One of those players injured in the Leilehua match, senior outside hitter Jamilyn Ahina, was able to return in time for Wednesday's match against Nanakuli, which entered the contest with a 2-0 record.

Amina came up with 14 kills, five digs and two aces and junior Sivai Kilaulani put down a team-high 18 kills with seven digs to help the Sabers rally to a four-set win over the Golden Hawks. The set scores were 17-25, 25-16, 25-20 and 25-13. Padayao registered 44 assists, seven digs, three kills and three block assists.

"We went down that first set against Nanakuli, but Kayla was able to rally us and she just took over and we followed her lead and we were more confident going into the second, third and fourth frames," Ehia said.

The second-year Campbell coach took notice of a more demonstrative-than-usual Padayao in the match against the Golden Hawks.

"It was the first time seeing her just really ignite and be a little bit more excited in her celebrations and just so excited for the team – cheering on her teammates, making it all about them and celebrating their successes – seeing her play like that and just having that mentality, it uplifted our team, so she's really embraced that leadership role," Ehia said.

The victory over Nanakuli improved Campbell's record to 2-1 on the season in the OIA Division I West standings.

"It was a big win and Kayla's a big, big, big reason for us being 2-1 right. All season long she's set up our team to really good hitting percentages and she's been a very big part to our success on her. She sets well, but also her blocking, her digging, her defense and also her serving, as well as her leadership is what makes her special. She's really put in the work to become an all-around player," Ehia said.

Volleyball isn't the only thing keeping Padayao busy. For the past three years she has also assisted Campbell's athletic training staff as a student trainer. During a recent trip to Las Vegas that saw both the Sabers' girls volleyball and football teams play non-league games in the Silver State, Padayao somehow still managed to fill both roles.

"When we were on our mainland trip, she played games with us then at night she had to go and be the student trainer for the football game," Ehia noted.

Despite her many responsibilities – whether it be on the court, on the sidelines or in the classroom – Padayao never takes herself too seriously.

"Sometimes I feel like she plays around too much, but she's such a jokester off the court, but on the court all of that is gone and she's a leader," Ehia described. "Very serious, but a great girl and a great student. She can be a clown, but I'm glad that she turns it on and when it's time to play, she switches that off."

Padayao and the Sabers will visit Waialua Wednesday. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Jamilyn Amina, Campbell — Had 22 kills, one dig and one-half block in a four-set loss to Leilehua 

Anae Asuncion, Mililani — Had 32 set assists and six kills in a three-set win over Aiea 

Skye Boeche, Hana — Had 16 set assists, 10 aces, one kill and a dig in a four-set win over Lanai 

Lauren Brown, Maui Prep — Had 15 kills, four digs, one block and an ace in a four-set loss to Seabury Hall 

Makalani Carey, Seabury Hall — Had 12 kills and 14 aces in a three-set win over Kihei Charter and had 17 kills, five digs and one-half block in a four-set win over Maui Prep 

Ara Cely Ver, Aiea — Had 21 digs and one ace in a five-set win over Waipahu 

Emma Chun, Nanakuli — Had 15 kills, eight digs and two aces in a four-set win over Waianae 

Kiana Cueto, Damien — Had 18 kills and two set assists in a three-set win over Hawaii Baptist 

Kamaluhia Garcia, Moanalua — Had 14 kills, five digs, one block and an ace in a three-set win over Kaiser 

Arianna Helekahi, Hana — Had 17 kills, four digs and two aces in a four-set win over Lanai 

Kaila Kalama-Bajet, Damien — Had 26 kills, three set assists, 1 1/2 blocks and one ace in a three-set win over Hawaii Baptist  

Khiana Kauweloa, Nanakuli — Had 39 set assists, five digs, three kills, one ace and one-half block in a four-set win over Waianae 

Savai Kilaulani, Campbell — Had 25 digs and three set assists in a four-set loss to Leilehua and had 18 kills and seven digs in a four-set win over Nanakuli 

Avery Kirkham, Maui Prep — Had 10 kills, 15 digs and four aces in a four-set loss to Seabury Hall 

Marley-Alzie Matautia, Nanakuli — Had 12 kills, 10 digs, six aces and two set assists in a four-set win over Waianae 

Macy Matsushima, Kaiser — Had 29 digs, three aces and one set assist in a four-set win over Kailua and had 17 digs, three aces and one set assist in a three-set loss to Moanalua 

Tehani Militante, Waialua — Had 13 digs, one kill and an ace in a three-set loss to Kapolei 

Bella Palmer, Seabury Hall — Had 33 assists and one ace in a four-set win over Maui Prep 

Jasmine Pei, Aiea — Had 30 set assists, 11 digs, four aces and two blocks in a five-set win over Waipahu 

Erica Roberts, Mililani — Had 12 kills and one-half block in a three-set win over Aiea 

Shereya Ufuti, Kaiser — Had 18 kills, 14 digs and one ace in a four-set win over Kailua 

Chandy-Lee Westbook, Nanakuli — Had 21 digs, three set assists and one ace in a four-set win over Waianae