MIL football
Showdowns set for this week
The Maui Interscholastic League football races reach the midway point this weekend with a pair of first-round championship games.
Friday night, Lahainaluna High School (3-0) travels to Kamehameha Maui (2-1), where the Warriors will celebrate homecoming at Kanaiaupuni Stadium with the MIL Division II first-round crown on the line.
Saturday, the crosstown rivalry between Baldwin (2-1) and Maui High (1-2) will have the Division I first round up for grabs.
“People will come out, the bands, both schools,” first-year Maui High coach Rodney Figueroa said. “You know, it’s Central (Maui) pride here.”
Baldwin has won two of three MIL games after opening with losses to nationally ranked Saint Louis and Mission Viejo. After losing its first four games of the year, Maui High broke through last week with a 55-0 win over King Kekaulike.
“It’s a big challenge for me to get these kids prepared to play against Baldwin,” said Figueroa, who spent the previous two seasons on Baldwin’s staff. “Baldwin is wellschooled, well-coached and you can see the improvements.”
Figueroa said as Bears senior quarterback Chayce Akaka goes, so goes Baldwin. Akaka had 100 yards rushing, 264 passing and 70 receiving, and was part of all seven touchdowns last week in a 46-14 win over Kamehameha Maui. Akaka also kicked off eight times, three for touchbacks, punted and returned kicks.
“That guy runs that train over there,” Figueroa said.
The Sabers coach is pleased with the way several of his sophomores have started to step up.
Naia Nakamoto ran for 128 yards on four carries last week, including a 63-yard touchdown jaunt. Christian Lee has four catches on the season and has scored twice, including on a 10-yard run after recovering a teammate’s fumble last week. Sione Lolohea blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a score last week.
“You are starting to see some of the younger guys starting to step up, they are understanding the program,” Figueroa said. “With these guys stepping up the future is starting to look good, but I keep pushing the seniors to lead this year.”
One of the seniors who have come to the forefront is defensive back Lotu Pulu.
“Great leader, the kids fall into line with him,” Figueroa said.
Baldwin has won four straight against Maui High after the Sabers won three straight in 2014 and 2015. Before that, the Bears won 26 in a row in the series from 2001 to 2013.
“We know what’s at stake, and we’re excited about that,” Baldwin coach Pohai Lee said. “This is what we’re playing for, the first-round title. As the week goes on, we want to get more emotion into practice and get going on things. In terms of where we’re at, this is what we want to be in position to play for.”
Lee said that running back Bishop Wickes will be back this week after sitting out last week with a sore foot. Wickes is fourth in the league with 239 yards rushing — he has two touchdowns and averages 10.9 yards per carry.
“For precautionary reasons we just wanted to give him a few days that he really needed,” Lee said. “And get him geared up for this game.”
The Bears’ top-ranked offense in the MIL meets the Sabers’ No. 1 defense.
“That’s what rivalries are about,” Lee said. “We expect their best and I’m sure they’re expecting the same from us.”
The Lunas have won four straight against Kamehameha Maui dating back to the Warriors’ only win in the series, in August 2015.
“I think we haven’t really put it all together yet,” Lahainaluna co-head coach Garret Tihada said. “We haven’t played a complete game all season, so I guess we’re fortunate to be in the position we are.”
Kamehameha Maui is 3-2 overall and seeking its second state berth ever — the first came in 2005. The Lunas are the defending D-II state champions and are a unanimous No. 1 in the Cover2 media poll this week.
“We’re fortunate to have the start that we have — they’ve played well at times and they’ve not played well at other times,” Kamehameha Maui coach Ulima Afoa said. “On to the next game, which happens to be Lahainaluna. I know this is the end of the first round. We’re just trying to improve every week, trying to address some of the issues that we have, and maybe try to change the culture here a little bit along the way.”
Playing the Lunas is never easy, he said.
“They’re a very good opponent, they’re a very good football team, they’re a very good football program,” Afoa said. “We understand that we’re going up against a pretty big mountain, but we have no choice, we’ve got to play them.”
Robert Collias is at rcollias @mauinews.com