 |
The following events happened after Kaleo went to press:
OUTAGE AFFECTS 2,500
HOMES FROM
KA'A'AWA TO KAHUKU: HECO
technicians and equipment (right) worked from
late Thursday night, Feb. 10th, through the next day
to repair several power lines and poles that were damaged
when a tree fell across them. As often happens
in this area, Kamehameha
Hwy. was closed for several hours — also
interfering with ambulance response — until
contra-flow traffic was established. — photo
by Barry Markowitz
POST OFFICE FIRE: Police and federal investigators suspect a fire the morning of Feb. 8th in the Lä'ie Post Office was deliberately set. Damage was limited to the mail-drop area, but service was disrupted for several days.
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER DIES: BYU-Hawai'i alumnus and noted north shore surf photographer Jonathan Mozo, 33, died Feb. 9th at Kahuku Hospital after apparently suffering serious head injuries from being thrown on the reef near the famous Pipeline break. Mozo, who had a photo studio in Hale'iwa, was previously injured off Goat Island in 1993 when he was bitten on the feet by a shark.
KAHUKU BASKETBALL TEAM ADVANCES TO OIA SEMI-FINALS: The Kahuku High boys basketball team defeated Radford, 67-49, at McKinley's gym on Feb. 11th to advance to the OIA championship semi-final round. In that game, the Red Raiders will go up against Kaimukï at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16th, at McKinley. The game will also be televised live on OC-16.
 |
A record-tying number
of Kahuku High athletes sign national letters of intent accepting athletic scholarships on February 2nd in the school gymnasium. — folifotos |
Eight Kahuku High football players signed national letters of intent in the school gymnasium on Feb. 2nd — the first day NCAA rules allow them — to accept full scholarships to Division IA universities. Several other Kahuku athletes also signed letters of intent, either at the special ceremony or that day, including:
B.J. Adolpho, New Mexico State; Al Afalava, Oregon State; Desmond Enesa, Dixie College; Max Fairclough and La'auli Fonotï, New Mexico State; Spencer Hafoka, BYU; Maveu Heimuli; Mauhe Moala, Glendale College; David Niumatalolo, New Mexico State; and Micah Strickland, San Diego State.
Leeann Mapu also participated in the signing ceremony but had earlier submitted her letter of intent accepting a BYU-Hawai'i volleyball scholarship.
Head football coach Siuaki Livai noted the following players had also received scholarship offers and were considering their options, including: Bronson Ponciano-Ähue, Tomasi Fuller, Kurtney Silva, Simote Vea, Jonathan Rickertsen and D.J. Soliven, Arizona Western; also Stanley Kava, Apolosi Lauhingoa, Kekoa Pahia and Herman Matthews, Eastern Arizona; and Viliami Tilini and Brysen Ginlack.
Livai explained some of those signing with junior colleges could still go to Division I: "When boys sign a junior college scholarship, they can later move onto a DI school without being obligated to who they first signed with, and everybody understands that."
He added some Division I schools overextend themselves on offers, knowing they won't get 100% acceptance. "One coach told me they have 12 scholarships available, but they offered 18, so there will be schools that are still looking for players, and other schools who need to figure something else out.
"For example, last year E.J. Reid missed this day, but signed later on. His coach at Utah State can't stop talking about him.
"Today, there are eight Division I signees. This ties the record: In 1998- 99 we also signed eight. Seven of them [the current signers] have met all the requirements of a Division I school. The credit goes to the teachers and the parents who are behind these guys."
School principal Lisa DeLong expressed similar sentiments: "I want to congratulate each of you," she told the athletes. "I'm really proud of all of you, and I'm proud to be your principal."
A surprise and a schism
The signing actually went pretty much as expected, with two exceptions:
Number one, some people thought Al Afalava planned to attend BYU, but ended up signing with Oregon State.
"I decided on it last night," he responded after the signing. "My dad wanted me to go to Oregon State, and my mom wanted me to go to BYU. My coaches gave me some good advice, but mainly I based my decision on wanting to play in the Pac 10, and coach Banker said I should be able to play as a true freshman."
Number two is a heavily publicized implication by University of Hawai'i head coach June Jones that Kahuku might be steering players away from his program; and coach Livai's denial and counter-claim that UH hasn't been doing any serious recruiting recently in Kahuku.
Hopefully the schism will be mended as soon as possible. In the meantime, UH is listing 2002 quarterback 'Inoke Funaki — who recently completed his LDS mission — on next year's roster, as well as 2003 graduate Viliami Nauahi.
Players and parents
Meanwhile, most players and parents are pleased with this year's recruiting results.
Spencer Hafoka, for example, said his decision process was "on and off, but it was pretty clear cut. I've grown up watching BYU play, I've got an uncle who played, and I've been to every BYU summer camp since my freshman year."
Hafoka confirmed that he plans to go on an LDS mission soon "after I go to the Kingdom Bowl in Tonga on July 4th. It's the Tongans from Hawai'i versus the Tongans from the mainland in Tonga. Coach Livai is the founder and the one who coordinates the game. Hawaii's record is 1-2. The first year we won with 'Inoke Funaki, so we're hoping to even it up this year."
Spencer's father, Finau Hafoka, a 9th grade counselor at Kahuku, said his son made an "excellent choice. There's no better place for him, and it's a dream come true for me. I wanted him to go there, but he made his own choice.
 |
"His older brother, Saia [Kahuku '01] is up there. He just came home from his mission in Nicaragua. He was recruited together with Aaron Francisco in '01. They were the two from Kahuku that BYU took that year. He'll be starting his football scholarship this fall."
The senior Hafoka acknowledged it was a "team effort that got all the boys to this point — the coaches, the team, the parents, the community, the Church. They all helped and played an important part in their lives. Our kids are lucky to have such strong support, which makes my job as a parent easier."
He added that their son, Moana, who got injured in his senior year at Kahuku in '02 and just came home from an LDS mission in Alaska, is also going to school in Provo in the fall, "but he's not sure if he wants to play football."
Simi Niumatalolo of Lä'ie said he would have liked his grandson, David, "to go to a military school, but he wanted to go to New Mexico State."
Lt. Col. James "Junior" Niumatalolo added he was proud of his son's accomplishments. "New Mexico has an up-and-coming program. I think he's eventually interested in going to medical school. He's also thinking of going on an LDS mission, and the coaches are okay with that."
Emaline Fonotï of Hau'ula is pleased with her son's decision. "We think New Mexico has an awesome coach. La'auli is the last of our children. We have three boys: Töniu is playing for the San Diego Chargers; and Taualai is at Stanford where he's a junior school-wise, but a sophomore for football. He's got two more seasons left."
"They're also very flexible in case La'auli wants to go on a mission," said his father, Tanielu Fonotï.
Desmond Enesa's father, Devon Enesa of Punalu'u, hopes his son "takes advantage of the opportunity and does his best. This is the first one going away for school, so it's a challenge for us."
"It's an excellent opportunity," added his mother, Winona Enesa, who reported older brother, Devon "Nacha" [Kahuku '95], graduated from BYU-Hawai'i and now works at the university as a technician. "Joden ['00] also graduated and is currently serving her mission in San Jose and Jamie ['01] is a senior at BYUH who graduates this December."
But perhaps one of coach Livai's responses was most telling: "These boys will be evaluating their options in making these important choices in their lives," he said, suggesting the decisions "could also influence where they're going to live, the kind of work they do, and who they might marry some day."
Good luck to all.
On Feb. 4th the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i bestowed one of its prestigious "living treasure" awards on Sione Tui'one Pulotu of Lä'iemalo'o for his more than 40 years of "continuous growth and learning, significant contributions toward a more humane and fraternal society," and for striving toward "excellence and high standards of achievement" as a Polynesian master wood carver.
 |
Sione Tui'one Pulotu of
Lä'ie, with models of his next two canoe projects, has been named a "living treasure" of Hawai'i for his many contributions in the field of Polynesian carving . — folifoto |
Pulotu first came to Lä'ie from Tonga in 1960 as a 20-year-old volunteer LDS "labor missionary" to help build four new dormitories and other additions at the Church College of Hawai'i, two wings on the Hawai'i Temple, the Temple Visitors Center and president's housing, Moana Street faculty housing, various chapels and, of course, the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The week after arriving he recalled visiting the then-new Ala Moana Center and seeing Hawaiian tikis for the first time. "I really looked at them and told myself, I'm going to learn to make these things," said Pulotu, who taught himself how to carve.
"The first significant project I did were the two tikis that were in front of the PCC for many years. That's when I started to feel confident that I could do this," he continued.
In fact, Pulotu went on to carve many tikis throughout the state as well as creating and repairing numerous Polynesian buildings at the Cultural Center, including the new Hawaiian and Marquesan villages in the 1976 expansion, and set work for the movies Hawaii, Johnny Lingo and Karate Kid II.
The PCC also asked Pulotu to help create two fleets of canoes — the first the fiberglass ones that are still used for visitor canoe tours as well as a set of six cultural canoes, which resulted in Pulotu doing more than 20 years of research on the subject.
"There were some very good sketches, even back from Captain Cook's time," Pulotu said, "and after I did those canoes, I told myself I was going to go to Tonga and build one.
"When I was growing up in Tonga as a little boy, they always talked about the kalia [a double-hulled canoe in which the smaller hull acts as an outrigger] sailing to Fiji and Sämoa. Our music also tells about the canoes and the outstanding sailors, but there were no Tongan canoes at that point.
"When I felt comfortable, I started to translate my work into models, similar but smaller than the ones I recently made for the front entrance of the PCC," Pulotu continued, adding that he eventually did go back to Tonga in the late 1990s where he first built two 44-footers as a warm-up to the incredible 105-foot kalia-style Mileniume — the largest modern Polynesian voyaging canoe created so far.
It took Pulotu and his assistants over 12 months to carve the Mileniume (Millennium), which sailed for the first time out of Nuku'alofa before dawn on New Year's Day 2000 to catch the sunrise.
Soon after the Mileniume was finished, Pulotu began his work on BYU-Hawaii's voyaging canoe, the beautiful 57-foot twin-hulled Iosepa, which was launched at Hukilau Beach on November 3, 2001, and will tentatively find a permanent berth in a new hälau in the Polynesian Cultural Center's Hawaiian village by the end of this year.
The creation of the Iosepa gave many people in Ko'olauloa the opportunity to watch Pulotu work with his varying sizes of chain saws, chisels and even Polynesian-style toki or adzes — all without benefit of blueprints or other written plans.
"Those people in the olden days, when they built a canoe, it was a part of them," Pulotu said. "So far, the canoes I've built came out exactly the way I imagined."
Most recently, Pulotu has decided to build his own canoe "using various Polynesian techniques combined in one vessel. I've been working on the model and I hope to go to Fiji to build it.
"This is going to be my last major project, because I'm still strong enough to handle my chain saws and do my stuff. I have a friend who's helping me. We met with the people there, who are so excited. They told me they've been wanting something like this to happen, but no one there knew how to do it. I told them I could build a Fijian drua while I'm building my canoe.
"They were so excited they offered me a place in Suva right next to the maritime school of the University of the South Pacific. The only thing that's holding me back is the funding. I'm still working on that," said Pulotu, who estimated the two canoes could cost a million dollars. "Fiji doesn't have the money, but they will furnish labor."
In the meantime, Pulotu said he's honored to be named a "living treasure. Guaranteed I'm the first Tongan.
"This is my work. I consider myself a traditional carver. That means I follow traditional styles and stick with historic and cultural traditions. Of course, I use modern tools.
"I want to thank my wife [Mahana Mo'o Pulotu], who has really supported me over the years. I also want to acknowledge I owe everything that I know and have today to the [LDS] Church and the Polynesian Cultural Center. They gave me the opportunity to develop my talents."
Congratulations to Tui'one Pulotu, Ko'olauloa's own "living treasure."
— By Mike Foley
 |
The Lä'ie Hawaii
Temple Visitors Center has reopened after seven months of renovation work that brought new displays and features . — folifoto |
After seven months of renovations, the Hawai'i Temple Visitors Center in Lä'ie re-opened on Jan. 22nd and features several major new displays.
"This is essentially a brand new center," said Elder Jay Geddes, who recently succeeded Elder Ralph Cottrell Jr. as director of the Visitors Center.
Elder Geddes explained the changes include a new Christus sculpture presentation, an international Book of Mormon display, an Asian room, a large bay window that looks over the grounds and temple, a remodeled theater where the large-format movie The Testaments (previously shown at the Polynesian Cultural Center) is now shown on the same schedule, new tiles in the fountain area outside which are more accessible, and a presentation on "Our Father's plan."
 |
Elder Geddes |
"We invite any and all to come see and enjoy these changes. We hope they'll be pleased and touched by some of the presentations," said Elder Geddes, who added the Visitors Center is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To staff the center, Elder Geddes explained there are two other missionary couples besides him and his wife, and 16 young sister missionaries at any one time. "It's a full schedule, but it's very fulfilling," he said.
Elder Geddes and his wife had previously come to Hawai'i about 20 years ago, but never imagined they would serve here. "In fact, we had been called to Nauvoo [Illinois], and then they changed our assignment. We were surprised, but it's very beautiful here and the center is outstanding. This is our first mission.
"We invite everyone to come see the Visitors Center. It's not just for LDS," Elder Geddes continued. "We're eventually going to start up the music programs and also invite special speakers. In the meantime, anyone can come at any time. We can also make special arrangements for groups, if they call ahead of time."
For further information, call 808-293-9297.
[Editor's note: As part of the CCH/BYU-Hawaii'i golden jubilee celebration (1955-2005), Kaleo will 'talk story' with Ko'olauloa residents and others who were there in the good old days. ]
Arthur Keawe Enos, who is originally from Maui, and his wife, Mildred Ah Hee Enos from Pähoa, Hawai'i, met as Church College of Hawai'i classmates when the then-new junior college first opened in Lä'ie in September 1955.
Enos had already gone to BYU Provo for a couple of years and served in the Army during the Korean Conflict before coming to the new school.
 |
Enos |
"My mom [the late Emily Enos] had to come to some meetings with the president of the college, because she was asked to be in charge of the boys dorms, and I came down with her," Enos said of his decision to enroll. He added that his mother was soon put in charge of the boys dormitories and the schools food services.
"I met Millie before school even started. I was walking down the hallway of the administration building, and my [future] wife walked in to see Sister [Lilly] Lindsey, my aunt. I saw her, and when she went out, I hurried over to my aunt and asked, 'who's that?' I rushed out and saw her getting into a car, and said to myself, I'm going to have to meet her."
Enos was soon put in charge of driving one of CCH's two Army surplus trucks, which were used to shuttle the boys from their dorm at Kekela beach park (now Kokololio) and the girls dorm near Lä'ie Point.
"I loved diving with the boys after school," Enos continued. "We lived at Kekela, so we did a lot of fishing. We'd catch fish, and mom would cook it along with the regular meal.
"I enjoyed all the school functions. I played for the first basketball team with Harry Murray and Ken Fuchigami, who was from Maui. I sang in the choir, and when the school got its first bus, I was the bus driver.
"Goo's Store [which is located where Charles W.H. Goo now lives] was our favorite hangout," he said. "That was the only store that was open in the evenings, anyway. Everybody would be sitting outside, because it was right across from the campus."
Mentioning the senior Charles Goo reminded Enos that "every month we'd have a hukilau, and the students would help prepare and serve the food. Charley Goo was in charge of the food. We used to look forward to that."
Keawe and Millie got married right after graduating in education from CCH. "My wife and I were the first students to marry in the temple," he said, adding that they soon left for Provo where both graduated several years later as teachers.
They both taught in West Covina, California, for a few more years before they decided to move back to Lä'ie.
"When I was in West Covina, one of the teachers who was in the police reserve asked me if I was interested in helping them. I told him yes, and I started my police training there. Then, when I came back, my chief from West Covina gave me such a good recommendation that the chief here swore me in as a police reserve officer, at the same time I started teaching. I was a police reserve officer for nine years. It was kind of an advantage, and I enjoyed the work."
"I started teaching 6th grade at Lä'ie Elementary in 1960. Clinton Kanahele was the principal, and Junior Ah You was in my class. Millie was home at that time with the girls, and we were staying in a teacher's cottages on campus.
"I taught for 26 years. Millie started teaching four or five years later, and stayed for 39 years — a lot longer than me," Enos added.
"The years we've been here have been good. Lä'ie has really become our home, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. In the early years you could leave your doors unlocked. There's just something special about this place.
"Those were my most cherished years, those early years. I'm very glad I came, and I'd do it again," Enos said.
"I felt like we were pioneers, the ones who started CCH. There's something significant about being the first. Not that it's important to be the first, but we felt we were part of something important."
[Go to w2.byuh.edu/jubilee for more information on BYU-Hawaii's golden anniversary.]
A 72-year-old retired banker originally from Nephi, Utah, recently stopped by to 'talk story' about the years he lived in Lä'ie in the early 1940s.
Angus Belliston was nine years old when his father, Albert Belliston — who had been an LDS missionary in Hawai'i from 1898-02 — came with his family to Lä'ie to serve as the temple president.
"Hawai'i was always central in our house," Belliston recalls. "My father was here early enough that his first assignment was to Maui, and his first companion didn't speak English, so he learned to speak Hawaiian and never forgot it.
"A lot of those early missionaries, like William Waddoups, later served as temple presidents. A lot of them would get together and speak Hawaiian with each other, so we grew up on a diet like that.
"To me, Lä'ie was like the end of old Hawai'i before the war [World War II]. Everyone went to church in bare feet. Everyone went to school in bare feet. The sugar cane train was still running, and Lä'ie was just a little, peaceful sleepy town at that time.
"I went to Lä'ie School. George Kekau'oha was the principal and the sixth grade teacher. After him was Clinton Kanahele," Belliston continued. "We went swimming every day in the surf; but it wasn't called Hukilau Beach in those days, it was called Hamana's beach [after Hamana Kalili].
"Suamalie Tuiä was captain of the junior police at school, and even though he lived in Kahuku, Jack Uale was a real good friend. At school, we always used our roll-up mats for naps, we ate mostly rice, and school lunch was very good.
"Church was held in the old cultural hall, because the old chapel had burned down.
"After the war started, Lä'ie became a different place," Belliston remembered. "There were troops everywhere. There were maneuvers, convoys of trucks, and of course the most notable thing was the blackout for many, many months. That was actually kind of a scary time, because after the bombing we fully expected an invasion.
"On December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, the Army was completely unorganized and there was lots of confusion. They immediately declared martial law. Everyone was confined to their own area, and there was no one on the streets after dark.
"I remember we had a Scout group; I was a Cub Scout. They came and asked the Scoutmaster — Lionel Broad, a good guy — to stand guard all night long. We pitched a tent on Lanihuli Street for our headquarters.
"That was really scary. There were so many rumors. There were no lights, and we were all alone. Our instructions were if anything happened, or if anything moved, run like crazy and tell the Scoutmaster.
"Kotaro Koizumi's father was soon picked up and his family didn't seen him until after the war. His mother came over to our house and asked my father if we could protect them. Even though they were Buddhists, we invited them in.
"Later, myself — a little haole boy, Kotaro and Jack Uale would play war. In my journal I wrote, 'Today Kotaro was McArthur and I was Nimitz.' We were all just friends.
"There was a big [Army] camp a couple of hundred yards from our house. Kotaro and I got shoeshine kits, and we made a lot of money. The servicemen were friends of ours.
"Every night we had a volleyball game out in front of Lanihuli [the church office in Lä'ie]. There were all these Hawaiian, Sämoan and Japanese kids, along with two or three soldiers playing volleyball," Belliston said.
"For a while, swimming on the beach was curtailed because of the barbed wire, but finally they cut a hole in it so we could go swimming.
"I was an only child and my parents were older. We'd go into Honolulu sometimes and stay with Fred and Ina Lunt. She was a volunteer nurse who would get requests from the injured servicemen for things they needed. She would send me downtown all by myself to shop for those things. One day, Fred Lunt dropped me off at the Outrigger Canoe Club and picked me up at the end of the day. That was unusual for a 10-year-old kid.
"Temple work was pretty much shut down, because many people had defense work, and they didn't have gasoline to drive out here. My father was released after about two years. We went home on a troop ship. It was one of the Matson liners designed for 700, but there were about 3,000 of us on it. It took us five days to the west coast, zig-zagging all the way for evasion."
Belliston said he didn't return to Hawai'i again until 1978, on vacation. "Then we saw the modern Hawai'i. During the war all these servicemen came by the millions. Later they brought their wives to see Hawai'i.
"Today, we still have several friends we've kept in touch with. Kotaro Koizumi, who was a Buddhist when we were kids, well the next time I saw him was at [LDS] General Conference [in Salt Lake City, Utah]: He was a bishop and I was a bishop. He had joined the church. We both went on to be stake presidents and mission presidents. We still have a close friendship.
"I also had a nice visit with Flora Soren-Butt. We walked around Lä'ie. The place is still familiar. The päkë [Chinese] store is still there [Lä'ie Cash & Carry]. Lä'ie Point has changed tremendously. There was nothing on Lä'ie Point in those days, so we didn't really go out there.
"We miss the sugar cane and pineapple fields," said Belliston, who added kids would "eat the cane that dropped off the train. Of course, the temple is still very familiar. Because of the shortage of missionaries, I was a full-time guide there at the age of 10.
"It's nice to come back," said Belliston, who has served several LDS missions in Australia and the presidency of the Provo and the Nauvoo Temples since retiring.
By Amanda Baize ~ Kahuku High Correspondent
Victory can only be achieved when hard work shows what the heart knows.
For the Kahuku High boys basketball team this season has been filled with victories, life lessons, memories, dedication and excitement. For those die-hard fans who never miss a game, you may wonder how this amazing team is able to work so well together, and the answer would have to be because they are not just a team, but a family on the court.
Micah Wily, a junior, gives us a little insight when he remarks, "Our team is really close, like a band of brothers. We aren't just teammates, we're also best friends on the court."
 |
Punahou transfer Shane
Hayden gets inside for a successful layup in Kahuku's 67-49 win over Radford in the OIA championship quarter- finals round on Feb. 11th. — photo by Barry Markowitz |
Along with such tight friendships credit must be given to the outstanding coaches who act as the glue that holds this team together, and have given these talented boys the stamina and strength to always keep playing their best no matter what the outcome: Coach Hiram Akina and head coach Nathan James.
Okesene "Junior" Ale, also a junior, tells of a memorable moment this season when Coach Akina gave the team some words of encouragement, "When we lost to Roosevelt on our homecoming night, our coach said to us, 'Don't let this loss bring the team down. Let it start another winning streak.' That's what our team is doing, building off that loss and continuing on. As long as we play as a team, we cannot be stopped."
That must be the secret behind their inspirational winning moments of the season, with a 10-1 record and top-team status in the OIA East Division. It seems to the raving fan there is nothing that can stop this team of players, friends, and brothers when they get started on the court; and in the opinions of the players that is the truth.
You might be thinking to yourself, what are the highlights of this season to the players? Interestingly enough, each player has his own favorite memories:
Senior Viliami Tilini spoke of bus rides. "My most memorable moments this season have been in the bus coming home from the games. The guys laugh together and it brings our team closer. The only way we can be successful is by sticking together."
Those bus rides home must really work, because this year marks a truly remarkable victory for the Kahuku High boys basketball team. This was the first year Kahuku beat Kaläheo High School in the past 15 years, with a score of 57-55. That was the memorable moment for senior Shane Hayden. "When the buzzer went off at the Kaläheo game and I looked up at the score board, I was ecstatic. We had worked so hard to prepare for the game and seeing the score, 57-55, made every moment worth it."
Another talked about the unforgettable shot by player Clint Parks, a junior, during the Kaläheo game. Ale relays the moment, "The most memorable moment of the this season was when Clint Parks hit that shot from beyond half-court. It was an amazing shot, and it got our team going."
In fact, the excitement just kept building until the last seconds proved the boys had come out triumphant.
In order to grow, many times it takes looking back before looking ahead, and that is the attitude junior Devin Unga took when reflecting on his most memorable moment. "My favorite game this season was our homecoming against Roosevelt. We lost that night, but it just showed us what we needed to work on. We have seen that we need to come out stronger every game. If we start off every game strong, everything will be alright."
As each player has grown this season, it's apparent they also grew as a team. It is evident in the memories and victories that they will prove in the play-offs, to every spectator, they are truly a remarkable team with insurmountable determination. This Kahuku team has everything it needs to succeed: the heart, the talent, and most importantly the attitude.
Before I sign off I send my sincerest apologies for an editorial error made in the January edition of Kaleo. A certain celebrated teacher's name was printed incorrectly and I would like to now make the correction for Mrs. Sandra Cashman.
Kahuku Athletic Director Joe Whitford recently issued the following sports reports to Kaleo:
Football
"We placed eight players with Division IA universities. That's five more than any other Hawai'i high school so far," Whitford said, "and we could have others sign, too. What's interesting is that as players accept offers and turn down others, new options occur. We definitely have a couple of others at Kahuku who could play college football.
"This year's significant because we have so many signing who are qualified academically to play next year, if they finish strong in their senior year at Kahuku.
"Last year one high school had nine sign with Division I schools, so we'll probably be one of the top schools in the nation for our number of signers. That's really impressive. I'm definitely proud of all of the student athletes.
"I want to thank everyone involved: Coaches, parents and the student athletes for preparing to receive those scholarships. It takes a lot of effort on everybody's part. Each of those scholarships is worth about $125,000.
"It should also be noted that 'Inoke Funaki, who signed with the University of Hawai'i in 2002, will report this year. He's been serving an LDS mission and returned in October. UH is also listing 2003 graduate Viliami Nauahi and Kala Latuselu as players.
"Meanwhile, Junior Peters is going to be a senior and one of the defensive leaders at UH in the fall. Jeremy Perry completed his first year at Oregon State, where he was on the traveling squad," Whitford said. "And most notably, Chris Kemoe'atu and Aaron Francisco, who signed four years ago, completed their eligibility with Utah and BYU, respectively, without red-shirting, and are expected to get drafted into the NFL.
"Walker Vave and J.T. Mapu are currently serving LDS missions. Bristol Olomua followed his uncle, Robert 'Anae, to Texas Tech where he's a tight end and did well. Of course, 'Anae's now at BYU," which while Whitford diplomatically wouldn't say, others in the area are hoping spells a new recruiting pipeline in Ko'olauloa.
"Right now we also have four kids in the pros: Ma'ake Kemoe'atu with the Baltimore Ravens; Chris Nae'ole, a starting guard with the Jacksonville Jaguars; Itulä Mili, a tight end with the Seattle Seahawks — he should be renegotiating his contract this year from the million a year he was getting a before; and Töniu Fonotï, who just completed his third year with the San Diego Chargers.
"We actually lead the state with the most kids playing in the NFL," Whitford said. "Now, if Chris and Francisco get in…"
Boys basketball
"We won the OIA East on Feb. 5th by decisively defeating Kaimukï, 66-50, giving us a 10-1 record for the season," said Whitford, who noted the lone loss came at the hands of Roosevelt.
"It was a heartbreaker, 54-53 loss in the final minute. Early in the first quarter we were down 20-6, and we had our chances to pull out a victory; but it was their homecoming game, and the Rough Riders were very excited. We almost won.
"I congratulate coach Nathan James, his assistant Hiram Akina, and the boys. "Junior Ale led the league in scoring, averaging about 17 points a game, and Shane Hayden, a Punahou transfer, led with three-point shots. He averaged about three a game."
Wrestling
"The boys and girls wrestling teams completed their regular four-week season undefeated, each going 10-0," said Whitford, who noted the JV teams finished second at 9-1. "There's no other school with all four teams placing that high."
 |
The legendary Arnold
Palmer practices putting at the Turtle Bay Resort course that bears his name during the recent Senior PGA tourney. Hale Irwin tallied an unprecedented fifth consecutive win. — photo by Barry Markowitz |
Whitford reminded readers that as the teams prepare for the state meet on March 4-5, "we are the defending state boys champion, and the girls are the state runners-up."
Girls softball
"We just completed our season in softball at 5-5 and our highest finish ever at third place," Whitford continued. "We struggled this year, but we're the third seed going into OIA playoffs.
"This year the state tournament will take six teams from the OIA, so we have a good shot of getting in that as well. The JV softball girls finished in sixth place out of 14 teams, with a 7-5 record in our second year of competition."
Soccer
Whitford explained Kahuku's soccer season, which runs through the holidays, is already over. "The varsity girls ended up in fourth place with 5-3-2 and record, and advanced to the playoffs. Several of their losses were only 1-0.
"The boys varsity finished with a 3-5-2 record, and our JV finished in third place with a 6-2 record, only a half-game away from the leaders. We scored the most goals in the league with 20, and only gave up two all season; but those two were the 1-0 losses."
• • • • • • • • • •
In other sports news:
Kaleo lists a limited number of activities and encourages readers to re-verify details. To submit items, call 808-754-4304, or e-mail: foleym002@hawaii.rr.com by the Kaleo deadline before the event.
| Thursday, February 10: Kahuku Elementary talent show, 6 p.m., school cafeteria; Ko'olauloa Neighborhood Board meeting, 7 p.m., Hau'ula Community Center; |
| Friday, February 11: BYU-Hawai'i basketball vs. HPU, 7:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Saturday, February 12: BYU-Hawai'i foodfest, 5-9 p.m., parking lot; Kahuku High Valentine's Dance; |
| Monday, February 14: Valentine's Day; Kahuku Public Library after-school Valentine's crafts; |
| Tuesday, February 15: BYU-Hawai'i admissions deadline for new freshmen (go to www.besmart.com); BYU-Hawai'i lyceum features Gypsy, jazz and Yiddish music, 7:30 p.m., Auditorium, $; BYU-Hawai'i basketball vs. Western New Mexico, 7:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Wednesday, February 16: Kahuku Public Library Keiki Storytime for preschoolers and parents, 10 a.m. (every Wednesday); |
| Thursday, February 17: BYU-Hawai'i basketball vs. Western New Mexico, 7:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Friday, February 18: Kahuku Complex teacher's professional day (no school for students); BYU-Hawai'i Women's Organization luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Aloha Center (baby-sitting available), $; |
| Saturday, February 19: 'College Basics' by Education 1st about physical and academic fitness, noon, Lä'ie Park, call 293-7700 for more info; BYU-Hawai'i women's softball vs. UH-Hilo, noon and 2 p.m., BYUH field; Scouting open house, 7:30 p.m., LDS Lä'ie Stake Center; BYU-Hawai'i basketball vs. Montana State-Billings, 7:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Monday, February 21: Presidents Day (no public school); Ko'olauloa Youth Activities Club meeting, 6:30 p.m., Hau'ula playground; |
| Tuesday, February 22: Kahuku Public Library "quillow" (quilt-pillow) demonstration by Bonnie Nalua'i, 6 p.m., call 293-8935 to sign up; |
| Wednesday, February 23: Ka'a'awa Elementary physical fitness day; |
| Thursday, February 24: BYU-Hawai'i basketball vs. Chaminade, 7:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Friday, February 25: BYU-Hawai'i 'idol' finale, 10 p.m., CAC; |
| Tuesday, March 1: BYU-Hawai'i softball vs. Notre Dame de Namur, 2 & 4 p.m.; Kahuku High choir concert, 8 p.m., BYUH CAC; |
| Monday, March 2: 'Read Across America' day; |
| Thursday,
March 3: Deadline, next issue of Kaleo; |
| Friday, March 4: BYU-Hawai'i softball vs. UH-Hilo, 2 & 4 p.m.; BYU-Hawai'i songfest, 9:30 p.m., CAC; |
| Sunday, March 6: LDS Lä'ie Stake conference, 10 a.m., BYUH CAC; |
| Monday, March 7: Kahuku High planning days (includes Tuesday, March 8), no school for students.; BYU-Hawai'i softball vs. Kennesaw State, 2 & 4 p.m.; |
| Thursday, March 10: Next issue of Kaleo; |
Proudly sponsored
by Hawai'i
Reserves, Inc. (HRI)
and
co-sponsored by as a community service. |
Composed, edited
and published by
Mike
Foley |
