Football: OIA Red West preview

The West is going to be wild. Again

Star-Bulletin: OIA football kicks off with a lot at stake | Waianae the favorite in stacked conference

It's only fitting that the Red West regular season kicks off at Waianae. As one coach said, that's where the West title goes through.

I just hope there's time to stop at Tasty Freeze for some of those onolicious homemade fries. That's hope. Instead, the traffic along the road, especially Nanakuli, will probably have me fighting to get there for the kickoff. Normally, I'd be out there early, but there are responsibilities to tend to in town first, and that's how it goes.

It won't matter how traffic is by kickoff. Torii Field is one of the best places on Earth to watch a football game. Sun going down over the ocean, which is just a stone's throw from the field.

The West won't be won in one day. In fact, the West winner and runner-up get nothing more than higher seedings in the playoffs, and home-field advantage is no guarantee, as Farrington learned last year. But it's all about positioning and momentum, which are almost as important as staying healthy.

Let the games begin!

Pupule's Top 20

Time for some shuffling. Here's how I voted in today's Star-Bulletin Football Top 10.

1. Saint Louis (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Kahuku 21-6
This week: at Kailua
Crusaders have some work to do, but what they've already done supercedes all opposition. They had the physical power to contain Kahuku's lethal ground attack. They were superior on special teams, which is never surprising. The offense will come around, and when it does, Saint Louis will be explosive. Mamiya's return is the biggest plus of all, and when he regains his accuracy, this group of receivers will show how good it can be.

2. Punahou (1-0-0)
Last week: def. McKinley 56-18
This week: bye
Buffanblu have a lot of strengths at the skill positions and an experienced defensive unit. Sloppy tackling, however, will be a focal point after the unit gave up two long touchdown passes to McKinley.

3. Kahuku (0-1-0)
Last week: lost to Saint Louis 21-6
This week: bye
Red Raiders have great potential, but as Reggie Torres says, they need time. Jray Galeai is getting more comfortable with the offense. Strong arm, great wheels, only a junior. Kahuku defense stood strong despite poor field position for much of the second half against Saint Louis.

4. Baldwin (0-0-0)
Last week: did not play
This week: at Kamehameha-Hawaii, Friday
Bears slide one spot in my ballot only because Punahou executed so well on Saturday against McKinley. Perhaps the most explosive passing attack in the state. The O-line is relatively young and will be tested this weekend.

5. Mililani (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Castle 43-6
This week: bye
Trojans are always tough at home and proved it with a rout of Castle. The Darnell Arceneaux era is off to a bullish start.

6. Waianae (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Farrington 21-7
This week: bye
I can hardly wait for the Mililani-Waianae showdown.

7. Kamehameha (0-0-0)
Last week: did not play
This week: at Castle
Almost unfair to gauge a team that hasn't played yet. If the Warriors win, but don't blow out Castle — a proud program that returns home this week — voters will give Mililani more votes. That's not fair since emotion is a huge part of prep football. Castle will likely respond well to last weekend's loss at Mililani, and it usually plays well at home. Castle led Saint Louis before losing last season 17-13.

8. Aiea (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Kaimuki 21-7
This week: bye
Na Alii beat a solid Kaimuki squad, and yet Iolani zoomed into the Star-Bulletin Top 10 and landed above Aiea. Never underestimate the power of a good returning quarterback (Keenan Naeole).

9. Iolani (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Kaiser 44-0
This week: vs. Kalaheo, Saturday
Raiders rolled big over alumni and Kaiser coach Pat Samsonas at the Father Bray Classic. Big test for the ILH's defending D-II champion this weekend. Kalaheo is coming off a 43-0 win at Nanakuli. Afternoon football at Iolani hasn't been kind to OIA teams recently, though.

10. Lahainaluna (0-0-0)
Last week: did not play
This week: vs. Waiakea, Saturday
Often underrated, the Lunas are West Maui's favorite sons this time of year. Physical, disciplined and tricky with that Wing T offense.

More?

11. Leilehua (0-0-0)
Last week: won at Kailua 6-3
This week: bye
The Mules' offensive success in recent years may not prepare fans for baseball scores, but this is going to be more of the norm. Leilehua has led the OIA Red West in total defense the past two seasons and the trend continues. Can't fight the trend.

12. Farrington (0-1-0)
Last week: lost at Waianae 21-7
This week: vs. Damien, Kunuiakea Stadium, Saturday
Very little time for the Governors to rest after a loss on the road at Waianae. These are excellent testing grounds for a team that has potential. Damien will be just as ornery after a road loss to Kapolei.

13. Kapolei (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Damien 14-0
This week: vs. McKinley, Roosevelt Stadium, Saturday
Hurricanes are on a mission. So much talent has departed in recent years, but they keep reloading. Damien provided basic run-first football. McKinley will be more familiar — a run-and-shoot/flex option offense with big-play potential.

14. Pac-Five (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Radford 21-12
This week: at Moanalua, Saturday
Every year, the Wolf Pack holds its own against OIA teams, then faces a mountain in the ILH. So far, so good.

15. Kealakehe (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Scotts Valley (Calif.) 23-21
This week: bye
Good news: Waveriders won their opener under a new coach. Bad news: Offense scored only one touchdown.

16. Kauai (1-0-0)
Last week: def. Keaau 35-6
This week: at Hilo, Friday
Keaau is D-I in name, but hasn't been a strong program since the school opened nearly 10 years ago. Hilo will provide much better competition for the Red Raiders. Classic matchup of opposites. Kauai's run-and-shoot versus Hilo's rugged defense. Hilo veteran Albert Kawalu against first-year Kauai coach Derek Borrero.

17. Kamehameha-Hawaii (0-0-0)
Last week: did not play
This week: vs. Baldwin, Friday
This team is 17th when Kolten Wong is on the field. He's been busy with baseball, you may have heard.

18. Kailua (0-1-0)
Last week: lost to Leilehua 6-3
This week: vs. Saint Louis, Friday
A lot of raised expectations on the Windward side for the Surfriders and gentleman coach Gary Rosolowich.

19. Damien (0-1-0)
Last week: lost at Kapolei 14-0
This week: vs. Farrington, Kunuiakea Stadium, Saturday
Monarchs want to make a statement against neighborhood rival Farrington.

20. Kalaheo (1-0-0)
Last week: won at Nanakuli 44-0
This week: at Iolani, Saturday
Biggest game for Kalaheo in recent memory is a few days away. Senior quarterback Cody vonAppen is a key, steadying factor for Coach Mellor's squad.

How deep is deep? OIA Red West ringing bells

That's right, the OIA Red West is the deepest division in the state.

Poll: Which OIA Red West team will be next to join Star-Bulletin Top 10?

There's no question that the Mililani Trojans have enough depth and talent to move up the ladder real soon.

Mililani at No. 7 is a bit of a question mark. If they were to play Kahuku this weekend, what would happen? To me, it would be an even battle because Mililani's offense is playing with cohesion — no surprise since new head coach Darnell Arceneaux was the OC last year. Talk about a perfectionist, that's what he is.

The OIA Red West is a toss up, from top to bottom. Four of the seven West squads are in the Top 10, and I've written that we could see as many as five in the poll this season. That makes the West as strong as any division or league in the state this season. That's to be expected since population growth in Central and West Oahu have grown substantially over the past two decades.

Now, though, there are quality feeder programs and depth in coaching to match the numbers.

For argument's sake, though, the ILH can't be neglected. Pac-Five, one of the ILH's Division II teams, beat OIA Red West Radford 21-12 over the weekend. Kapolei, meanwhile, blanked Damien 14-0.

Are Pac-Five, Iolani and Damien as good as Radford, Campbell and Kapolei? Tough call.

It was so hot at Waianae yesterday ...

How hot was it?

It was so hot at Waianae yesterday afternoon that I felt a spot above my left wrist burn. Blisters. Tiny black ones and one not-so-tiny one. I don't know if the sun reflected off my watch (metal) to cause this. Maybe I need to apply sunscreen no matter what. I've never had a burn before, so this was mystifying.

I don't blame the Slurpee™ shortage for this. It is, however, kinda interesting. I'll do some reading on this. The blisters hit an area of my arm that is the least tan. The rest of my arm (that's exposed to sun) is and always has been pretty brown. Used to be tan because I played outside all the time as a kid. Now it's dark only because of driving. Elbow is up, touching the car door window. Hand is on the wheel.

I can't be the only person this has happened to. I mean, I was just walking back to the car, wasn't even in the sun long. Was mostly in the shade near the Waianae lockerroom waiting for them to finish up their portrait shots with Burr Cox.

The words skin cancer never really occurred to me as a possibility, but you never know. Best to be safe.

Waianae draws No. 5 ranking

On paper, the Waianae Seariders lost a ton of talent. So why do coaches and media have them ranked so high?

Star-Bulletin: Seariders still have their strut

There's something to be said for tradition and reputation. Last year's Waianae squad came within a touchdown of an OIA title, and then fell by only a field goal in the state semifinals.

But when you lose a ton of talent at linebacker and offensive line, does it a No. 5 ranking make sense? Possibly. It's the same Searider system — and Pop Warner program — that produced the likes of George "Oki" Kauwalu, David Paaluhi, Chad Duran and Preston Ayala to anchor an outstanding defense.

It was the defensive unit that carried the squad, keeping a lid on opponents until the Searider offense would get on the scoreboard. Now, a bunch of new faces are on the field, and lofty expectations are already in place.

I'm not saying Waianae doesn't deserve recognition. Far from it. I just hope fans don't assume the team will pick up where it left off last season. It'll take time for the new offensive line to gel, and there's no way to completely succeed as well as last year's linebacking corps. If the Seariders can find itself defensively and play 90 percent as well as last year's 'D', getting to the OIA championship game could happen again.

That's asking a lot, but they're used to it.