Pupule Paul Honda is crazier than you think.
The Prince of Preps actually rates as many high school players as he can and plugs them into his NCAA football game, replaying games that he has already seen.
He already has Vavae Malepaei at 99 and Wayne Taulapapa at 98, feel free to add you rankings in the comments to this post. He can’t wait to play the games that were canceled this weekend.
He only does teams year-by-year, but if he were to make an All-Punahou team for the Prep Bowl and State Championship eras, he would have quite a corps of linebackers to play with.
Consider the only three Punahou linebackers to repeat as first-team All-State: Neal Ane (1972-73), Manti Te’o (2007-08) and Isaac Savaiinaea (2011-12). If he wanted to run a 3-4, he would have to hope Ronley Lakalaka repeats as a linebacker this year.
Te’o was the defensive player of the year by both newspapers in 2008, the other two were never judged the best of the best.
Should Honda ever decided on making a Punahou team, here is a suggestion:
- Offense
(He is going to have to run a run-and-shoot because the receivers are all too good. As it is, Tafiti Uso didn’t even make the cut)
QB: Larry Tuileta; RB: Mosi Tatupu; REC: Miah Ostrowski; REC: Kanawai Noa; REC: Robby Toma; REC: Donny Utu; OL: Keith Uperesa; OL: Mike Souza; OL: Buster Small; OL: Brandon Ito; OL: Davis Miyashiro-Saipaia.
- Defense
DL: Willie Kamakana; DL: Jonathan Overton; DL: Mark Tuinei; DL: DeForest Buckner; LB: Isaac Savaiinaea; LB: Manti Te’o; LB: Neal Ane; DB: Sean McFadden; DB: Clint Kuboyama; DB: Wes Pratt; DB: Trevor Takamori.
Here is the list of Punahou first-team All-State players:
- 1981: WR — David Aguiar
- 1984: QB — Shawn Akina
- 1993: OL — Tim Andrade
- 2005, 08: Coach — Kale Ane
- 1972, 73: LB — Neal Ane
- 2005: S — Jay Angotti
- 2007: DE — J.J. Autele
- 1981: LB — Mark Beavers
- 1977: Coach — Doug Bennett
- 2011: DE — DeForest Buckner
- 1995: DL — Jason Ching
- 1993: LB — Johah Chun
- 1983: T — Kimo Chun
- 1977: G — Herman Clark
- 2008: OL — Anthony Crabbe
- 2003: WR — Christopher Duncan
- 2011: K — Kaimi Fairbairn
- 1980: LB — Ricky Fong
- 1977: QB — Darryl Gabriel
- 1981: DB — Mark Hashimoto
- 2008: AP — Dalton Hilliard
- 2005: P — Keoki Hong
- 1982: WR — Richard Hosoda
- 2009: LB — Jeremy Ioane
- 2004: OL — Trask Iosefa
- 1988, 89: OL — Brandon Ito
- 1978: LB — Whitey Kahoohanohano
- 1995: OL — Kamakana Kaimuloa
- 1977: DL — Willie Kamakana
- 1978: RB — John Kamana
- 2005: OL — Cody Kekipi
- 1991: DL — Nate Kia
- 2005: AP — River Kim
- 1973: DB — Galen Kitamura
- 1989, 90: DB — Clint Kuboyama
- 2013: LB — Ronley Lakalaka
- 2011: RB — Steven Lakalaka
- 1996: RB — Danny Makainai
- 2008: AP — Kimo Makaula
- 1995: LB — Scooter Martines
- 2008: DB — Sean McFadden
- 2013: OL — Davis Miyashiro-Saipaia
- 1977: C — Mike Mori
- 1993: Coach — Dan Morrison
- 2012, 13: REC — Kanawai Noa
- 1977: DB — Amori Ogata
- 2005, 06: WR — Miah Ostrowski
- 2005: DL — Jonathan Overton
- 1994: DL — Konti Pellegrin
- 1973: E — Sam Pennington
- 1995: DB — Wes Pratt
- 2008: DL — Jonathan Sani Fuimaono
- 2011, 12: LB — Isaac Savaiinaea
- 1977: RB — Francis Sequeira
- 1976: SE — David Sevey
- 2008: QB — Cayman Shutter
- 1994, 95: OL — Buster Small
- 1995, 96: G — Mike Souza
- 2011: OL — Matthew Sparks
- 2003: RB — Micah Strickland
- 2009: S — Brian Suite
- 2007: DB — Sia Tafuna
- 1994: DB — Trevor Takamori
- 1979: DL — Bill Tapolinski
- 1972, 73: B — Mosi Tatupu
- 2007, 08: LB — Manti Te’o
- 1989: P — Scott Terna
- 1995: RB — Afatia Thompson
- 1991: DB — Derek Tom
- 2007, 08: WR — Robby Toma
- 1980: DL — Bill Topolinski
- 2012, 13: QB — Larry Tuileta
- 1977: DL — Mark Tuinei
- 2012: OL — Semisi Uluave
- 1972, 73: T — Keith Uperesa
- 1995, 96: WR — Tafiti Uso
- 1993, 94: WR — Donny Utu
- 1974: DB — Kevin Velasco
- 1973: G — Jack Wright
I got to block for some pretty great running backs but would have loved to block for Mosi Tatupu!
My friend, played for Pac 5. As he looked up after trying to tackle Mosi, he saw several of his teammates on the ground shaking their heads while Mosi strolled into the end zone. He said it was like boys playing against a grown man. Punahou’s policy of holding boys back a year gives their football team an advantage that can be dangerous for opposing teams. As a senior in 1974, Mosi (born 4/25/55) was 19.
Ok back in the day ILH was separate and we didn’t play for a State title. That being said, any list of great Punahou players that doesn’t include Charlie Wedemeyer is suspect.
Dear Mr. “xaq”,
In your above post, you mentioned something about Punahou’s “policy” – the one in which the new transfers would be “held back” a year, seemingly making them older than the other students. What really happens is that the player would NOT repeat a grade, but rather sit out the entire season, making them ineligible to participate in all the games. Now this my friend is a rule for ALL ILH schools, not just for Punahou. In fact, there was a recent article about St. Louis losing a key player for the 2014 season due to this “policy”. I would appreciate it if you reviewed your facts and do your research before making comments like your earlier post.
– A former Punahou student.