Days 3 and 4 of Pupule Paul’s Prep Football Photo Tour. (Day 2 was a Sunday, no photos.)
Tour stop: Monday, July 29, 2013
Pearl City High School
This is a tough team to gauge, especially this early. New coach Robin Kami is another good guy taking the controls. Last year it was David Hallums, who brought order to a situation the Chargers had rarely, if ever, experienced before when Kai Kamaka and his staff were released.
Coach Kami seems like a really nice guy, was on Coach Hallums’ staff. That’s the one good thing about the transition. The players know Kami and he knows them. But a third coach in as many seasons? Nobody knows just yet if he’s a miracle worker, especially with the departures due to graduation (Daicorri Briscoe was one of the state’s top receivers) and transfer (a bunch of former Chargers landed elsewhere).
Tour stop: Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Radford High School, James Velasco Stadium
Not many coaches are willing to hand the keys to the bus to a sophomore and let him learn on the job. That’s what Coach Fred Salanoa did with quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen, who has grown in more ways than one. He’s benefited from the knowledge in the mind of Salanoa, a record-breaking slinger at Eastern Washington. But Lui-Yuen has also grown and is now a shade below 6 feet 6.
If he has improved on the nuances of quarterbacking — his arm strength has never been a question — he could actually improve on the 30 touchdown passes of last year, when the Rams won the OIA White title.
Tour stop:Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Moanalua High School
A lot of change is underway for Moanalua, which lost all-state defensive tackle Scott Pagano to graduation. A lot of talent returns, so it’s going to be quite a challenge for Coach Arnold Martinez and his staff to get everyone in sync. A returning quarterback with all-state potential throwing to a returning receiver with all-state potential. Some good linemen. Add a few more ingredients to the mix, things could get real interesting in the OIA Red East, where Kahuku and Farrington are under renovation with a ton of new starters.
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