Punahou football

Latest news

Latest news

First-year head coach Nate Kia ready for big challenge at Punahou

By Paul Honda on June 1, 2021

The world is not as we once knew it, but Nate Kia is gladly taking the plunge. The longtime assistant coach and former defensive coordinator entered the fray and came away as the new head football coach at Punahou. Longtime coach Kale Ane officially retired last week, and though assistant coach Leonard Lau was the interim coach in 2020, Kia is now the permanent head coach. “I’m excited and looking forward to doing my part to push the program forward,” […]

Punahou 8th-grade OL KJ Hallums’ 1st offer: Washington State

By Paul Honda on May 19, 2021

Just a couple years back, David Hallums had hopes for his son, soon to be a teenager. Hopes for academic achievement. Football, it seems, has already opened doors for KJ Hallums, an eighth grader at Punahou. Hallums earned top performer honors in his age group at the elite Polynesian Bowl Combine over the weekend in Mesquite, Nev. Hallums was one of three eighth-graders invited back to battle the next day against varsity players. That opened eyes. Quickly. Washington State responded […]

Shane Victorino, Marcus Mariota, Deforest Buckner help save spring sports

By Paul Honda on May 13, 2021

Somehow, Keith Amemiya gets the flow going again, every time. In prep sports, he is what Chris Paul is to every NBA franchise he joins, except that Amemiya does it while smiling. That would make him… Magic Johnson? His skill at mobilizing some of the most impactful people in island sports remains unmatched. When the CPB Foundation announced on Wednesday a group donation to public high school sports of $250,000, it was no surprise that the former executive director of […]

Gridiron rivalry renewed: Saint Louis, Punahou and joy of football

By Paul Honda on May 2, 2021

Scrimmage, yes, but Saint Louis and Punahou have a special intensity any time they gather on the gridiron. For the first time since the fall of 2019 the two programs met, and the level of skill, speed and physicality were a spectacle. Football has been sorely missed. “We got to see all the young guys play. Seniors got to play and wrap up their year,” Saint Louis coach Ron Lee said. “Kids are so happy we had this. I feel […]

Punahou, Kamehameha turn down chance to play at Aloha Stadium, TV coverage

By Paul Honda on April 8, 2021

For safety’s sake, Wendell Look wanted to see exhibition football games between private schools played at Aloha Stadium. Following a cancelled football year in Hawaii, it would have been nostalgic. Memorable. Epic, maybe. Instead, the ‘Iolani co-Athletic Director saw his intricately assembled plan come to a halt. Of all the plans laid out by the ILH’s football coordinator since last summer, this one wasn’t dependent on entities outside the private-school league. It wasn’t even at the mercy of the league, […]

Spring is in the air — and so are football scrimmages for private schools

By Paul Honda on March 16, 2021

There’s nothing quite like the smell of synthetic turf, rubber granules and Baden footballs in the air. When practice resumed at Alexander Field on Monday, seniors Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen and Kahanu Kia had all their prayers answered. “It’s just good to be back, be on the field, smell it again. It was nice. I was a beautiful day just playing football, seeing my teammates,” said Kia, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker. At Kalaepohaku, Saint Louis is in new-normal mode. In other words, […]

ILH football: One more delay, new start date is Mar. 15

By Paul Honda on February 22, 2021

The delay of football in the ever-shifting timeline of prep sports in Hawaii is no surprise. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s start date of the postponed football season was scheduled for today — Feb. 22 — but has been delayed to Mar. 15. The league had already cancelled most fall and winter sports. While public-school leagues cancelled football in January, the ILH remained persistent and consistent about keeping the sport alive in an academic year altered severely by the COVID-19 […]

Punahou OL Alema Moeava heading north to VCSU

By Paul Honda on February 5, 2021

Alema Moeava has the blueprint for survival and success. The 6-foot-2, 340-pound Punahou senior has the rare combination of versatility and resilience as a key offensive lineman. The left tackle signed a letter of intent with Valley City State (N.D.) on Wednesday. “I feel great, like a sigh of relief,” Moeava said on Thursday. “I love the campus. It’s very small and you get to know everybody. I felt very comfortable with the coaches. They’re very welcoming and I felt […]

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