The 2008 prep football season began with Leilehua quarterback Andrew Manley, coming off his improbable run from the junior varsity team to leading the Mules to the 2007 state championship, trying to get back to another state final.
The Mules did exactly that, but couldn’t overcome a stacked Punahou team led by the highest-rated recruit ever to come out of Hawaii.
Buffanblu linebacker Manti Te’o was named the high school athlete of the year by the Sporting News and repeated as the Star-Bulletin’s defensive player of the year. Te’o was joined on the Star-Bulletin first team by Punahou teammates Robby Toma, who eventually went to Notre Dame with Te’o, and all-purpose player Dalton Hilliard, who went on to play at UCLA.
The Advertiser was much higher on the Buffanblu with Toma sharing the offensive player of the year award with Manley, who was the sole winner by the Star-Bulletin. The Advertiser also put Cayman Shutter on the first team with Manley, allowing for two quarterbacks to make the top team.
Three other Punahou player to make the Advertiser first team, and not the Star-Bulletin’s, were defensive back Sean McFadden, defensive lineman Sai Fuimaono and offensive lineman Anthony Crabb.
The Advertiser also added a special place on the first team for five slashers, giving them a total of 29 players on their first team. They also did a separate All-State first team for Division II.
Shutter was a first-team All-State selection by the Advertiser but finished as the ILH’s second-team QB behind Jeremy Higgins of Saint Louis.
Unanimous picks from both newspapers on the defense included Waianae’s Wade Keliikipi, Farrington’s V.J. Fehoko, Baldwin’s Mana Rosa, Farrington’s Isaiah Iuta and Kahuku’s Jray Galeai.
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2008: The year punahou bought a state title. RRFL!
anywaaays, Punahou has a long tradition of recruiting a few Samoans to make their team competitive in the highest division. Never did they recruit to the point that they were so dominant that nobody else had a chance, as St Lulu did from 1986 to 1999.
how can a 2nd team All League end up becoming a 1st Team All State? guess sportswriters know football talent better then the ILH Coaches?