The Kalaheo Mustangs are starting to look like contenders.
It’s not so much that their last two wins were shutouts, it’s more the way they’ve looked while doing it.
There is way too much left in the season to tell for sure if Kalaheo will seriously contend for the OIA D-II title. And it’s important to remember that the Mustangs’ two wins are against McKinley and Waialua — two teams who have, much like Kalaheo, usually been near the bottom of Division II.
In Saturday’s 43-0 victory over Waialua at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium, the Mustangs (2-2, 2-1 OIA D-II) looked the part of a winning football team.
Noa Lapera was poised at QB, throwing three TD passes and going 11-for-15. Three running backs had at least 48 yards — Jaden Amasiu (59), Carl Addy (50) and Jedaiah Borge (48). Addy was not super fast, but hit the hole quickly and packed a punch with his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame.
After the game, both head coaches pointed to the work being done by coordinator Blaze Soares with the Mustangs’ defense. Soares was one of the hardest hitters, if not the hardest, in the early part of this century when he played for Castle. He took his act to the University of Hawaii, where he starred at linebacker.
“The hard work we’ve been putting in as a team is beginning to pay off, and the kids are beginning to buy into that,” Kalaheo coach Darrell Poole said. “Hat’s off to our defensive coaches, starting with Blaze. He’s brought a lot to these kids’ attitude on both sides of ball. It’s changed us as a team.”
Said Waialua coach Lincoln Barit, “Kalaheo was good. They deserved it (the win). They’ve got great coaches coming on, like Soares who has the defense now.”
Borge had a huge game on offense, and like Lapera, he also contributes on defense.
Borge finished with 106 yards receiving with two TDs, and 48 yards rushing with one TD, and he had an interception on defense.
“These last two weeks, we’ve worked really hard as a unit and that’s what got us the win,” he said.
Kalaheo plays Pac-Five (1-1, 1-1 ILH D-II) next Saturday at Roosevelt’s Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.
Waialua (0-3, 0-2 OIA D-II) is still looking for its first win. The Bulldogs visit Roosevelt (3-1, 1-1 OIA D-II) on Friday.
Blaze should go back to his Alma Mater (Castle) and show them the correct Def. Tackling Drills…
Hahaha! That’s a good one! Yup, no 20 yard running start NutCracker Drill!
Mr. Soares used to do 26 yards apart.
Good stuff Mr. Soares. Glad to see Kalaheo in an article.
Good to see Kalaheo’s program making improvements. Back in the late 70’s & early 80’s they were OIA champions in their division, which included Kahuku, Kailua, and Castle. They had a staunch defense and ran a veer-type offense. Soares was a hard nosed linebacker and led his Castle team to a divisional championship.
Are you sayng Carl Addy is slow