Kamehameha coach Doug Cosbie doesn’t have a lot to worry about defensively.
Two games into his first season as Warriors head coach, Cosbie has watched his talented unit give up a total of three points in wins over Castle and Farrington.
First-string running back Kaulana Apelu suffered an injury against the Knights, but after seeing the sixth-ranked Warriors beat up on No. 9 Farrington 38-3 on Friday night, running back depth isn’t a concern.
Seniors Brandon Kahookele and Kainoa Simao dominated the game from the start, with Simao scoring two touchdowns and Kahookele becoming the eighth different Warriors running back to rush for at least 200 yards in a game since 1972.
Kamehameha’s ILH title chances in 2013 will likely fall on the right arm of quarterback Noah Sua-Godinet, who had a shaky start to his varsity career last week.
After failing to complete a single pass for positive yardage against the Knights, Sua-Godinet showed much improvement in finishing 12-for-22 for 133 yards and three touchdowns in what is believed to be the most lopsided game ever played between Kamehameha and Farrington.
‘We were a different team tonight. We came out confident,” Sua-Godinet said. “I was a little iffy there at the start, but I know what I have to do.”
Cosbie has only had nine weeks to teach his squad a completely new offense. After two games, it seems pretty clear that he’s got a defense that will rank right up there with the best in the state and three different running backs behind a superb offensive line that can be game changers.
A solid running game and an excellent defense is the perfect combination to give a quarterback like Sua-Godinet, who is only a sophomore, time to grow. However, with the Warriors opening ILH play against Saint Louis in two weeks under the new league format, time is something Kamehameha doesn’t have.
Aug. 30 will be one of the two biggest games Kamehameha plays in the regular season.
The question is, which Sua-Godinet will show up?
“He is kind of like the stock market — he goes up and down every day,” Cosbie said. “The trend is up, he’s getting better every day, he’s a super athlete, and he’s the kind of guy who is a lot better in game situations because the competitor in him comes out and he gets those juices flowing.”
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