Many people were wondering why Kapolei decided to run the ball from the Farrington 3 with less than a minute to go and leading 21-7 on Friday night.
Why not take a knee?
Hurricanes head coach Darren Hernandez has been hearing about it directly from some people and from screenshots from social media sent to him by players and assistants.
Dreyden-Steele Kawewehi, who had not touched the ball all game perviously, got the handoff and rambled into the end zone from three yards out to push the final score to 28-7.
Was it running it up, when taking a knee would have been more gentlemanly? Not at all, according to both head coaches – Hernandez and Farrington’s Randall Okimoto — as well as Kapolei offensive coordinator June Jones.
Right after the game, Hawaii Prep World asked Jones if he was just trying to get a player who hadn’t played much a chance at a touchdown.
“No,” Jones said two seconds before taking a cellphone call. “We were just running a play.”
On Monday, Hernandez was asked about the decision.
“The score was 21-(7) with 59 seconds left,” Hernandez texted to HPW. “I’ve seen things go wrong before. I’ve seen teams score 14 points in 13 seconds before. It was for our first conference title. I wasn’t trying to make a statement or anything. We had our reserves in. If we didn’t score after that play, we would have taken a knee. That’s not my style, so I don’t know why people are making a big deal about it. We took a knee at the end of our Campbell, Mililani and Leilehua games when we were ahead big and had a chance to score from in close.”
That final touchdown run did not concern Okimoto in the least. HPW asked him about it a few minutes after the game.
“It’s OK,” Okimoto said. “You gotta give those guys a chance to play. You got a lot of guys that don’t play. I don’t fault them for that at all.”
Kapolei (6-1, 5-1), which has already mathematically clinched the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red championship, will be trying to beat Nanakuli (0-7, 0-6) at home Friday night to capture the division outright and a bye in the first round of the OIA Division I playoffs.
The Hurricanes have also clinched a berth in the state tournament (at least D-I and possibly the new Open division).
Farrington (5-2, 5-2) has a bye this week and is awaiting OIA playoff seeding. The Govs can clinch an OIA first-round bye and a spot in the state tournament if Leilehua defeats Mililani. If the Trojans win, they will get the playoff bye and a spot in the state tournament.
This is the definition of running up the score plain and simple. Look at the time left in the game and the situation they were in when they scored. The Coach should just own it instead of making up some excuse about how he seen a team score 14 points in 13 seconds and then later say if they didn’t score on that play they would have taken a knee. 28-7 looks a lot better than 21-7 to voters. So they ran up the score.
this is a non-issue.
LOL NOBODY CARE ABOUT THIS SCRUB TEAM. WHEN THEY RUN INTO THE BIG BOYS THEY GOING LEARN, BU! THEY GOING LEARN! EH JUNE JONES! HOW’S DA KINE LILY KAHUMOKU? STILL SMASHING?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CANNOT WAIT FOR WHEN YOU GUYS COME UP TO LAIE.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
RR4L! HATE US CUZ YOU AINT US BRUH! ENIMES OF THE STATE!
BRAH YOU COME OUT NORTH SHORE AND NO LIKE TAKE ONE KNEE AND WE GOING START THROWING KNEES IN THE PARKING LOT BU! CHEEEEEEEEEE!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
RR4L! HATE US CUZ YOU AINT US BRUH! ENEMINES OF THE STATE!
Solution: stop getting offended by every little damn thing
Come on 808 RR4L your post don’t represent us in good light. Better to just continue your support of the Red Raiders but still be respectful of the other squads.
88 you are the best! It’s a shame that you aren’t coaching Kapolei! You would win with class sugar! You would take Kapolei to heights never seen before. Smash Kahuku! Smash STL! Smash the Puns! That is what the newspapers would read if 88 was the coach!
CHEE-HOO! See you later tonight 88!
“Hate us cause you aint us bruh!”
It’s not that people hates on anyone. It’s the attitude that individuals like you from Kahuku has. I met a lot of people from Kahuku that are genuinely nice. Give up the arrogance and people will give you respect where it’s deserved.
How are you going to stoop that low to call people put like that? Call out June Jones? That woman is someone’s daughter. You should be ashamed of yourself.
It’s true. The things that people complain about now days are becoming petty. But there is no reason to be disrespectful to anyone…especially behind an alias.
No one hates “you guys”….people pray for people like you. Give Kapolei the respect they deserve. Like you probably, they put up a fight on the field and have made it this far.
Humble yourself. Humble yourself. 808 RR4L
Eh, it’s like OC June Jones still coaching the NFL but that’s only done when they’re losing.
Great job by both teams.. Why do people complain about running the score up? This is football people.. It’s play your best or go back to basics…Plus if your team got sasa’d by a powerhouse team, at least you know what you gotta work on and fix the areas of your team to become a powerhouse team… Congratulations Kapolei for winning the red division and see you guys in the playoffs… RRFL…
Lol , Kapolei has clinched a spot in the States. At least D1 and and possibly the new Open division. So when does Kapolei declare they want to play in D1 states? The only guaranteed teams as of this writing is St.Louis,Punahou in the open and Iolani in the D1. ALL OIA TEAMS WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL A 12 team tourney is pau. Kahuku,Waianae,Kapolei no more guarentee. The Top 5 in the polls are Kahuku,St.Louis,Punahou,Kapolei and Waianae. But only St.Louis and Punahou got spots locked up. Tell me. Is this fair?
down and distance? # of Timeouts that Farrington had left? those are factors in the decision making. Did not see the end, it was too brutal to see Farrington dominated as such by Kapolei. having said that, most Coaches w/sportmanship and who preaches humility to their team and practices such, would have taken a knee and ran out the clock. 21-7 or 28 -7, a win is a win. Hernandez trying to make a statement and impress the pollsters? The only poll that matters is at the end of the season, not throughout. Coach Okimoto publicly says it’s ok as it’s the politically correct statement to make but inside, Farrington will not forget the “shoving one’s head into the sand” TD w/59 seconds left if the D/D dictated that they could have ran out the clock. If so, “Neva look good on TV for Kapolei and Hernandez!” Embarrassing! Hope AD chews his butt out. Big Bully! hahaha!
@manley Nobody cares.
808 RR4L
“LOL NOBODY CARE ABOUT THIS SCRUB TEAM. WHEN THEY RUN INTO THE BIG BOYS THEY GOING LEARN, BU! THEY GOING LEARN! EH JUNE JONES! HOW’S DA KINE LILY KAHUMOKU? STILL SMASHING?”
Coach had his reserves in and gave the ball to a running back that was seldom used. You have to give these reserves a chance to play. Another thing your statement reflects your belief in hearsay rumors which is totally out of line. Lily came out long ago and made a statement that she doesn’t know June Jones and was hurt by the rumors that came out. So talk football with some clarity and sensibility which is lacking with your bravado.
When did this become about Kahuku? Get off of this thread.
Dont let 88 rattle you. Kapolei won 28-7 yet kahuku has been winning by 50+ against others.
88 does not represent Kahuku , just himself.
Kapolei looking like a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs! As far as people saying running up the score?? Ahhh cmon!! Really??? Nothing wrong with getting your second team familiar with the end zone!! Farrington shoul have stopped them plain and simple. The blame is on them for not stopping kapolei.
Sarah and Tara, AL and red x, 809rrfl all same person. Agenda? Insert Kahuku in this thread to defame them. Lol. The world can see this. Anyway good luck to Kapolei.
Play offs will start next week. That means win or go home. Raiders, Seariders and Hurricanes are favored to win. Mules, Trojans and Sabers are capable of pulling an upset. Go exit8. Beating a team by 50 plus points is okay. There maybe a few fans on sideline that may think its rubbing or something but on the coaches and players side is just executing the play or giving an opportunity to reserves to play the game and get experience. The bottom line is just one WIN. Good luck to all the players. Go exit8
Hernandez did this last year. If you understand class and sportsmanship then you will know that it had less than 1 min in the game. Even if they had 3 timeouts, he still would run the clock out if they took a knee. You coach high school players to mentor them. Almost 90% of his players will not go to college. Use this to teach your players sportsmanship. So that way you put positive thoughts in your players. It’s not like he told the team he was going to run the ball instead of taking a knee. Hernandez sent the wrong message to his opponents, his players, his school , community, etc…… He also is a public voice on oc16. Maybe that’s why he has never won the state championship. And he won’t win this year too. RR4L
@OC16 maybe you should preach your sermon to our own coach before ragging on someone else’s coach?? If you are in fact a kahuku alumn?? I think your sending a worse message to students and other communities!
Its okay for us to do it but not you!! Clean your own backyard first! Just saying..
Manley September 27, 2016 at 9:55 am
Sarah and Tara, AL and red x, 809rrfl all same person.
Manley, 808RR4L, anywaaays, and 88 are all the same person. Agenda? Not sure, but one thing’s for sure: they’re all idiots who assume that anybody who disagrees with them is the same person, therefore must ALL be the same person posting with multiple accounts.
I got no agenda numbnutz. All I’m saying is if you gonna do something OWN IT and don’t make excuses. And I have been 88 and only 88 from day one. I don’t have to post under multiple names like the rest of these clowns who come on here and have lengthy arguments with themselves.
suuuure you are, 88. suuure you are.
88 September 27, 2016 at 4:44 pm
I got no agenda numbnutz. All I’m saying is if you gonna do something OWN IT and don’t make excuses. And I have been 88 and only 88 from day one. I don’t have to post under multiple names like the rest of these clowns who come on here and have lengthy arguments with themselves.
I love it when 88 talks dirty!
#imgettingexcited
kapolei can do what they like now but when post season come around the same results like always…….BIG AND SOFT…..when u come and face kahuku.waianae.punahou.saint louis same scared and lose..
I am so disappointed that Too Meke didn’t show up yesterday. He was acting like an internet tough guy. I asked him to meet me, gave him the address, and gave him my name. And he still didn’t show. And what is worse? He hasn’t even been back on the blog to say why. How rude!
Tara – I agree, many Kahuku supporters on this forum are wanna-be’s!! They wonder why people bash them but they should know that their arrogance is just repulsive and paints their team in a crappy light. They call themselves humble but their actions just prove otherwise…
NoCry September 28, 2016 at 10:42 am
Tara – I agree, many Kahuku supporters on this forum are wanna-be’s!! They wonder why people bash them but they should know that their arrogance is just repulsive and paints their team in a crappy light. They call themselves humble but their actions just prove otherwise…
@ NoCry, many Kahuku bloggers on this site say they are family people who give back to the community. It’s in their DNA.
But when I mention what happened to Coach Reggie Torres and Coach Alan Akina they all disappear. I have been waiting for months, maybe even years for someone to let em know what this happened.
88 “28-7 looks a lot better than 21-7 to voters. So they ran up the score.”
This is stupid. Darren Hernandez and the rest of the coaches in the state, public or private, don’t care about the HSA top 10 poll or the how the voters rank them. The polls mean absolutely nothing. They don’t determine OIA playoff berths or state tournament berths. Playoffs in Hawaii is governed by a formula that allots a specific amount of berths per league by virtue of how many teams are in the league. Teams get a ticket to states depending on how far they get in their league playoffs.
The top 10 poll is a relatively new thing invented by HSA to generate interest in high school football. If the poll stopped existing today, nobody would care, except for probably the kahuku fans here.
@Al, didn’t you know? Dey ENEMIES of the State. Oh yeah, and “crickets.”
HAHA they are so lame.
Polls determine seeding in the State playoffs genius. Maybe if you stopped posting under so many different names you wouldnt be so confused.