2021 DIVISION II »  Open Division  »  Division I


Kaiser's Mahiko, Kapaa's Payomo named D2 Players of the Year

ScoringLive photo illustration

Offensive Player of the Year: Kamakana Mahiko, Kaiser, WR

Defensive Player of the Year: Connor Payomo, Kapaa, LB

Coach of the Year: Michael Tresler, Kapaa


FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Jabez Aloalii-Maanaima

Radford  •  Sr
OL  •  6'1  240

Santana Hernandez-Martinez

Kapaa  •  
OL  •    

Payton Perry

Kaiser  •  Sr
OL  •  6'0  250

Kawika Rogers

Kapaa  •  Sr
OL  •  6'6  305

Kale Spencer

KS-Maui  •  Sr
OL  •  6'4  225

Makana Kamaka-Brayce

KS-Maui  •  So
QB  •  5'11  165

Josh Oh

Kalani  •  Sr
RB  •  5'8  155

Kian Rapozo

Kapaa  •  Sr
RB  •  5'9  155

Kahoa Abreu

KS-Maui  •  So
WR  •  6'2  180

Justin Kanekoa

Kaiser  •  Sr
WR  •  6'1  185

Kamakana Mahiko

Kaiser  •  Sr
WR  •  5'11  160

Kapono Na-o

Kapaa  •  
UT  •    

DEFENSE

Hopo Aholelei

Kaiser  •  
DL  •  5’10  220

Elijah Falaniko

Radford  •  Jr
DL  •  6'0  220

Kale Spencer

KS-Maui  •  Sr
DL  •  6'4  225

Sepuloni Tafea

Kapaa  •  Sr
DL  •  6'1  315

Joshua Arcayena

PAC-5  •  Sr
LB  •  5'9  195

Solomone Malafu

Kapaa  •  Jr
LB  •  6'1  225

Connor Payomo

Kapaa  •  Jr
LB  •    

Seti Taualupe

Kalani  •  Sr
LB  •  5'11  235

Keegan Gantala

KS-Maui  •  So
DB  •  5'8  150

Kamakana Mahiko

Kaiser  •  Sr
DB  •  5'11  160

Ezekiel Rodrigues

PAC-5  •  Jr
DB  •  6'0  175

Braeden Samura

Hawaii Prep  •  Sr
UT  •  6ʻ0  210

SPECIALISTS

Mason Hunt

Hawaii Prep  •  Sr
K  •  5ʻ10  160

Elijah Dinkel

KS-Hawaii  •  Jr
P  •  5'10  165

Branztyn Reyes

Nanakuli  •  Sr
RET  •  5'11  170

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HONORABLE MENTION

Hawaii Prep: Kamuela Gaughen, Jakob Honda, Ekolu Kainoa, Tain Lawson, Tre Walker.

Honokaa: Sam Akau, Uhane Mock Chew, Justin Pascua.

Kaimuki: Kurt Kawamoto, Avin Tanioka, Sione Taufa, Ofa Vehikite, Jeremiah White.

Kaiser: Kai Blackston, Ryan Bethke, Kuahiwi Cummings, Caleb Garcia, Taye Debina, Josh Okamoto, Donovan Reis, Shane Smith, Makani Sua, Easton Yoshino.

Kalaheo: Isaiah Akiu, Riis Weber.

Kalani: Noah Ah Sam, Matt Finefeuiaki, Kahikina Iaea, Wakea Kanahele, Logan Lim, Al Sooalo, Viggo Tafao, Noa Uchida.

Kamehameha-Hawaii: Blaze Figueroa, Dodge Turner, Tyce Pacheco.

Kamehameha-Maui: Frank Abreu, Pookela Aiu, Kainoa Carpenter, Kaonohi Casco, McKay Pali, Hoohenomauloa Stone-Han.

Kapaa: Lono Aki, Will Kulihaapai-Alovao, Keanu Ebesu, Connor Kitamura, Bruno Likio, Kaikoa

Kauai: Hekili Dizon.

Kapaa: Lono Aki, Will Kulihaapai-Alovao, Keanu Ebesu, Connor Kitamura, Bruno Likio, Kaikoa Kanakaole, Kalahikiola Velasco, Jaden Yamashita, Zion Tootoo..

Kekaulike: Tysyn Estrella, Tomasi Finau.

McKinley: Isaac Buchanan, Joab Cruz, Preston Note, Michael Papa.

Nanakuli: Keahi Ah Sui, Josiah Aleka, Christian Asinsin, Kextyn Cafa, Isaiah Enriquez, David Kalili, Joseph Lewis IV, Kainalu Lewis, Hansen Salausa-Kaawa, Roman Skye.

PAC-5: Aiden Becker, Nai Iwaki, Jahsiah Jerome, Duke Mobley, Chad Schmidt.

Pearl City: Sefo Feesago, Joshua Gleason, Jake Ginoza, Caleb Kaai, Christopher Moeone, Mark Moreno, Tiandrew Taimanao.

Radford: Jack Carlson, Syncere Dillard, Elijah Falaniko, Olijah Gomez, Naalii Nicholas-Mattos, Christian Payton, Kalob Victorino-Avilla.

Waimea: Robin Correa, Bronze DeCosta, Tyrus Haumea, Nick Reyes, Tresten Shigematsu.

Waialua: Blazen Benz, Ezekiel Sheridan, Lasse Stolten, Sebastian Stone.

Offensive Player of the Year: Kamakana Mahiko, Kaiser, Sr., WR

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound wideout led the state in both receptions (66) and receiving yards (1,219) and helped the Cougars average 284 passing yards a game in 2021. He averaged 18.5 yards per catch, nearly 122 per game and totaled 10 touchdowns on the year. Mahiko's best outing came in a regular-season win over Radford, when he hauled in 10 passes for 292 yards and three TDs. He had nine grabs for 124 yards and a TD against Pearl City a week later and followed that up with a 10-catch, 116-yard effort against Nanakuli. In the OIA championship game, Mahiko caught eight passes for 154 yards and a TD and just night days later came up with 167 receiving yards and two TDs on nine catches in a state semifinal against Kamehameha-Maui. In addition to his offensive exploits, Mahiko excelled as a defensive back with four interceptions, including two that he returned for scores.

Defensive Player of the Year: Connor Payomo, Kapaa, Sr., LB

The 6-foot, 175-pound middle linebacker was the defensive leader for the Division II-state champion Warriors, who limited opponents to under four points a game and allowed just 31 total points in eight games in 2021. Kapaa opened its season with three consecutive shutouts in league play and added a fourth with a 51-0 drubbing of Hawaii Prep in the semifinals of the state tournament. Payomo posted a team-high six tackles, with one for loss, in the win. Earlier in the year, he had a 43-yard interception return for touchdown in a 20-6 win over Waimea. In the state title game against Kamehameha-Maui, Payomo, who was selected as KIF Defensive Player of the Year, finished with three tackles and a pass break-up; one of his two carries on offense was a 13-yard run that set-up a Solomone Malafu TD run one play later and the other moved the chains on a fake punt on fourth-and-2.

Coach of the Year: Michael Tresler, Kapaa

In his first season as coach of the Warriors, Tresler guided the team to a KIF title, an 8-0 record and the first football state championship for the island for Kauai. Kapaa began the season with a 42-0 rout of Waimea and a lopsided 47-0 victory over Kauai. The Red Raiders finished things off in just-as-dominating fashion. They limited Hawaii Prep to 66 yards of total offense and Kamehameha-Maui to 164 total yards in the semifinals and finals of the state tournament, respectively.