Saints, Warriors to open ILH season


Wide receiver Duke Bukoski leads the team with 241 yards in receiving. Eugene Tanner | SL
The second-longest running rivalry will open the Interscholastic League of Honolulu football season Saturday at Aloha Stadium.

Defending league and Division I state champion Kamehameha (2-1 overall) will take on Saint Louis (2-1) in the feature game of an ILH doubleheader set for 7 p.m.

In the opener, No. 9 Iolani (2-1) will play Damien (0-3) at 4:15 p.m. in a Division II game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN1420AM.

The Warriors, ranked sixth in the ScoringLive/OC16 Power Rankings, and Crusaders, ranked fourth, are coming off losses in non-league games. The Crusaders allowed the most points in its history in a 49-27 loss to Kahuku. Kamehameha lost to community rival Farrington, 21-12.

It's the 91st season of competition between the Warriors and Crusaders, who own an 82-56-10 lead in the series.

Saint Louis is led by the multi-threat quarterback Marcus Mariota (verbally committed to Oregon), who has passed for 653 yards and eight TDs and rushed for 129 and two. Advertiser all-state receiver Duke Bukoski leads the team with 241 yards in receiving.

But the Crusaders have to contend with a defense that returns highly-touted defensive end Koa Kaai and defensive back Walter Santiago.

The Warriors' offense lost T.C. Campbell at QB, but return Chrisitan Akana, who has passed for 389 yards in three games.

The Saint Louis defense is anchored by defensive end Juda Parker (verbally committed to Tennessee) and linebacker Starr Sua-Passi, who has an offer from Hawaii.

NO. 7 LEILEHUA AT NO. 8 CAMPBELL, 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Mules (1-1 overall, 1-0 Red West) and Sabers (2-1, 1-0) face in a battle of unbeatens.

Leilehua lost to Kamehameha in its only non-league tuneup, but opened the OIA season with a 21-7 win against Kapolei.

Both teams feature first-time starting QBs. The Mules replaced two-time all-state pick Andrew Manley with Keenan Sadanaga, while the Sabers are going with sophomore Justin Tago, who threw two TD passes in a 13-6 win at Waianae last week.

WAIANAE AT NO. 3 MILILANI, 7 p.m. Saturday on OC 16

The Trojans (3-0, 1-0) will try to stay undefeated against hungry Waianae (0-3, 0-1), off to its slowest start since 1965, when it began 0-3. Another loss, the Seariders will match their worst start ever since 1964, when they began 0-4.

Mililani QB Trent McKinney has a pair of big targets Hassan Richardson and Texas transfer Ervan Jean-Pierre. Both are 6-4.

The Seariders have scored just 16 points in three games. They have scored only one TD and kicked three field goals.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].