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ScoringLive Division I Midseason Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Tua Tagovailoa, Saint Louis quarterback
Who else?

Tua Tagovailoa, the silky smooth southpaw, has been a cut above in the first half of the 2016 season. The Saint Louis senior has accounted for 2,123 total yards and 23 touchdowns through just six games.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,821 yards and 18 touchdowns and is ranked in the top five of all five major passing categories in Division I statewide. He has also rushed for a team-high 302 yards and five more scores.

Tagovailoa scored nine total touchdowns in Saint Louis' 64-44 win over Punahou on Sept. 9, in which he threw for 447 yards and rushed for a season-high 104. The Alabama-commit threw six TD passes and ran for three against the Buffanblu.

"He scrambles better than people realize," Punahou coach Kale Ane said of Tagovailoa. "He gets his yards when he wants to, either throwing or running. I don't think you can totally stop him. You try to contain him as well as you can by taking certain things away, which opens up other areas. As a competitor you want to play the best, and right he's the best right now."

Tagovailoa also has the best completion percentage across the state at 70.2 percent. The Crusaders (5-1 overall, 4-1 league) wrap up the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I season against Kamehameha Friday.

Defensive Player of the Year: Kesi Ah-Hoy, Kahuku safety
Kesi Ah-Hoy is literally the last line of defense for the state's best defense.

The senior running back-turned-quarterback-turned-safety has been a constant on the back end of the defense for top-ranked and undefeated Kahuku.

Ah-Hoy has made a seamless transition from one side of the ball to the other after seemingly willing the Red Raiders to their eighth state championship in school history in 2015 as a wildcat quarterback.

The 6-foot, 203-pound Ah-Hoy has recorded four interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns through five games. In the season opener at Leilehua, Ah-Hoy scored on an 82-yard fumble return.

Ah-Hoy had a 52-yard pick-6 in a 44-0 thumping of Campbell, in which Kahuku held the Sabers to minus-15 yards of total offense.

"He is a key to that defense," Campbell coach Amosa Amosa said of Ah-Hoy. "He leads by example and has a big reason why they're undefeated and dominate everybody that they play. He's just a tremendous athlete and a pretty awesome football player."

The Red Raiders are allowing an average of just 7.9 points and 107.5 yards (86.6 pass, 20.9 rush) per game. They have posted four wins by shutout and given up just 28 points in league play.

Ah-Hoy, a First Team All-Hawaii running back last year, has run for 80 yards — on just four carries — and one touchdown in limited time at running back.

"They did a good job of moving him here and there to help them be the best defense and he's obviously very talented," Amosa said. "I think for anybody to be on offense one year and turn around and be a full-time starter on defense. That's a big testament to him and the hard work he performs."

The Red Raiders (7-1 overall, 7-0 OIA D1 Blue) will host the winner between Aiea and Leilehua in the OIA D1 quarterfinals.

Coach of the Year: Amosa Amosa, Campbell
One can argue that Campbell has gotten better with every game this season.

The Sabers, under ninth-year head coach Amosa Amosa, has turned it around since an 0-2 start to the season, including a 38-0 loss to rival Kapolei on opening weekend. They showed improvement in a 34-14 loss to Farrington eight days later before notching back-to-back victories over Kaiser (28-7) and Aiea (12-7).

Following a 44-0 loss at reigning Division I state champion Kahuku, Campbell held Moanalua to a then-season-low 113 yards of total offense in a 12-6 win.

The Sabers' signature win of the season came just two weeks ago in a 14-12 win over then-No. 4 Waianae. Whatsmore, they did it without their two best defensive linemen in Ethan Muagututia and Luke Ocreto-Penitusi.