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Jahsiah Souza-Armstead

Roosevelt football  •   #17    

Jahsiah Souza-Armstead is his own biggest believer.

In his team's two playoff games over the past few weeks, the Roosevelt sophomore has posted a pair of prolific performances to match his level of self-confidence.

Souza-Armstead, a 5-foot-9, 130-pound wide receiver, registered five receptions for a career-best 164 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rough Riders claim a league championship with their 34-22 win over Kaimuki Friday night. A week prior Souza-Armstead came up with six catches for 122 yards and two TDs in a thrilling 35-34 win at Kaiser.

Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala noted the progress that Souza-Armstead has made over the course of his first varsity season. He was part of a rotation at one outside receiver position to start the year, but eventually proved his worth enough to take over as the starter.

"In the beginning he was going in and out, but he kind of exploded with that position and he's done very well for us picking up the plays, catching on quickly, making the right reads and catching the balls and he's been doing that very consistently, so he's earned his spot and he's done real well," Kahooilihala said.

Souza-Armstead averaged fewer than four receptions for 50 yards over the course of the Rough Riders' first seven games. He had just one touchdown prior to the OIA playoffs. Despite that, he never lacked confidence in his own ability.

"He tells himself that at the end of the day, he's gonna win the day, meaning that every down that he gets to the line of scrimmage, he's gonna finish the play and whether he catches a 10-yard reception or seven yards, or even a touchdown, he's driven and he's gonna get it done," Kahooilihala said.

Kahooilihala reiterated Souza-Armstead's belief in himself and noted that offensive coordinator Anthony Monteilh is among those who have been converted.

"What's impressed coach Ant and myself is Jahsiah's confidence and how he's able to get the job done. Sometimes I tell him, ‘Hey, you got this guy playing you here and you gotta watch for this, you gotta do this,' and he always tell me, ‘Coach, I got you. I got you,' that's his words. This kid is driven and has a lot of confidence and gets the plays done, that's what's so amazing."

It's not just that Souza-Armstead is confident, he's also got play-making ability, to be sure.

"He's a pure receiver for us. He does everything that he's asked of, he's fearless, he's relentless and he's not afraid to challenge you. You can put your best corner out there on him and at the end of the day, he'll get you, he'll mark you down," Kahooilihala said. "He brings the energy and motivation during practices and games, so he brings the full package and he's gonna be a good one, this boy."

Souza-Armstead's first reception Friday went for 33 yards and set-up first-and-goal for the Rough Riders. His second, a 15-yard grab, picked up another first down and once again gave his team goal-to-go. Two plays later quarterback Ioane Kamanao ran in a 10-yard touchdown to cut into the Bulldogs' lead at 14-10, which was the score at halftime.

After its defense got a stop to open the second half, Roosevelt took advantage of a short field and needed just six plays to find the end zone. Kamanao connected with Souza-Armstead for a 6-yard TD pass with 9:48 left in the third quarter to put their team ahead for good.

"Everybody on offense has to do their job and he did his job and it was a big turnaround point for us that gave us a boost offensively and just kind of changed the momentum for us at that time, so it was huge that play that Jahsiah scored," Kahooilihala said.

Later in the third quarter, Souza-Armstead pulled down a 13-yard catch to convert a third-and-8. The drive eventually culminated with a 33-yard field goal by Journey DePeralta. That stretched the Roosevelt lead to 27-14 after three quarters.

A few minutes into the fourth quarter, the Rough Riders built upon that cushion with a big play courtesy of Souza-Armstead, who hauled in a 97-yard TD pass from Kamanao. The scoring play came on a third-and-16.

"We were just trying to get the first down and Jahsiah ran his route and Ioane got him the ball. He was open and like I said, he's always gonna challenge you. Every route he runs, he tells himself that he's gonna score, so it wasn't anything for me. I knew he was gonna come up with the ball somewhere, somehow and he did. That's the kind of person that he is."

Souza-Armstead's long touchdown ignited the Roosevelt sideline into celebratory mode. The excitement of his coaches and teammates was palpable, enough so that the team was flagged for a sideline warning.

"Right before that play, the official was saying to give them room and make sure no one is in the box and I was reminding the coaches of that. I was behind that official when Jahsiah was running down the sideline and I saw all the coaches running and jumping and then the flag came out," Kahooilihala laughed. "Coaches were happy, they were all excited and they didn't see the official behind them so they didn't see the flag, but I did and we said, ‘Oh no.' "

While he's all business on the field, Souza-Armstead keeps it loose off the gridiron.

"He's a clown and a jokester – he plays around – but he's a good kid," Kahooilihala said.

Roosevelt strung together 31 consecutive points to rally past Kaimuki and to their second OIA championship in program history. Its only other league crown came in 2018.

Souza-Armstead and the Rough Riders (8-3) are seeded fourth in the six-team First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II State Championships. They will host fifth-seeded Kamehameha-Hawaii Friday at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium in the nightcap of a first round doubleheader. Kickoff is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m.

Third-seeded PAC-5 will take on Kaimuki in the 4 o'clock contest.

FOOTBALL

Tai Aipia-Barrett, Waipahu — Caught six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in a win over Farrington

Kaleikaumaka Akiona, Roosevelt — Ran for 111 yards on 29 carries in a win over Kaimuki 

Sylas Alaimalo, Damien — Ran for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a win over Iolani 

Zayden Alviar-Costa, Campbell — Caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a win over Kapolei 

Rowen-Ray Bucao, Campbell — Caught four passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Kapolei 

Jayden Chanel, Waipahu — Caught four passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Farrington

Nalu Chinen-Zablan, Damien — Caught two touchdown passes and returned five kickoffs for 121 yards in a win over Iolani 

Faafetai Failauga, Waipahu — Ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in a win over Farrington

Diezel Kamoku, Kahuku — Caught eight passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Mililani

Ioane Kamanao, Roosevelt — Threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-20 passing without an interception in a win over Kaimuki 

Kekama Kane, Iolani — Caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Damien 

Iosefa Letuli, Kaimuki — Threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-31 passing with one interception and ran for 143 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in a loss to Roosevelt 

Kini McMillan, Mililani — Threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-37 passing without an interception and ran for 108 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in a win over Kahuku 

Elijah Nahoopii, Waipahu — Scored on a 57-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Farrington

Elijah Nua, Mililani — Made 5 1/2 tackles, including one-half for a loss, and recorded three pass break ups in a win over Kahuku 

Taimane Souza-Fautanu, Roosevelt — Recorded 11 1/2 tackles, including 1 1/2 for losses, forced a fumble, broke up two passes and caught a touchdown in a win over Kaimuki 

Ejay Tapeni, Kapolei — Recorded three tackles for loss, including two sacks, and had one pass break up in a win over Kahuku

AJ Tuifua, Damien — Threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns on 11-of-21 passing without an interception in a win over Iolani 

CJ Villanueva, Iolani — Threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns on 32-of-56 passing without an interception and ran for a touchdown in a loss to Damien 

Kailia Phillips

Waialua volleyball  •   #19  OH/MB  Senior

There is never a lack of motivation for Kailia Phillips.

The Waialua senior has both the will and work ethic to succeed. No one knows this better than her volleyball coach, Bronson Chun.

"I think her drive is what makes her special," Chun said of Phillips, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter and third-year varsity player for the Bulldogs.

"Outside of the gym, outside of practice, she does other clinics weekly and on the weekends she's always in the weight room. She does a lot of strength training and ability and stretching throughout the week so there's a lot that she does outside of practice get the body ready and the mind right," he added.

Phillips' mental toughness proved to be a valuable asset in Waialua's recent run to a second straight league title. She had six kills, nine digs and an ace in a semifinal sweep of Castle on Oct. 26, then followed that up with a double-double in the championship match against Waipahu last Wednesday. Phillips tallied a season-high 20 kills to go along with 11 digs and one solo block as the Bulldogs fended off the Marauders in a five-set thriller.

"She's a battler, she's a warrior out there. We preach to them that consistency is key and to stay with it when things are not going the greatest and that whatever we've done so far has gotten us to this point," Chun said.

Phillips put down seven kills in the opening set, but struggled over the next three, when she notched 10 kills against nine attack errors. However, she clutched up in set 5 with four kills against just one error.

"She had a couple of hits into the tape that didn't get over but she shook it off. Her ability to do that and stay focused, stay positive and just keep moving on even thought she made a terrible hit or play, that ability with her has grown in her game to just keep driving, just keep pushing and not worry about those mistakes and get it right back," Chun expressed.

When she first joined the varsity squad as a sophomore, however, Phillips was a bit more reserved.

"She's always been a little more on the shy or quiet side, but over the years she's grown to become more vocal and has become a leader on this team, especially the last couple seasons," Chun said.

Phillips first began playing under Chun when she a Waialua Intermediate student. It was in the club season between her freshman and sophomore years that Phillips hit a growth spurt in her game. Chun noted that Phillips was on the same club team as her future teammates, Kanoe Santiago and Brynn Basilio-Chun.

"She played on the JV her freshman year, but that's when her skillset started coming on. Her, Kanoe, Brynn and some other girls played together on that club team and I pulled Kailia, Brynn and Kanoe up (to varsity) in the tenth grade. They stepped right in and with Kailia, I think she knew she had to train even harder to make it onto the court; It made her work harder and become even more of a team player," Chun recalled.

The trio are now seniors and make up what Chun calls the "core" of the team.

"They're the ones who push everybody, so with their work ethic, it translates into the progress of where we are today as a program," he said.

Phillips received All-Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division Honorable Mention a year ago. Chun said that the main difference in Phillips this year has been an increase in strength.

"The past two years she's been pretty consistent in what she does, but I can tell her strength has increased – she's hitting the ball harder – and I think her volleyball IQ has improved from last season, but overall, I think it's that drive to continue to train hard and I know that she's gonna go somewhere to play volleyball at the next level – I know some school will pick her up – and I think she's broadened her expectations of herself and can see her future of where she can go has grown and she just keeps working at bettering herself," Chun said.

Phillips has proven to be a meticulous worker and student of the game.

"She really has true dedication to her craft. She's strategic in what she does and as far as her style, I would say it's pretty textbook with what she does. Her approach to hitting the ball, her technique is pretty textbook, but there's little things that she does to make it her own; It's pretty down pat and it works for her," Chun said.

Volleyball is a big part of life for Phillips, but it's not her whole life. In addition to her athletic endeavors, Phillips also works as a lifeguard.

"She does that on whatever off time she has on the weekends. We have practice at six o'clock, six-thirty Saturday mornings and we'll practice until nine, then she'll hurry up and go to work at ten, then finish at two or three, go home to rest a little bit, then she goes back to workout or go to the gym, so she's always busy and I think she's truly preparing herself for that college life," Chun said.

Off the court and out of the pool, Phillips is like any other fun-loving teenager, Chun described.

"She's pretty bubbly; She's good fun and you might not think it or know it, but she's pretty ‘moke-key,' " Chun laughed. "She attracts a lot of people because of her personality and she has a lot of friends. A lot of younger girls look at her as a role model. She works hard in the classroom – I knew she has a few (Advanced Placement) classes -- any way you look at it that girl has focus and drive and I think that focus in the classroom, as well as on the court, is going to pay off for her."

The pay off for the Bulldogs this fall – back-to-back OIA championships – is one that will payout dividends for years to come, Chun expects.

"That's huge for us as a program and also as far as self-esteem for these girls. It shows them that sticking to the process, having grit and grinding away with hard work pays off," Chun said. "When we won last year, we saw an influx of intermediate kids come out and play. I think it shows the progress that we've made and that yeah, Waialua can do it and we preach to these young kids that that's where our current players came from and that they can become the next group of girls and that's huge for us. Waialua has always been plagued by the numbers game, but as I told our girls, what they're doing is leaving a legacy behind and leaving trail marks so that these younger ones can follow in their footsteps."

Phillips and the Bulldogs (9-3) are seeded second in this week's New City Nissan/HHSAA Division II State Championships. They will open play against Damien Wednesday, 5 p.m. at Kaimuki in a quarterfinal round match.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Anae Asuncion, Mililani — Had 34 set assists, five digs, four kills and one ace in a three-set win over Roosevelt and had 29 set assists, one kill and an ace in a three-set win over Moanalua 

Brynn Basilio-Chun, Waialua — Had 31 set assists, 14 digs and three kills in a five-set win over Waipahu

Natalie Fukumoto, Moanalua — Had 33 digs, eight set assists and one ace in a five-set win over Kapolei 

Kamaluhia Garcia, Moanalua — Had 19 kills, 10 digs, two aces and two set assists in a five-set win over Kapolei and had 12 kills, one block and an ace in a three-set loss to Mililani 

Bailey Menor, Waialua — Had 23 digs in a five-set win over Waipahu

Malinah Purcell-Telefoni, Kapolei — Had 20 kills, two digs, two aces and 1 1/2 blocks in a five-set loss to Moanalua 

Alexis Rodriguez, Mililani — Had 15 kills, 14 digs and 1 1/2 blocks in a three-set win over Roosevelt and had 12 kills and three aces in a three-set win over Moanalua 

Kanoe Santiago, Waialua — Had 22 kills and 23 digs in a five-set win over Waipahu

Any Scott, Kapolei — Had 46 set assists, 10 digs, two aces, one block and a kill in a five-set loss to Moanalua 

Kahlan Soon, Waipahu — Had 11 kills and 15 set assists in a five-set loss to Waialua