Take a look at some of the top performers from week one of the Hawaii high school football season. All stats are courtesy of scoringlive.com. It should also be mentioned that players listed below are from teams covered and/or broadcasted by ESPN Honolulu.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele: Quarterback, Campbell High School
Week 1 Stats: 27-39, 431 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns
You couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to the high school football season if you are Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The junior quarterback was piecing up the defense, completing 27 of his 39 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns, in No. 4 Campbell’s commanding 62-34 victory over No. 8 Waipahu on Friday night.
Sagapolutele will have the opportunity to replicate his outstanding season-opening performance this coming Saturday, as Campbell faces off with Aiea.
Blayne Shiraki: Linebacker, Punahou High School
Week 1 Stats: 7.5 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
Blayne Shiraki was a man on a mission during No. 2 Punahou’s 21-14 victory over No. 3 Millilani on Saturday night. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior linebacker was flying all over the field, accounting for 7.5 tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks.
Looking ahead, Shiraki and the Buff ‘n Blue will gear up to face Millikan from Long Beach, California at home this Friday.
CJ Villanueva: Quarterback, Iolani High School
Week 1 Stats: 27-28, 286 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown
Sophomore quarterback CJ Villanueva starred in No. 10 Iolani’s 59-26 victory over Kaimuki on Saturday afternoon. The 5-foot-10 signal caller was almost perfect passing the ball for the Raiders. Villanueva completed a staggering 27 of his 28 passes, throwing for 286 yards and four touchdowns through the air, while also rushing in for another score.
Villanueva and the Raiders will put their 1-0 record to the test, squaring off with a tough Farrington squad this upcoming Saturday.
Keola Apduhan: Running Back, Saint Louis High School
Week 1 Stats: 19 carries, 115 rushing yards, 6.1 YPC, 4 rushing touchdowns
Senior running back Keola Apduhan carried Saint Louis’ offense in their season-opening victory over No. 7 Kapolei on Saturday night. Apduhan carried the ball 19 times for 115 yards and four scores, capitalizing on each rush.
No. 5 Saint Louis will have to lean on their senior running back even more so this week, as they face an early-season test against No. 1 Kahuku this upcoming Saturday night.
Trey Dacoscos: Quarterback, Pearl City High School
Week 1 Stats: 24-35, 244 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns
Pearl City quarterback Trey Dacoscos looked mighty impressive in the opening game of the 2023 football season. The senior quarterback was in rhythm with his receivers from the jump, as Pearl City scored on its first three possessions of the game, resulting in a commanding 42-12 victory over Kauai. Dacoscos finished the game completing 24 of his 35 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Dacoscos and Pearl City will look to move to 2-0 on the season, as they will go on the road to face Kaiser this upcoming Friday night.
Other Notable Standouts:
Austin Takaki (Konawaena, WR/DB): 12 receptions, 181 yards, 1 touchdown
Xavier Bezares (Roosevelt, RB): 22 carries, 87 yards, 2 touchdowns
Astin Hange (Punahou, WR): 7 receptions, 192 yards, 1 touchdown
Kaina Kamohalii (Kapolei, WR/DB): 11 receptions, 131 yards, 1 touchdown
Tulilele Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kahuku, QB): 11-18, 151 passing yards, 5 total touchdowns
Diezel Kamoku (Kahuku, WR): 7 receptions, 92 yards, 3 touchdowns
Moe Passi (Kamehameha, RB): 11 carries, 121 yards, 2 touchdowns
Nainoa Melchor (Kamehameha, RB): 10 carries, 69 yards, 3 touchdowns
Everest Rodriguez (Farrington, DB): 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown