PAHALA – The island’s premier football husband and wife tandem coaching call it a rebuilding year, but everything is relative in eight-man, where the climate of late has been favorable in Pahala. Under DuWayne Ke, the Ka’u Trojans has carved out a niche all their own.
Faced with dwindling roster numbers, the Trojans begrudgingly went down to the eight-man level in 2013, and five years later they’re working on a BIIF dynasty, with three championships in four seasons.
You wouldn’t always know it from talking to Ke, who tugged at his gray beard earlier this week as if to accentuate the aging process a coach goes through and chose his words very as carefully as he watched Ka’u practice from the stands.
Ke is loathe to disclose too much about team personnel before the season begins, but he has a foil in that regard – Tammy Ke. His wife is one of his top assistants, or maybe it’s the other way around.
“She has a better brain than me,” he said.
When Tammy Ke confirms that Shesley Martinez, a former Hilo Vikings running back, is in fact on the practice, field, DuWayne Ke interjects, “Ssshhh.”
At least one secret is out, but the Trojans promise many more from a robust roster of 40 players that is being mentored by a coaching staff of 14, an even robuster figure. Both those numbers would make many 11-man BIIF programs envious.
“This is the first time I don’t have any kids on the field that are my own,” DuWayne Ke said. “We lost one son (Nainoa Ke graduated), but I got 40 now.”
At this time last year, Ke promised that Ka’u would have a few secrets of its sleeve, and wouldn’t you know it, a few weeks later freshman Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley seemingly came out of nowhere with a five-touchdown performance at Lanai in the highest-scoring Hawaii high school game on record. Speedy and elusive, he shared offensive player of year honors.
“Izaiah stunned everybody as a freshman,” Tammy Ke said, “and we have a few that will be like Izaiah and be a freshman starter.
“We have a lot of potential. A very young team, there is no doubt about that, but they come with skill.”
Pilanca-Emmsley will play quarterback, but who knows how many passes he’ll actually have to attempt.
It’s no secret the Trojans are happy to keep the ball on the ground and run it until they are stopped, which hasn’t been often. By now, Pahoa and Kohala not only know what’s coming, but they’ve shifted to run-heavy tendencies as well.
“Since we started, every year someone has copied us,” DuWayne Ke said. “I say that’s good.”
There are two transfer running backs on the team, one from about 3,500 miles away and the other 60.
Junior Luke Watson moved from Texas and will provide the proverbial thunder to Pilanca-Emmsley’s lightning.
“The boy is a power runner,” Tammy Ke said. “He (has) really good size, built and he can run. When you put the ball in his hands and he runs, you better not be in his way.”
Martinez got an ample amount of carries for Hilo last season in mop-up duty. He hasn’t practiced in pads yet, but he’s in the plans.
“Shesly is going to be a changer in our offense,” said DuWayne Ke, after his wife had let the cat out of the bag.
Nainoa Ke, an all-BIIF lineman last season, has become an assistant, but fellow all-star Josiah Barrios is back for his senior season and will anchor the line at center alongside seniors Kanoa Kailiawa and Manu-Kalau Keliikoa, both of whom will play both ways.
Kalau-Keliikoa was a defensive standout in 2017 and an heir apparent for defensive player of the year this season. He is listed as a utility, but wrecker of havoc off the edge is one of his primary talents.
“He disrupts a lot,” DuWayne Ke said.
The same could be said of sophomore Kaleopono Palakiko, who came on strong last year at linebacker.
Ka’u took on Keaau in an 11-man controlled scrimmage last Friday, and it reminded Tammy Ke that “we’ve been in the eight-man game for too long. We were just stunned.”
DuWayne Ke said he’d love to go back to 11-man, but there is something to be said for the comfort and control of eight-man. He’s got 13 assistants and a spokesperson, even if Tammy Ke revealed more about the upcoming season than he’d like.
“They are all learning how to be family,” DuWayne Ke said. “Plenty of new kids, we’re teaching them, respect.”