Entering this season, the expectations were high for Hawaii Prep’s football team.
Even after Ka Makani ran through their conference schedule with an unblemished record – claiming HPA’s first BIIF title in more than a decade – and earned a berth in the HHSAA state tournament, the team’s stars were still surprised when the postseason accolades started rolling in.
HPA made a clean sweep of the Division II honors, with quarterback Tre Walker claiming the offensive player of the year, DL/LB Braeden Samura earning defensive player of the year, and head coach Kaluka Maiava named coach of the year.
“Honestly, I was shocked,” said Samura of learning he was named DPOY. “In my head, every day, I never told myself I was better than anybody else; I always tried to stay as humble as possible.
“To know that all the 4:00 mornings in the gym, the late nights studying film, studying plays, doing side work that I knew would help my skills, it just felt really good to know that it all paid off.”
At the season’s start, Walker wasn’t even certain he’d be the starter under center for Ka Makani. Locked in a QB battle with freshman Luke Hendricks, it was ultimately the senior signal-caller’s poise and leadership that set the tone for the team. Walker credited Hendricks with pushing him throughout the season.
“Having Luke – he’s an athletic kid – having him compete with me just pushed me to get better and strive to be the best I can be,” said Walker. “I honestly enjoyed having someone like him to battle it out.”
The senior led an offense with a number of playmakers, but rarely a go-to guy; perhaps Walker’s best ability was finding the right guy at the right time, and he certainly had no shortage of options. Four Ka Makani players joined Walker on the first-team list: RB Jakob Honda, WR Luke Hendricks, OL Kamuela Gaughen and Utility Tain Lawson. Walker’s cool demeanor and decision-making helped HPA come out on top in four games decided by 10 points or less.
“It’s huge,” Maiava said of Walker’s leadership. “That’ll make or break a team.
“You’ve got a guy all flustered and throwing a tantrum on the sideline? It’s lost already. You’ve got a guy that’s cool and calm the entire time no matter what, winning or down, still playing all four quarters? You’ve got a chance.”
While Walker’s stats may not jump off the page – he completed 67 of 119 attempts for 802 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games – his composure and ability to find the right playmaker in crucial moments were what separated him from the competition.
“I’ve gotta give thanks to my O-line… They worked their butts off to protect me,” said Walker when asked what it meant to be named OPOY. “Just believe in our system, our coaches, what they put in all week for the gameplan, have faith. We’ve got athletes on our side of the field.”
A pair of season-defining wins for HPA came at home against Kamehameha, a team Ka Makani had in their sights ever since the Warriors ended HPA’s 2019 season. HPA won a revenge game on Nov. 27 14-10, and then took down Kamehameha a second time with the BIIF title on the line in a 3-0 defensive battle.
“It meant everything,” said Samura of finally taking down Kamehameha. “That first game, it really meant more to me, honestly, than the BIIF game.
“It made a statement for all of us – us seniors and some of the juniors that were there back when we played them (in 2019) for the BIIF – it meant everything. It showed that all our hard work paid off. That we changed.”
Samura was a constant force in opponents’ backfields, racking up 14½ tackles for a loss and five sacks on the season. His defensive unit allowed just three touchdowns in seven BIIF contests, recording four shutouts. Such a stingy defense was only made possible, said Samura, because of how close-knit the team was.
“Our squad is really tight,” said Samura. “We play well off each other, we follow our coach, we have a lot of faith in what he teaches us.
“On the field, everybody knows how to play their position well. In doing so, it creates a well-flowing team… Man, I couldn’t have asked for anybody better.”
HPA had a pair of defenders join Samura on the first-team: LB Kamuela Gaughen and DB Ekolu Kainoa.
While the season didn’t have the storybook ending, Maiava credits the senior class with setting a new standard at HPA. The team went from winless in BIIF play as freshmen to BIIF champs as seniors, battling until the last snap of the year.
“I know we don’t really like to talk about it, but the last game, as brutal as it was, for a coach to see his guys still in the fourth quarter, down by whatever it was, still fighting…We didn’t come away with the win, but that was a win for me,” said Maiava. “That’s the new standard at this program, that’s the new norm here at HPA. We don’t expect anything less.”
All-BIIF football
Division II
Offensive player of the year: Tre Walker, HPA
Defensive player of the year: Braeden Samura, HPA
Coach of the year: Kaluka Maiava, HPA
Offense
QB: Tre Walker, HPA
RB: Justin Pascua, Honokaa
RB: Jakob Honda, HPA
WR/TE: Onipaa Tavares Matsuda, Kohala
WR/TE: Logan Neves, Kohala
WR/TE: Luke Hendricks, HPA
OL: Tyce Pacheco, Kamehameha
OL: Manuel Oros, Pahoa
OL: Keale Valenzuela Conte, Kohala
OL: Sam Akau, Honokaa
OL: Kamuela Gaughen, HPA
Utility: Tain Lawson, HPA
Kicker: Elijah Dinkel, Kamehameha
Defense
LB: Blaze Figueroa, Kamehameha
LB: Uhane Mock Chew, Honokaa
LB: Kamuela Gaughen, HPA
DB: Dodge Turner, Kamehameha
DB: Logan Neves, Kohala
DB: Justin Pascua, Honokaa
DB: Ekolu Kainoa, HPA
DL: Talaimoto Lau, Kamehameha
DL: Aidan Blanco, Kohala
DL: Evan Nauka. Honokaa
DL: Braeden Samura, HPA
Utility: Jonah Beck, Kau
Punter: Elijah Dinkel, Kamehameha
Honorable mention
Offense
Kohala: Kona Ledward, Weston Jon Camera, Legend Libron
Kamehameha: Mike Perry, Niau Paulos, Dylan Hanson, Spencer Yoshizumi
Honokaa: Kamuela Stout-Andrade
HPA: Ekolu Kainoa, Gabby Aiona, Braeden Samura, Mason Hunt
Pahoa: Daniel Vital
Kau: Kaimana Kaupu-Manini, Jocyiah Mukini, Jonah Beck
Honorable mention
Defense
Kohala: Tamatasi Suata, Kamaehu Maaoao, Arlen Sol
Kamehameha: Taylor Kana’i Eckart, Tyce Pacheco, Niau Paulos, Spencer Yoshizumi
Honokaa: Bruce Reinbolt
HPA: Tain Lawson, Ben Kubo, Ekela Livingston
Pahoa: Noah Kaawaloa, Dallas Batalona, Dawson Magnuson
Kau: Kelson Gallano