Monday Morning MIL: Kamehameha Maui looks to future after first state football crown

The Kamehameha Schools Maui football team said goodbye to 17 seniors on Saturday following the Warriors’ first state championship — 11 of whom started in their 37-14 win over Kaiser for the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II crown at Mililani High School.

One senior who did not start, nor play — Ka’onohi Casco — might be the best player on the Warriors’ roster. Casco is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety/wide receiver and a college prospect on the gridiron and track and field.

For the fourth season in a row, Casco missed the team’s final game with an injury or illness. He was clearly on the minds of his teammates as they ground out the victory that made history for their school.

Casco injured a knee in practice prior to the top-seeded Warriors’ 60-26 win over Roosevelt on Nov. 23, meaning the three-year captain did not play in either of the Warriors’ playoff wins. Without him, they still outscored two O’ahu Interscholastic Association foes 97-40 in the state tournament.

Casco still wore his ever-present smile after lining up to accept the championship trophy with fellow captains Ka’iwa Ho and Rusty Ako-Nataniela.

“It was absolutely amazing, seeing all the lower-classmen, all the people that looked up to me, they really pulled their weight and they showed up when it mattered,” Casco said. “My knee is great, these things happen all the time. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. All glory to God, all glory to my parents, all glory to my teammates, my coaches. I appreciate all of them for bringing me this far. Even with this injury I tried to be there for my teammates.”

On offense, the Warriors return starters in running back Zedekiah Campbell, who had 239 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries; starting wide receivers Frank Abreu and Tevyn Apo; and offensive lineman Pa’u Spencer and Isaiah Lani.

On defense, the returning starters from Saturday night are linebackers Logan Andrade and Kamaha’o Akima; and defensive backs Kai’olohia Kang, Mana Gasmen, Anthony Sardine Jr. and Kolt Kaho’ohanohano.

Casco has college scholarship offers from schools in Montana and Colorado and has not decided if he will pursue track or football — he said he might do both in college. His talents extend off the field, as he is also a skilled hula dancer.

“My journey is not over,” he said. “Football is not done with me and I’m sure as hell not done with football.”

Spencer said the Warriors are not done with state titles.

“I think we’ve got one more, I think us being as good as we are we can help the next couple classes stay at this level,” Spencer said. 

Coach Ulima Afoa said the first title has paved the way for future Warriors teams.

“Once you get that first one then it’s a little bit easier because you’ve got the formula, you’ve got the template, so there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel, right?” Afoa said. “We’ve got to find the Jimmies and Joes to match those X’s and O’s.”

Several of the Warriors are now going to have time to heal up, including Campbell, who nursed a sore shoulder for most of the season, according to Afoa. 

Kaikea Hu’eu is the thunder running back to Campbell’s lightning role and he looks forward to coming back as a defending state champion.

“That’s going to feel great, it took a lot for us to get here, a lot of practice,” Hu’eu said. “It’s going to feel good because maybe we are going to have that confidence inside of us. We’re going to be able to say, ‘We’re the guys, let’s stay the guys.’ “

Hu’eu lit up when asked about Campbell.

“Oh, that’s my boy, he’s like on another level compared to everybody else,” Hu’eu said. “He’s unreal.”

Apo said it was special to bring home the state championship trophy for Casco specifically.

“It was kind of sad to see him on the sideline, but in the end we all came together for him,” Apo said.

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BASKETBALL: Baldwin, Seabury Hall host boys basketball tournament

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Baldwin High School and Seabury Hall are hosting the 2024 Kaʻapuni Basketball tournament that begins Thursday with games at Baldwin’s Jon Garcia Gym and Seabury Hall’s Erdman Athletic Center. 

The tournament will run through Saturday and features both defending HHSAA state champions, Saint Louis in Division I and Kohala in Division II.

The D-I Bears and D-II Spartans are both coming off Maui Interscholastic League championships last season — the Spartans fell to Kohala in the D-II state title game. The tournament’s seven-team field includes two teams from California — Villa Park from Orange County and Oak Hills from San Bernardino. Konawaena and Hawaii Baptist Academy are also in the field. Admission at both venues is free.

There are three games at each venue on Thursday and Friday and two at each venue on Saturday. On Thursday, Baldwin faces Oak Hills on at 4:15 p.m. and Seabury Hall takes on Konawaena at 6:15 p.m.

Friday, the Bears take on Saint Louis at 4:15 p.m. and the Spartans face Kohala at 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, Baldwin plays Villa Park and Seabury faces Hawaii Baptist, both at 1:30 p.m.

HJI’s “Monday Morning MIL” columns appear weekly on Monday mornings with updates on local sports in the Maui Interscholastic League and elsewhere around Maui County. Please send column ideas — anything having to do with sports in Maui County — as well as results and photos to rob@hjinow.org.