Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Three weeks into the 2026 Hawaii high school football season, teams are already making statements in what is shaping up to be a competitive Open Division.
Third-ranked Kapolei is among them.
After its scrimmages and season opener were canceled because of weather, the Hurricanes finally made their long-awaited debut last weekend, rolling past Waipahu 50-15.
Now Kapolei faces its biggest test yet Saturday night against fourth-ranked Kamehameha, with last season’s playoff loss providing plenty of motivation.
The Hurricanes fell to the Warriors in the state tournament nine months ago, a defeat that has remained fresh for the program.
“That’s fuel to our tank,” senior running back Chazz-Michael Kapahu said. “Last year we came up short. This year we worked way harder, and we want to win everything this year. Coming to practice every day, working hard, going the extra mile every practice.”
Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said the Hurricanes will rely heavily on their senior leaders as they navigate a young roster.
“We do have a young team,” Hernandez said. “Last season we lost two seniors on offense, and this year, if you look at our offense, our quarterback and our running back and our receiver — our big three are triplets Jacob Ballesteros, Mikey Kapahu and Nikko Smith. Those three are seniors, but pretty much everybody else are underclassmen.”
Hernandez said those veterans will be counted on to set the tone.
“We’re still young in some areas, but those seniors are going to have to step up and provide leadership,” he said.
Smith, the reigning Cover2 Special Teams Player of the Year, said the anticipation surrounding the rematch is high.
“The motivation is high,” Smith said. “Everybody is really, really excited for this game. Boys are yelling at each other to push each other out here. Motivation is really high and intensity is right now.”
Smith will lead the Hurricanes into Saturday night’s matchup with Kamehameha.
More on the highly anticipated Open Division matchup will be featured on the Season 14 premiere of “Cover2 Hawaii High School Football Weekly,” airing Thursday at 9:30 p.m. on KHON2.
Hawaii News, Hawaii Weather, Hawaii Sports
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Check out our morning news podcast: khon2.com/khon-2go
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Three weeks into the 2026 Hawaii high school football season, teams are already making statements in what is shaping up to be a competitive Open Division.
Third-ranked Kapolei is among them.
After its scrimmages and season opener were canceled because of weather, the Hurricanes finally made their long-awaited debut last weekend, rolling past Waipahu 50-15.
Now Kapolei faces its biggest test yet Saturday night against fourth-ranked Kamehameha, with last season’s playoff loss providing plenty of motivation.
The Hurricanes fell to the Warriors in the state tournament nine months ago, a defeat that has remained fresh for the program.
“That’s fuel to our tank,” senior running back Chazz-Michael Kapahu said. “Last year we came up short. This year we worked way harder, and we want to win everything this year. Coming to practice every day, working hard, going the extra mile every practice.”
Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said the Hurricanes will rely heavily on their senior leaders as they navigate a young roster.
“We do have a young team,” Hernandez said. “Last season we lost two seniors on offense, and this year, if you look at our offense, our quarterback and our running back and our receiver — our big three are triplets Jacob Ballesteros, Mikey Kapahu and Nikko Smith. Those three are seniors, but pretty much everybody else are underclassmen.”
Hernandez said those veterans will be counted on to set the tone.
“We’re still young in some areas, but those seniors are going to have to step up and provide leadership,” he said.
Smith, the reigning Cover2 Special Teams Player of the Year, said the anticipation surrounding the rematch is high.
“The motivation is high,” Smith said. “Everybody is really, really excited for this game. Boys are yelling at each other to push each other out here. Motivation is really high and intensity is right now.”
Smith will lead the Hurricanes into Saturday night’s matchup with Kamehameha.
More on the highly anticipated Open Division matchup will be featured on the Season 14 premiere of “Cover2 Hawaii High School Football Weekly,” airing Thursday at 9:30 p.m. on KHON2.
Hawaii News, Hawaii Weather, Hawaii Sports
See more of the team that is Working for Hawaii on our website: khon2.com
Stay informed about Hawaii news, weather, sports and entertainment, subscribe to the KHON2 YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/KHONNewsHawaii?sub_confirmation=1
Check out our morning news podcast: khon2.com/khon-2go
Sign up to receive the latest Hawaii news in your inbox: nxslink.khon2.com/join/6sd/signup
Stay informed about Hawaii news, weather, sports, and entertainment! Follow KHON2 on our social channels:
youtube.com/user/KHONNewsHawaii
facebook.com/khon2news
twitter.com/KHONnews
instagram.com/khonnews
