Hawaii Elite 12 High School Football Rankings: Kahuku, Mililani Hold Steady as Kapolei Surges into Top 3

The top two teams in the Hawaii Elite 12 remain unchanged, but nothing in Hawaii's high school football picture is clear, yet.

Kahuku remains in the top spot, but No. 2 Mililani continues to make a compelling case that it could be the state's best team. The Trojans followed their impressive season-opening win with a stunning 42-0 shutout of St. Louis, the same team Kahuku defeated 20-12 in Week 1. The shutout was the first time since 2012 that St. Louis, the traditional kingpin of Hawaii’s prep football ranks, has been held scoreless.

There is plenty of movement elsewhere in this week's rankings. Kapolei made the biggest jump after rolling past Waipahu 50-15, while Campbell bounced back from its season-opening loss with a dominant win over Moanalua. Kamehameha Maui also moved up after opening its season with a 63-0 victory, while 'Aiea enters the Elite 12 following a narrow win over Leilehua.

Meanwhile, St. Louis's slump continues as the preseason No. 1 has sunk to No. 5. They have a bye to try to work things out, but the Crusaders might be entering a free fall with national No. 1 IMG Academy on deck the following week before taking on California powers Sierra Canyon and St. John Bosco. As unfathomable as it seems, the Crusaders could be 0-5 before they even enter league play.

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1. Kahuku

Record: 2-0

Previous Rank: 1

Last Week: Kahuku 13, Kamehameha Kapalama 5

Kahuku beat Kamehameha Kapalama by a 13-5 count more reminiscent of a baseball score, and the Red Raiders now have two wins by identical eight-point margins against teams that were ranked in Hawaii's Top 4 at the time. That's the good news for Kahuku, which can't afford to lose any winnable games with what will likely be its two hardest games still looming in mid-September.

That's when the Red Raiders will visit the mainland to take on a top-five national squad in St. John Bosco of California, followed by a visit to current No. 2 Mililani back in the islands. First things first: There are home games the next two weeks against Punahou and Junipero Serra of California, a Trinity League rival of St. John Bosco, that will give this Red Raiders squad even more clarity on where it stands.

2. Mililani

Record: 2-0

Previous Rank: 2

Last Week: Mililani 42, St. Louis 0

We've been saying here that Mililani might actually be the best team in Hawaii, and a 42-0 whitewashing of St. Louis on Saturday evening only underscores that. It's the same St. Louis squad that Kahuku beat at home, 20-12, in the season opener, so the direct comparison so far leans heavily in Mililani's favor. The Trojans will get their chance against Kahuku on Sept. 18, but in the meantime, they can't get ahead of themselves. McClymonds of California will visit Mililani this Friday night, and then the Trojans will fly to Nevada the following week to face Foothill.

3. Kapolei

Record: 1-0

Previous Rank: 7

Last Week: Kapolei 50, Waipahu 15

Kapolei was one of the teams that saw its season opener wiped out by Hurricane Lala two weeks ago. The Hurricanes may have been no match for an actual hurricane, but they were more than ready for a gang of invading Marauders from Waipahu last week. The 'Canes whipped their visitors, 50-15, and with the losses to Open Division members Kamehameha Kapalama and St. Louis, they make the biggest jump of the week, landing here after moving up four positions. They get a chance Saturday evening to prove we've got it right when they host that No. 4 Kamehameha squad.

4. Kamehameha Kapalama

Record: 1-2

Previous Rank: 4

Last Week: Kahuku 13, Kamehameha Kapalama 5

Kamehameha Kapalama fought tooth and nail against No. 1 Kahuku, but ultimately, the Warriors just couldn't find the offense to pull the upset. It mirrored their game against Orem of Utah the previous week, when the defense played well in a 16-7 loss but the offense couldn't produce points consistently. With a trip to Kapolei on the ledger Saturday, the Warriors have to figure out a way to complement their stout defense with even just a hint of the offense that put up 65 points in the season opener against Farrington.

5. St. Louis

Record: 0-2

Previous Rank: 3

Last Week: Mililani 42, St. Louis 0

After years of dominance in Hawaii's Open Division football ranks, St. Louis has stumbled onto hard times the past two seasons. After winning the 2024 state championship, the Crusaders have gone 5-5 in the 10 games they've played since lifting that trophy, including last year's 5-3 finish when they missed out on the postseason entirely.

Unfortunately for the 0-2 Crusaders, they're entering what might be the hardest three-game stretch of any team in the country. Following a bye this weekend, they'll kick off September against national No. 1 IMG Academy of Florida, followed by games against two national Top 25 squads from California in Sierra Canyon and St. John Bosco. It seems unfathomable, but this Crusaders squad is staring a potential 0-5 start right in the eyes.

6. Kapa'a

Record: 0-1-1

Previous Rank: 6

Last Week: Kapa'a 14, Punahou 14

Kapa'a holds steady this week after emerging from a 14-all draw in Saturday's game with Punahou. They get a week off before facing Waimea on Sept. 5.

7. Konawaena

Record: 1-0

Previous Rank: 8

Last Week: Konawaena 24, Truckee 0

Konawaena finally made its 2026 debut after seeing its home opener on the Big Island against 'Aiea erased from the schedule by Hurricane Lala the previous weekend. The Wildcats made a long trip to Truckee in Northern California, about 30 miles west of Reno, Nevada, in the Lake Tahoe region. But they were rewarded for their efforts, returning to the islands after recording a 24-0 win over a Wolverines squad that actually competes in Nevada's Class 3A ranks. Konawaena will take a break this weekend to recover back on the Big Island while preparing for a Nov. 3 matchup with Kamehameha Hawaii.

8. Punahou

Record: 1-0-1

Previous Rank: 9

Last Week: Kapa'a 14, Punahou 14

Punahou settled for a draw against Kapa'a, but the Buffanblu will have to step up their game for Saturday evening's visit to the North Shore to take on Kahuku.

9. Waipahu

Record: 1-1

Previous Rank: 5

Last Week: Kapolei 50, Waipahu 15

Two weeks in, and there's no way to describe Waipahu's start to the 2026 season as anything but up and down. The Marauders waylaid the defending Open Division state champions from Campbell in a stunning 40-17 takedown in the season opener, but Kapolei gave them a reality check in a 50-15 blowout Friday night.

It all adds up to an unclear picture for the Division I Marauders, who have only faced Open Division opponents so far, with two lopsided outcomes resulting in a 1-1 split. We aren't likely to get much clarity this coming Friday when they face an 0-2 Farrington squad that has lost its first two games by a combined score of 120-6 — unless, of course, the game is closer than it should be. Anything less than a big win by the Marauders could mean there's trouble brewing in Waipahu down the road when they meet some of Division I's better programs.

10. Campbell

Record: 1-1

Previous Rank: 10

Last Week: Campbell 56, Moanalua 7

Campbell had been smarting since that season-opening 40-17 loss to Waipahu, and they finally put that in the rearview mirror with a 56-7 rout of previous No. 11 Moanalua. A trip to Utah for a Friday night game at Pine View is next, and while the host Panthers aren't among the Beehive State's elite programs, it's still a good test for this Sabers squad to see how it can withstand the adversity of a daunting trip to the mainland.

11. Kamehameha Maui

Record: 1-0

Previous Rank: 12

Last Week: Kamehameha Maui 63, Kulanihako'i 0

Kamehameha Maui finally got its 2026 campaign underway, and the Warriors move up one spot after a 63-0 blanking of Kulanihako'i. A Saturday visit to Lahainaluna is up next for Hawaii's defending Division II champions.

12. 'Aiea

Record: 2-0

Previous Rank: Unranked

Last Week: 'Aiea 14, Leilehua 13

Moanalua's lopsided loss to Campbell cost the Menehune their position here in the Hawaii Elite 12. 'Aiea steps into the void, but only by the skin of its teeth after eking out a 14-13 win against Leilehua. A home game Saturday night against Nanakuli is a must-win contest for the Na Alii if they want to remain on this list next week.

With the midseason already approaching in Hawaii, the complete Elite 12 picture is still a bit muddy. Kahuku and Mililani remain at the top, Kapolei has surged into the top three and all of them still have to face their biggest tests to come. With marquee matchups and challenging mainland trips on the horizon, the next few weeks should finally start to provide clearer picture of which teams are legitimate contenders for Hawaii's state championships.

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