Hawaii High School Football Elite 12 Rankings: Hurricane Lala Disrupts Schedule, Top Teams Hold Firm

Hurricane Lala wiped out much of Hawaii's high school football schedule over the weekend, but the storm didn't shake up the state's Elite 12 rankings.

At least 10 games were canceled or postponed as Lala brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the islands, including No. 1 Kahuku's scheduled visit to Wai'anae. Thousands of residents remained without power after the storm, while at least 100 homes were damaged and two public schools on the Big Island were expected to remain closed this week as officials assessed campus damage.

Fortunately for Hawaii's football teams, schedule changes made ahead of the storm allowed all 10 games involving visiting teams from California, Nevada and Utah to be played.

And the biggest result belonged to No. 2 Mililani.

Trailing Liberty of Henderson, Nevada, 24-14 at halftime on a wet field, the Trojans rallied behind former Punahou quarterback Hunter Fujikawa while their defense pitched a second-half shutout. Fujikawa finished with 273 yards and three touchdowns, and Toa Sam's late touchdown run completed a 31-24 comeback.

The result helped keep the Elite 12 intact from top to bottom — but that almost certainly won't last another week.

The top four teams collide Saturday, with No. 1 Kahuku visiting No. 4 Kamehameha Kapalama and No. 3 St. Louis traveling to No. 2 Mililani.

1. Kahuku

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 1

Last week: Idle

Kahuku's Saturday game at Waianae was among the contests wiped from the schedule. Provided all systems are go in the islands this coming weekend, the Red Raiders will visit No. 4 Kamehameha Kapalama on Saturday in their return to action.

2. Mililani

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 2

Last week: Mililani 31, Liberty (Nev.) 24

Mililani is already reaping the benefits of Fujikawa's transfer from Punahou as the senior standout helped rally his new squad from a 24-14 halftime deficit against the No. 3 team in High School on SI.com's preseason Nevada rankings. His 273-yard night with three touchdowns also included a 35-yard strike to Bless Cabrera-Hopkins that set up Sam's late touchdown run to win the game. Next up is another home game against the team ranked right below them.

3. St. Louis

Record: 0-1

Previous rank: 3

Last week: Idle

St. Louis picked a good week to be on a bye with all the scheduling chaos surrounding Lala's arrival. The Crusaders are set to return to the field Saturday with a trip to face No. 2 Mililani. Having already lost to No. 1 Kahuku, the Crusaders can't afford to drop another contest, but the Trojans have already proven they'll be a tough team to take down at home.

4. Kamehameha Kapalama

Record: 1-1

Previous rank: 4

Last week: Orem 16, Kamehameha Kapalama 7

Kamehameha Kapalama lost a hard-fought defensive battle to Utah's defending Class 5A champions from Orem, 16-7. It won't get any easier this week when the Warriors host the Aloha State's No. 1 Kahuku Red Raiders on Saturday.

5. Waipahu

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 5

Last week: Idle

Waipahu also avoided all the last-minute schedule shuffling associated with Lala's approach by virtue of having a bye week. Their game at Kapolei this Friday will be their first action since their big upset over Campbell in the season opener the previous week.

6. Kapa'a

Record: 0-1

Previous rank: 6

Last week: San Clemente (Calif.) 23, Kapa'a 8

Kapa'a faced San Clemente on Thursday night, well before any effects of Lala were felt. Instead, it was the Tritons from the Golden State that stormed Kapa'a's home field for a 23-8 win, spoiling their season opener. A late-afternoon visit to Punahou could be another stiff test for the Warriors.

7. Kapolei

Record: 0-0

Previous rank: 7

Last week: Kamehameha-Maui (canceled)

Kapolei's game at Kamehameha-Maui was one of the contests erased from the schedule, meaning their Friday home opener against No. 5 Waipahu will also be their season opener.

8. Konawaena

Record: 0-0

Previous rank: 8

Last week: 'Aiea (canceled)

Konawaena is another team that was impacted by Lala, and its home contest with 'Aiea on the Big Island was the first game canceled last week because of its proximity to the storm's path. That means the trip to the mainland to face Truckee (Calif.) will also be the Wildcats' season opener Friday.

9. Punahou

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 9

Last week: Idle

Punahou's visit to Moanalua was yet another game removed from last week's schedule, but the Buffanblu have a big home contest late Saturday afternoon against No. 6 Kapa'a.

10. Campbell

Record: 0-1

Previous rank: 10

Last week: Idle

Campbell was on a scheduled bye last week after its stunning loss to Waipahu in the season opener. The Sabers have had an extra week to prepare for a Moanalua team that was supposed to host Punahou before that game was canceled. Campbell enters the game ranked just one spot ahead of the Menehune.

11. Moanalua

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 11

Last week: Punahou (canceled)

As noted above, Moanalua had an unexpected weekend off, and now the Menehune prepare to host a No. 10 Campbell squad eager to bounce back from its season-opening loss to Waipahu.

12. Kamehameha-Maui

Record: 0-0

Previous rank: 12

Last week: Kapolei (canceled)

With its game against Kapolei canceled, Kamehameha-Maui will hit the reset button this week. Kapolei would have been a heavy lift, but the Warriors shouldn't have much trouble with visiting Kulanihako on Saturday evening.

After a weekend disrupted by Hurricane Lala, Hawaiian programs are set for a return to something resembling normalcy. Several teams will finally take the field for the first time, while others will look to build on or bounce back from their season-opening results. With matchups featuring several of the state's top-ranked teams, Week 2 should provide a clearer picture of which programs are ready to embark on a run at a state championship.

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