Hawaii High School Football Elite 12 State Rankings (Sept. 14, 2026)

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The days of Kahuku and St. Louis reigning over Hawaii's Open Division virtually unchallenged appear to be over — at least for now.

For the second straight season, the two perennial frontrunners are struggling to find their footing, losing to big national powers from the continent while also struggling to dominate their island brethren.

So, this week's matchup featuring Kahuku at Mililani feels like a transitional moment of sorts in Hawaii high school football. If Campbell vs. Kamehameha Kapalama in last year's 2025 Open Division state championship game had the feel of a one-time anomaly, the early success of Mililani, Campbell and Kapolei in 2026 suggests it might be the beginning of a new norm rather than a one-year respite from the Kahuku-St. Louis dual dynasties.

Even a cursory glance at this week's rankings would make fans of Hawaii high school football do a double take if they weren't up to date on the current standings. That trio of Mililani, Campbell and Kapolei occupies the top three spots in the rankings, and even Division I Waipahu is currently ahead of Kahuku at No. 5.

As for St. Louis, you have to look all the way to No. 8 to find the 0-4 Crusaders, who are almost certain to fall to 0-5 Saturday evening when they host national Top 10 power St. John Bosco from California's prestigious Trinity League.

Kahuku, meanwhile, has an opportunity to rewrite this narrative in defense of Hawaii's old guard. It wouldn't surprise anybody if the boys from the North Shore make Mililani earn it on the field, but it also feels increasingly unlikely that they have the guns to match the Trojans' firepower Saturday night.

1. Mililani

Record: 5-0

Previous Rank: 1

Last Week: Mililani 43, Leilehua 0

Loss(es): None

Mililani has been the class of Hawaii's high school football scene so far, and the Trojans showed no sign of slowing down against Leilehua. While the flashy offense built around quarterback Hunter Fujikawa and receiver Bless Cabrera-Hopkins has garnered much of the attention, the defense has more than held up its end of the bargain, registering three shutouts in the past four games while yielding just three points in the fourth. Still, Saturday night's home tilt with Kahuku represents potentially the Trojans' biggest challenge yet. This Mililani team, however, looks built to go the distance.

2. Campbell

Record: 4-1

Previous Rank: 5

Last Week: Campbell 17, Kapolei 14

Loss(es): Waipahu, 40-17

Campbell has worked its way back into the mix after a perplexing blowout loss to Waipahu in the season opener. Four straight wins have righted the Sabers' ship, and they head into Saturday evening's home contest against Kailua with significant momentum.

3. Kapolei

Record: 3-1

Previous Rank: 2

Last Week: Campbell 17, Kapolei 14

Loss(es): Campbell, 17-14

Kapolei suffered its first loss of the season despite going the distance with Campbell in a 17-14 setback. The Hurricanes will look to bounce back quickly with a home date Friday against Leilehua.

4. Waipahu

Record: 4-1

Previous Rank: 4

Last Week: Waipahu 78, Nanakuli 0

Loss(es): Kapolei, 50-15

Campbell's win over Kapolei completed a loop in which Kapolei also beat Waipahu, with the latter owning a head-to-head win over the team at the top of the loop — the defending Open Division champion Campbell Sabers. With Campbell's win the most recent result in that series of head-to-head matchups, the Sabers vaulted from No. 5 to No. 2 while Kapolei slipped one spot to No. 3. That left Waipahu with nowhere to go, but the Marauders hold steady at No. 4 heading into Friday night's battle with undefeated No. 11 'Aiea.

5. Kahuku

Record: 3-2

Previous Rank: 3

Last Week: St. John Bosco (Calif.) 49, Kahuku 13

Loss(es): Junipero Serra (Calif.), 28-21; St. John Bosco (Calif.), 49-13

After two tough losses to California's elite Trinity League members, Kahuku returns home only to find No. 1 Mililani waiting for it Friday night. The Red Raiders can either send a message with a win that the state title still runs through the North Shore, or they can concede the role of frontrunner to Mililani with a loss. With both Kahuku and St. Louis missing out on the title game last year, replaced by Campbell and Kamehameha Kapalama, the cracks in Hawaii's high school football power structure will only widen if the Red Raiders can't beat Mililani.

6. Kapa'a

Record: 1-1-1

Previous Rank: 6

Last Week: IDLE

Loss(es): San Clemente (Calif.), 23-8

Kapa'a hasn't played since beating Waimea 19-0 on Sept. 5, and it won't return to action until Sept. 26, when it faces that same Waimea team.

7. Kamehameha Kapalama

Record: 2-4

Previous Rank: 7

Last Week: Kamehameha Kapalama 16, Punahou 6

Loss(es): Orem (Utah), 16-7; Kahuku, 13-5; Kapolei, 8-0; Campbell, 16-7

Kamehameha got the league portion of its schedule started with a solid 16-6 win over Punahou, but the Warriors will take a break from conference action Saturday evening to entertain Pac-Five.

8. St. Louis

Record: 0-4

Previous Rank: 8

Last Week: Sierra Canyon 52, St. Louis 0

Loss(es): Kahuku, 20-12; Mililani, 42-0; IMG Academy (Fla.), 41-0; Sierra Canyon, 52-0

We might find out just how low St. Louis can go Saturday evening when it hosts national Top 10 team St. John Bosco of California's Trinity League. It figures to be another long evening for the Crusaders, who are in one of the worst stretches in their illustrious history, but their final four games against Kamehameha Kapalama and Punahou should be much more manageable.

9. Punahou

Record: 1-3-1

Previous Rank: 9

Last Week: Kamehameha Kapalama 16, Punahou 6

Loss(es): Kahuku, 16-10; Kapolei, 14-0; Kamehameha Kapalama, 16-6

Punahou has now gone four straight games without a win, despite not giving up more than 16 points in any of them. That tells you all you need to know about both its stout defense and anemic offense, which has combined to score just 30 points in those four games. It's not a winning formula, and yet the Buffanblu will continue to be in every game they play if their defense continues to perform at that level.

10. Wai'anae

Record: 3-0

Previous Rank: 10

Last Week: IDLE

Loss(es): None

The Sharks return to action Friday night for the first time since defeating Roosevelt 47-0 on Aug. 28. They'll face a Moanalua squad that's been up and down, winning two of its first three games before losing its last two to sink to 2-3 on the season.

11. 'Aiea

Record: 3-0

Previous Rank: 11

Last Week: IDLE

Loss(es): None

'Aiea is another team that's been on a long break, idle since a 34-28 win over Nanakuli on Aug. 29. The Na Alii will visit Waipahu on Friday, a team coming off a 78-0 blowout win over that same Nanakuli side last weekend.

12. Kamehameha Hawaii

Record: 3-1

Previous Rank: 12

Last Week: Kamehameha Hawaii 50. Waiakea 12

Loss(es): Wai'anae, 22-16

The Big Island frontrunners will travel to Hilo to face a Vikings squad that has recorded back-to-back shutouts. Still, it has the feel of a game that Kamehameha should be able to win.

Final Analysis

Whether this is truly the beginning of a changing of the guard or simply another temporary detour in Hawaii's high school football hierarchy could become clearer Saturday night. Mililani has made a strong case as the state's new standard-bearer, while Campbell and Kapolei have shown they belong in the conversation. But if Mililani falters against Kahuku in Saturday's spotlight, the Red Raiders could re-emerge as the standard-bearer for Hawaii football — at least until the postseason begins. A Kahuku win won't be the final word in this narrative, but a dominant Mililani victory, on the other hand, could signal that Hawaii's old power structure is finally giving way to something new.

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