PAHALA — Ka‘u football has dealt with adversity since the beginning of the 2026 season, but those challenges have only made the Trojans stronger.

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When Hurricane Lala hit south of the island, the small, tight-knit communities of Pahala, Na‘alehu and Ocean View — where all of Ka‘u’s roster resides — were severely impacted by the unforgiving high winds and extreme flooding. The Trojans were out of school and football for weeks, and many had to reside at Kona hotels because of property damages. Transportation became an issue for many players due to road and vehicle damages down south.

“Right when we were getting things dialed in, our conditioning was in a good spot, then the hurricane hit and put us in major setbacks within the offense and our conditioning.” head coach Derek Nash told the paper. “Hurricane Lala was devastating to our community, which is still grieving and putting back together the pieces.”

Even with Hurricane Nolo sweeping near the islands over the weekend — which forced another game cancellation on Friday against Kamehameha’s JV team — the Trojans have had no choice but to keep marching forward. Although the season was reduced to just a few games, Ka‘u came out of Lala eager to get back to work.

“Once we were able to resume football, the kids came back stronger and even more of an urge to be on the football field,” Nash said. “The bond within our group has only gotten stronger, where we are all about being there for one another and picking each other up when there are rough days.”

Jahaziel Kailiawa, a sophomore running back, middle linebacker and kicker, believes the Trojans’ pride for the Ka‘u community is one of the team’s biggest strengths, and what ultimately helped the group navigate the unforeseen circumstances earlier this season.

“I feel that one of our biggest strengths is how we care for each other as a team, and how proud we are to represent Ka’u,” he added. “We all have different strengths, but when we step on the field, we come together as one and trust each other.

“What makes us stand out is our heart, our toughness and willingness to keep fighting — even when things aren’t going our way,” Kailiawa continued. “We don’t only play for ourselves, we play for our families and our coaches to represent Ka’u and to make the next generation want to play for us.

“I think that gives us a different type of motivation, and makes being part of Ka’u football special.”

Although Kailiawa is only a sophomore, the versatile two-way player has already emerged as a leader on the young team. As a group that has just three seniors and many players who have never played football before, somebody has to take the torch of leadership — and Kailiawa is eager to take on that challenge.

“Jahaziel carries the ball extremely well,” Nash said. “He is very difficult to bring down — usually taking on two or three defenders at a time — and has the ability to show quick bursts of speed within his power style of running.

“He also leads the team on defense, with a natural ability to fly around the field and make tackles. He has a high ceiling, and I think by the time he is a senior, he could be one of the top players on the island.”

Zion Pascubillo, a stalwart offensive and defensive lineman, is another Trojan leader who has impressed Nash. The junior suffered a broken hand that kept him out until early September, but since his return, Pascubillo has been nothing but a physical, intimidating force.

“Zion brings maturity, leadership and skill to our line on both sides of the ball,” Nash added. “He’s shown how difficult he is to stop.”

One of Pascubillo’s main goals for the season is to “inspire the next generation and help build a program for the future.”

“We want to build connections with our community and encourage others,” Pascubillo continued.

Pascubillo’s older brother, Patrick, is another key player. The junior defensive lineman has impressed the coaching staff with his ability to rush the passer and willingness to learn.

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“(Patrick) is a big, strong bull rusher that kids on the opposing offense have a tough time keeping out of the backfield,” Nash said. “Still pretty raw with last year being his first year on the team, but still has great technique and the ability to understand the game of football on both sides.”

Ka‘u entered 2026 with a brand-new quarterback room after last year’s starter transferred to a mainland school and the backup left the team following Lala. Sophomore Davin Lanjid started the Trojans’ season opener against Kohala on Sept. 19, displaying arm talent and mobility in the pocket. However, Lanjid suffered an injury against the Cowboys and could miss the remainder of the season. Junior Dayton Keohuloa, who normally plays wide receiver, will take over in the meantime.

“We have been working on his footwork and being able to run the new offense that was installed this year, under our new coaching staff,” Nash said of Keohuloa. “Davin is more of a passer with a strong arm, and Dayton has more football experience with the ability to run outside the pocket.

“Both kids have shown great toughness and the willingness to learn a new position.”

Although Ka‘u was shut out by Kohala on the road, Nash and the Trojans came away with many positives.

“I think our first game at Kohala looked a lot worse than it was,” Nash explained. “We were not able to capitalize on Kohala’s mistakes and turnovers, nor were we able to score when we were close to the red zone because of small mistakes caused by inexperience and lack of games played this year.

“As a team, we learned that being in shape and having backups is a huge part of the game, while also being able to respond well to another team’s mistakes.”

With both quarterbacks still developing, Ka‘u is primarily a run-first team as of now. Nash noted that the strengths of the team lie in the run game and the trenches, but believes there is another level the Trojans can get to once the quarterbacks become more seasoned and comfortable in the offense.

“Once we can get solid at quarterback and receiver, it will allow us to throw the ball a lot more and be a balanced offense where, if need be, we can throw or run at any time,” Nash said. “Inexperience at many positions is what is hurting us right now.

“Every week, our main thing is getting our offense down where we understand what’s happening and where the ball is going at all times. It has been tough for us because we have constantly had to switch kids into different positions under the circumstances that we have been dealt with.”

While it’s been a roller coaster of events since the start of training camp, Nash and his staff hope the Trojans can continue to grow on and off the field, attack weaknesses and finish the season on a high note.

“A successful season to us is being able to just get back to focusing on football, being able to finish the season and be highly competitive in the games that we may have left, so we can go into the offseason and into next year with plenty of positives to build on.”

Kailiawa agreed with much of Nash’s sentiments, adding that success for this group will go well beyond the scoreboard.

“I think success is more than just wins and losses,” he said. “I want us to become a team that trusts each other, works hard for each other and never gives up when things get difficult.

“When we put on the Ka’u jersey, we’re representing more than ourselves — we’re representing our families, our school, our community. I want us to play with pride to show everybody what Ka’u football is about.

“At the end of the season, I want us to know we gave everything we had and that our team grew stronger — even through all the challenges we faced, that we stayed together, kept working and made the most of the opportunity we had.”

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