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Kahuku drew plenty of attention on Monday when Greg Biggins of 247Sports broke the news that Matai Fuiava, a former starting quarterback at national powerhouse St. John Bosco (Calif.) enrolled at Kahuku and is eligible to play against Campbell.
Senior wide receiver/returner Mana Carvalho, the former All-State Offensive Player of the Year, confirmed that Fuiava, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior, landed on Oahu on Sunday and was in class at Kahuku on Monday.
"I've known him from training with Speed Burners and coach Rick Hagedorn this past summer. Then I got a text from Coach Rick. He called me and told me Sunday," Carvalho said.
Fuiava started for St. John Bosco, the nation's No. 2-ranked team, until suffering a "minor injury," Carvalho said.
"They have a freshman quarterback and they were rotating reps. It's not a fair opportunity. Matai is a great guy. A God-fearing guy, big in the church. He's not asking for the starting job. He just wants a fair opportunity to play," Carvalho said.
Carvalho missed the first month of the season with a non-football-related injury and returned one month ago. In five games, he has 23 receptions for 152 yards and one touchdown. Kahuku's current QBs, Troy Mariteragi and Christian Sanford-Tupuola, have combined for five TD passes and 12 interceptions. Carvalho ran some routes for Fuiava during the Speed Burners summer camp when there was down time.
"Watching him play against Chaminade and these programs that are tougher than teams in Hawaii, he's doing what he's supposed to. He gets the ball where it's supposed to be. It's a blessing for us as offensive players, and it'll give a breather to our defense," Carvalho said. "He could be the leader for our offense. He just wants to get to know everybody right now and gain people's trust."
Offseason transfers from mainland and neighbor-island schools to Oahu have been common in recent years. This is believed to be the first midseason arrival to an OIA or ILH football program from a nationally ranked team. It caught St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro by surprise.
"I have not had a discussion with the family and was unaware this was happening until (Monday) morning," Negro said. "I really can't answer any questions because I don't really know much."
Though transfer rules are rigid in some leagues and flexible in others, Fuiava's option does not break any rules. His initiative could open the door for other student-athletes, reversing the usual Hawaii-to-mainland pipeline.
It changed Carvalho's day the moment it arose.
"I woke up to a lot of text messages and calls. I'm still processing it. I'm excited for (Monday's) practice," he said. "None of this was our coaches. He came here on his own. Players are willing to get here."
A key factor, he added, is Kahuku's nonconference scheduling.
"College coaches say to me and Aiden (Manutai), they want to recruit in Hawaii more, but the competition level, they can't rely on the film. We play Bosco, Gorman, Top 5 teams every year. That puts trust into college coaches. That's what brings a lot of attention to us."
Kahuku played at Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and hosted Mater Dei (Calif.) this season, losing both games. In 2023, Kahuku lost to Mater Dei, then upset St. John Bosco 30-23.
In '22, Kahuku lost at St. John Bosco and hosted Saint Frances (Calif.), losing 22-15.