The Honolulu Advertiser asked each coach in today’s championship games to select a player to write about how he sees his team’s chances in the Division I and II title games. The writers are Kahuku running back Malosi Te‘o, Punahou offensive guard Ed Pallett, Iolani defensive lineman Chris St. Sure and Radford receiver Joe Brundidge.

Malosi Te'o is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior tailback for Kahuku. He ranks fourth in the state with 947 yards rushing.

So the question is why I think Kahuku is going to win.

Is it our skills?

Is it the warrior instinct to attack and dominate?

Is it our football tradition ingrained in us since we were little kids in Pop Warner?

Is it our fierce love for the sport?

The answer is yes — to all of it.

Kahuku Red Raiders are not born overnight. We have been, what we say on our side, "Red Raiders in Training" since we learned to walk.

Growing up I've seen fathers, including my own, take time from their already busy schedules to dedicate hours teaching basic football fundamentals and principles, and mothers trying their best to instill balance between athletics and school work.

I've seen families fund-raise year after year to enroll their sons in Pop Warner.

Today, it's fund-raising or penny-pinching to send us to combines and football skills camps like USC, UCLA and Utah.

Our training started a long time ago and now it's a matter of doing what we have been prepared to do.

Some maintain that we are the "Goliath" of the game ... the "Beast of the East."

In truth, I'm not sure why they call us this. They say it's because of our size. Well, let's consider some simple truths.

First our locale: our entire student body hails from five very small grassroots communities, including Ka'a'awa, Hau'ula, La'ie, Kahuku and Sunset Beach, with an average population of 3,000 people each.

Second, our facilities: our field has been the best it's been in decades (we actually have grass) yet our track still dons the same mud from the days when Kahuku had to borrow used uniforms from Iolani School.

Well, maybe not that long ago, but my dad says it still looks the same today as it did when he played back in the early '80s.

Lastly, our predominantly blue-collar working families: we're not afforded luxuries that can be critical components to a successful program.

But maybe the difference is that in our minds we believe we have everything in place to win. Maybe these obstacles are what make us strong. Are we Goliath? Maybe not, but perhaps it isn't the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!

For the Kahuku Red Raiders, playing football is not just a sport. It is tradition. It is community, it is legacy, and simply put...it is life.

We play not only for our fierce love of the game but because we represent something much larger than ourselves or our team for that matter.

When we step onto the field, we are the past, present and future of Kahuku.

It is who we are ... Red Raiders for life! I wrote this essay to answer why we think we will win the State Championship. My answer is because we want to, we have to ... we've earned it! We know nothing else.