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It’s raining in Pahala, but that doesn’t dampen the mood at Ka’u’s football practice one bit.
The wet conditions give coach DuWayne Ke a chance to test his team’s execution and meddle, and he playfully threatens to make players do push-ups after practice because of a dropped pass. The Trojans’ players don’t seem to mind.
“It’s dirty,” John Kalahiki said. “Down and dirty like we want it, just like we want it in the country. Instead of dry and clean.”
Ka’u isn’t hiding from its small-school stature, but something jumps out about the Trojans as they prepare for the season, and it’s not the new blocking sleds: The team, 28 to 29 strong, is big, especially by eight-man standards.