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Back in the day, Waimea was the powerhouse of small schools, a giant killer that knocked off football programs around the state with bigger rosters and players.
The Menehune captured 11 straight Kauai Interscholastic Federation championships from 1999 to 2002. They produced upset wins at the HHSAA state tournament over three OIA runners-up: Kailua in 1999, Castle in 2001, and Kailua again in 2002.
That was before statewide classifications started in 2003, the last time Waimea reached states at the Division II level. Longtime coach Jon Kobayashi stepped down after the season, and the school hasn’t been back to states since.