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Today’s social media find comes from @SouthShoreBBClub, who avoids tourists with style.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Get boogie with it

Today’s social media find comes from @WaikapuOn30, who has some questionable encounters while working the counter.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Customer service in Hawaiʻi

Today’s social media find comes from @KarleeOyama, who actually made it to the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Preparation is key

Today’s social media find comes from @BriannaCope, who caught a once in a lifetime wave.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Surfing with friends

Today’s social media find comes from @Living.Wit.Sammy, who really wants to catch fish.

Living.wit.sammy

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When there’s a will, there’s a way

Today’s social media find comes from @AuntyBrandi, who ate it big time.

AuntyBrandi

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Wipe out!

Today’s social media find comes from @Tipsy_Pig___, showing us how skillful you can get when you’re hungry.

Tipsy Pig

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always grinding

Today’s social media find comes from @JustSmallKineThings, with a kamaʻāina quiz.

Justsmallkinethings

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: How local are you?

Today’s social media find comes from @Hezekiah_Kapuaala, who runs for the shot like he’s playing the game.

Hezekiah Kapuaala

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Anything for the shot

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — With barely any knowledge about how to speak English or how to kick a football, Japan native Kansei Matsuzawa moved to the United States when he was 21 years old with aspirations of becoming a college kicker. 

While on a trip to the continental United States, Matsuzawa watched an NFL game and knew he wanted to play the sport himself. Matsuzawa, who played soccer for 

Makuhari Sogo High School in Chiba, Japan, taught himself how to kick footballs via YouTube. Other YouTube videos aided in learning the language. While paying for Hocking College, a junior college in Ohio, Matsuzawa was so low on personal funds that he learned how to cut his own hair.

Matsuzawa, now 26 and in his second year as the starting kicker for the University of Hawai‘i football team, was one of the heroes of the team's 23-20 season-opening win over Stanford on Saturday afternoon at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. He made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 38-yarder as time expired. He also made both of his extra point attempts on Saturday, making himself a perfect 5-for-5 on kicks for the day.

Of all the things Matsuzawa has taught himself over the years, no tool proved to be more valuable on Saturday than the ability to move on to the next kick. 

At the end of one of UH's practices during 

, there was a competition that involved splitting the Rainbow Warriors into two teams. Players lined up on the hash marks, barking loudly at each other during some friendly banter. The final competition involved Matsuzawa and backup 

Sean Olvera-Harle alternating between 50-yard attempts from the right hash. The winner was decided by whoever would make the kick first. Matsuzawa missed three straight attempts, allowing 

Olvera-Harle to eventually nail the winning kick. 

When asked about that practice on Saturday, Matsuzawa said his confidence was never shaken from it. 

"All the coaches and the team (were) kind of worried about me, I think," Matsuzawa joked on Saturday. "But I never lose my confidence. It was like, after practice, my legs are already dead. ... But after (those) misses, it is what it is, and just I focused on like the next play, and I execute."

Later on, Matsuzawa was able to prove himself in scrimmages, where it became evident his teammates and coaches "still believe in me, and then I just believe myself," he said. 

Hawai‘i ultimately pulled out the victory on Saturday, a scenario that seemed unlikely during the team's putrid start.

Stanford's first drive took more than half of the first quarter. The Cardinal settled for a 22-yard field goal with 7:14 left in the first period. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon White called a fair catch on a ball that already bounced, and Hawai‘i was forced to start from its own 1. Quarterback Micah Alejado was sacked on the first play for UH and fumbled, which was recovered in the end zone by Stanford's Wilfredo Aybar. Suddenly Stanford was up 10-0 with 7:08 left in the first quarter. 

Hawai‘i got on the board with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Alejado to Pofele Ashlock with 2:19 left in the first quarter, which was set up by a 30-yard run by Alejado deep into Stanford territory. Stanford lined up for a 34-yard field goal on its next possession, but it was blocked by UH defensive tackle 

Although the Rainbow Warriors appeared to settle down, Stanford added to its lead with 3:39 left in the second quarter on an Emmet Kenney field goal. UH took the lead at the end of the first half with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Alejado to Jackson Harris with 48 seconds left in the first half. 

On its first possession of the second half, 

 went down with an ankle injury, staying on the ground for a handful of minutes. The turnstile crowd of 13,368 at a sold-out Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex fell silent, a symbol of the hope having Alejado behind center represents. Backup quarterback 

 entered for one play, his lone pass attempt batted down by a Stanford defender. 

UH held a narrow 17-13 lead through three quarters, as a 40-yard Matsuzawa field goal was the lone score in the third for either team. Alejado continued to play, limping between plays. 

Stanford took a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter with a 20-play drive that took 9:37 off the clock. 

Just as the Cardinal appeared prepared to deliver a knockout blow, Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen intercepted Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbrandon at the UH 31. Hawai‘i drove down the field promptly after that, tying the game on a 37-yard Matsuzawa field goal with 2:01 left.

Hawai‘i's defense continued to have its way with Gulbranson, forcing a three-and-out. After getting the ball back, Alejado calmly led the 'Bows back into field goal range. Stanford called a timeout in an attempt to freeze Matsuzawa, but he stayed composed as teammates nearby told him they were looking forward to exalting him as the game's hero. 

In the post-game press conference, Matsuzawa joked he was more nervous speaking to the media than he was lining up to kick Saturday's game-winner. 

"I'm kind of nervous right now, more than when I (kicked the) game-winning field goal," he said. "Speaking English is tough, but yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the moment. And when we gave up the second touchdown to Stanford, then I was like, 'Oh, this is gonna be my game.' And I just prepared for the game-tying field goal and also game-winning field goal. I knew it was going to happen. ... Control what I can control. That's everything I do."

The Rainbow Warriors began Year 4 of the 

 era on a winning note, notching their first victory over a Power Conference member since 2019. Chang said the team's offseason preparation, from January to kickoff on Saturday, was the best it's been since his time at the helm. 

"They put in a lot of work this offseason to (win) these close games," Chang said. "We talk about these close games and being on the other side of them, and how we're going to get on the other side of them. Really early on...10-0, to sit here and say that we came back in a close three-point game, I mean, that's just resilience."

Chang credited the toughness of Alejado, who completed 27 of his 39 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions despite being a compromised version of himself in the second half. Alejado also totaled 36 rushing yards on 10 carries while getting sacked four times. 

Alejado, who exclusively hopped on his left leg in order to get to the postgame podium, said there was no question about finishing the game. 

"There wasn't really no need to talk my way back in," Alejado said. "I told the team before we came out, I'll die for them, and I know they would die for me. I truly live by that."

Next up for the Rainbow Warriors is a game at Arizona on Aug. 30. The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. HST and will be televised on TNT. 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I'll be good. I'll be back next week,\" Alejado said of his injury. "}]

In spite of the victory, the Rainbow Warriors acklowledged they missed opportunities within the game. 

"We kind of gave away 10 points there," Alejado said. "I gotta know that and have better ball security, so I take full accountability for that. The way we started off, it was bad on my part. But the defense kept rallying. Offense kept rallying. We had adversity, and we knew we were gonna come and hit adversity, and as a team, we were (better) for it. 

"All three phases were great. Special teams, a great blocked field goal, and then the Kansei big clutch field goals. He's a great guy. I love him. You know his underdog story, and he's showing who he is today."

After delivering a lasting memory for UH fans on Saturday, Matsuzawa hopes it wasn't the only one he'll provide throughout the course of his senior season. 

"I was really happy," he said. "It was a great moment in my life, but I know it's one of many."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Kansei Matsuzawa 082325

<title>Matsuzawa's perfect day leads Hawai‘i football to season-opening victory over Stanford</title>

The Japan native made all five of his kicks on Saturday, including a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Matsuzawa's perfect day leads Hawai‘i football to season-opening victory over Stanford

[{"type":"text","text":"The defining act of Timmy Chang's life was one of defiance. "}]

A high school All-American quarterback at Saint Louis, Chang held offers from some of the premier programs on the West Coast. Schools such as California, USC, Washington and Utah all lined up for his services. 

Levi Chang wanted to see his son spread his wings and ascend to the Mainland, but Timmy Chang wanted to be different. He wanted to stay home. 

Timmy Chang became the crown jewel of Hawai‘i's 2000 recruiting class, which remains in conversations as perhaps the school's greatest ever in local football circles. Chang spurned multiple Pac-10 opportunities for a program that went winless in 1998. 

"We shared a lot of special moments," Chang told Aloha State Daily of his father. "I don't think he necessarily wanted me to stay home, and I get that because a lot of parents are the same way. My parents were the same way, 'don't stay home, boy, go experience (something different).'"

Chang went on to become a four-year starter at UH, setting an NCAA record for career passing yards. In 2022, he returned to become the head coach of his alma mater. His fourth season at the helm begins on Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex when the Rainbow Warriors take on Stanford at 1:30 p.m. in a game that will also be televised nationally on CBS.

Described as a disciplinarian, Levi Chang was a school administrator who also coached basketball and officiated college football games. A common assignment was serving as a play clock official during Hawai‘i games at Aloha Stadium. He was there when his son broke the NCAA career yardage record on Nov. 6, 2004 against Louisiana Tech. After delivering a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jason Rivers, Chang retrieved the ball and 

ran across the field to give it to his father

Although Levi Chang was present for his son's most memorable moments as a player, he suddenly passed away on Sept. 9, 2015, just as Timmy Chang's coaching career was beginning to take off. 

As the 10-year anniversary of Levi Chang's death approaches, Timmy Chang continues to try to honor his father by the way he raises his own family with his wife, Sherry, and their five children. 

"He was very loving, but very honest, upfront about what things had to be, why things had to be the certain way they did," Timmy Chang said. "I find myself having those conversations with my kids now, and it's pretty special."

The course of Timmy Chang's football career led him to multiple countries and states, a path that eventually led him back to his alma mater as head coach. Along the way, his father has remained a major influence. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Finding love"}]

Timmy Chang's professional career never quite panned out the way he had hoped. After going undrafted in 2005, he signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals but was cut during training camp. Although he quickly latched on with the Detroit Lions, he was cut before the regular season. 

In 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles stashed Chang away to Germany, where he played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. The Eagles then released him before the NFL season. 

The next year, Chang relocated to Canada, where he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL from 2007 to 2008. Although his time in Canada was brief, it was there that he met Sherry, a Hamilton native who served Chang during a team dinner at a local restaurant. 

"He was a complete gentleman, and we just hit it off right away," said Sherry Chang.

Timmy Chang returned to the restaurant the next night to ask Sherry out on a date, and "the rest is kind of just history," she said. They've been together 17 years and married for nine. 

Noting his humility and charm, Sherry Chang said she didn't know about the type of fame Timmy Chang had on the Islands until the couple took a trip to Las Vegas. 

"I knew nothing about football when I met him," Sherry Chang says. "Didn't know what a first down was, none of that stuff. Everyone was stopping him, wanting pictures and autographs. I was like, wait a second. Who is this guy? I had no idea."

Another thing Sherry observed about Timmy? His relationship with his parents. 

"His mom and dad are Timmy's biggest fans," Sherry Chang said. "Even when we were in Canada and I hadn't met them yet, Timmy would call his parents every single day and talk to his dad about football and that was kind of their thing together."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Starting from the bottom"}]

In 2009, Timmy Chang retired from football and returned home with Sherry. He decided to pursue a career in coaching, but first, he had to graduate from UH. 

Sherry was by Timmy's side, helping him send emails to every single FBS school. None got back to him. 

"You don't realize how hard it is actually to get your foot in the door," Sherry recalled. 

The first person to take a chance on Timmy Chang as a coach was Mililani's 

. It was the spring of 2012, and York decided to bring Chang on as the team's offensive coordinator. In the interim, Chang was also a teaching assistant and substitute at the school. He also started a clinic on the side where he trained players. 

Chang never actually got to coach a game at Mililani. June Jones, Chang's coach at Hawai‘i, offered him a spot on SMU's staff as a graduate assistant. In the months before he was set to report, Chang still sat with York for hours on end. 

"All of a sudden I get the call from June, and I had to break it to Rod," Chang recalled. "Rod had no offensive coordinator at the time, but I said, 'Hey, Rod, I'm gonna stay until July.' I'm gonna give you everything I know and we're gonna sit here every day. It doesn't matter how long it takes. ... I owe so much to him for that opportunity."

Timmy and Sherry Chang then moved to Dallas, cramming their small family into a one-bedroom apartment. Chang was a GA making $1,500 a month. With one baby and another on the way, food stamps and EBT were part of how they made ends meet. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Losing Levi"}]

Later in Levi Chang's life, he began making regular visits to the hospital for dialysis as a result of his diabetes. 

After progressively losing feeling in his legs, Levi fell while walking up the stairs and hit his head. Although he was hospitalized, he was coherent and continued to have football conversations over the phone with his son. His death was sudden and unexpected. He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann, daughters Leigh Ann and Mary Elizabeth, and son Timmy.

Not having his father as a sounding board anymore made Timmy Chang wonder if he wanted to continue coaching. 

Timmy Chang, the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Jackson State at the time, decided to push forward. 

The next child Timmy and Sherry had was in October 2017, a baby boy named Levi. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not just any gig "}]

Timmy Chang went on to run the offense at Emory & Henry before coaching receivers, tight ends and special teams under Jay Norvell at Nevada from 2017 to 2021. 

Norvell accepted the job at Colorado State following the 2021 season, taking Chang and his family with him to Fort Collins. 

Over in the Islands, the University of Hawai‘i football team was undergoing serious peril. In the midst of a mass exodus of players to the NCAA transfer portal, an impromptu Senate hearing was held to address the state of the program under then-head coach Todd Graham on Jan. 7, 2022. Former and current players, senators, attorneys and even York himself took turns airing their grievances on a virtual video call. Graham resigned a week later. 

College coaches, across all sports, have a tendency to romanticize the notion of coaching at their alma mater. Timing is everything in the industry, and suddenly Chang was getting his shot after Jones turned down a two-year offer from former UH athletics director David Matlin. 

Before accepting the position, Chang had to take a step back and consult the people in his corner. One day, he was sending out emails to schools, praying one would respond. Less than 10 years later, his alma mater came calling, a place he had never coached before. 

"Jay Norvell, he put it really simple to me. He said guys like you and me, we don't get jobs like this," Chang recalled. "And that really hit home, because you never know when you get an opportunity, and the opportunity was now."

 in July, Norvell leaned back and grinned. 

"Yeah, I love Timmy. He's like a brother to me, and he just is so loyal, so smart about the game. He's so authentic," Norvell said. "One of the most important things about coaching is that you have to be yourself or the players are not going to follow you, and players love Timmy because he's authentic. He's a great competitor. He's very smart. He understands all facets of the game, offense, defense, special teams, obviously, was a great quarterback. 

"When he was with me he never just went through the motions. He really tried to be outstanding in all those areas, and I think that helped him be a better coach. And that's why I thought he'd be such a great head coach, because I saw how he worked and how he interacted with the players and, you know, this is a hard game. You got to be hard-nosed and and tough-minded, and Timmy has that as well. Sherry, his family, they're a football family, and they're great people."

Chang also got his family to sign off on him accepting the job, and getting their permission was not something he took lightly. 

"The pressure is not just on him. It affects the entire family and if he doesn't do well, the scrutiny, it'll affect all of us — his nieces going to school, his nephews and our children in the community," Sherry Chang said. "He wanted to make sure that everyone knew what we were going to get into and if we were all on board. Right away, we were like, whatever you do, we got you."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Growing pains "}]

After moving to the Mainland and gaining 10 years of coaching experience, Chang returned home to a massive undertaking. The vast majority of players who left via the transfer portal were already enrolled at their new schools. Some recruits who had committed decided to sign with different programs. Morale was at an all-time low for the players who stayed. All the while, the team did not have a 

By the time the Rainbow Warriors opened fall camp, they had 53 newcomers enter the fold. Chang and his staff had to get creative in finding recruits, 

Local initiatives, some spearheaded by Timmy and Sherry Chang, were created in order to heal a fanbase that still had fresh wounds from the previous regime. Sherry Chang co-created the "Sistahhood Social," an event for women to learn more about the team and football in general while 

In 2022, Hawai‘i was still a program that was trying to recover from years prior in real time. The Rainbow Warriors trudged through a 3-10 season with a depleted roster. Losing, and the negativity from the public that came with it, took a toll on many around the program. 

"There's days I didn't want to get out of bed," Sherry Chang said. "We had definitely had a lot of dark days. I could just cry right now..."

[{"type":"text","text":"Sherry Chang pauses. Tears start to form. Her voice breaks. "}]

"We just love this team and these boys so much," she said. "We pour literally everything we have into this program and sacrifice so much of our family time. It just means so much to us. Trust me, it hurts us more than anybody, especially [Timmy Chang]. He's not gonna stop until it's right. I'm really proud of what he's done in three years, even though people don't necessarily see it yet. 

"But I feel like what he's done with the culture and the community, he's made huge strides, and I just know the winning's going to come."

"As a first-time head coach in the first year to now, there's so much you're processing and learning and going through," Timmy Chang said when asked about the 2022 season. "And so as you go through those things, they all make you stronger. They make you better. You know what to do now. You know how to do it. You know what's important."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Moving forward"}]

After Timmy Chang went 13-25 in his first three seasons at the helm, the growing sense around the University of Hawai‘i football team is that the hardest parts of the rebuild are over. The UH coaching staff feels as though in 2025, it finally has the team it's been painstakingly building towards. 

Some recruits the staff took a chance on, such as receivers Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle, have become 

. Meanwhile, after winning the recruiting battle for quarterback 

, the lefty from Ewa Beach is set to fully take the reins behind center. While some players were lost to the transfer portal with six-figure promises, others 

"Timmy has had to build it from under ground zero," said UH defensive tackles coach Jeff Reinebold, who witnessed Jones undergo a rebuild as a member of his SMU staff in 2008. "June had to build SMU from ground zero, but he had the assets. Timmy has had to come in and not only rebuild his roster, but he's had to fine tune his coaching staff, he's had to go out in the community and raise funds for a really underfunded program. 

"What he's been able to accomplish, and now hopefully a breakthrough year, and Chris (Brown) and everybody that's contributed, we were subterranean [in 2022]. I mean, we were underneath the floor. ... This team is better, it's closer, it's tougher than it's been in a long, long time. What Timmy has done, if people see him on the street, they owe him a mahalo and a hug, because he has put this thing back in a position where we're ready to now be Hawai‘i again."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Looking back "}]

Timmy and Sherry Chang own an O‘ahu house and live in it with their five children, quite the upgrade from some previous stops. 

"When we think back, that's why I think we can appreciate so much of what we have now," Sherry Chang said. "We try to always treat everybody with kindness because we were once in those positions and it can be taken away from you so quickly. We try to really just be where our feet are right now, and just enjoy and appreciate a lot of the things. But yeah, it wasn't easy. We've moved schools countless amounts of times, and had children that we had to support, and so, I mean, it was rough for a little while, but I can't believe where we are now for sure."

The balance of raising five children while having the responsibility of resurrecting his alma mater is one Timmy Chang knows couldn't happen without his wife. 

"She does an unbelievable job. I would not be sitting here without a rock and support like Sherry, and so very grateful," Timmy Chang said. 

Although Timmy Chang's father never got to see him rise up the coaching ranks to become Hawai‘i's head coach, his presence remains. 

"His dad would have freaking loved everything about this, just seeing him and seeing what he's accomplished," Sherry Chang said. "I honestly feel like, truly, when his dad passed, he definitely had a hand in Timmy's career and where it went and the success he found. They had such a close relationship, a great relationship, and I know he was a big part of shaping who he is now." 

Timmy Chang attended the University of Hawai‘i against his father's initial wishes. He was eventually able to show him why. 

"It was something like validation," Chang recalled of 

handing the record ball off to his father

, which currently resides in his mother's home. "Like, this is why we stayed home, dad. We stayed home because we wanted this thing to be special, right? I wanted to bring value back to this state and make this place my home eventually. 

"That's why giving that ball was so special. It was countless hours and nights and days of talking, training, success, failure, crying, getting hurt, triumph. Along the way, it's just all built up for dad. Hey, man, we did it. This is why we did it."

Timmy Chang MW media days 2 082125

<title>Lessons from Levi: UH football coach Timmy Chang carries teachings from late father to…</title>

Levi Chang passed away in 2015 but continues to be an influence in his son's football journey.

Lessons from Levi: UH football coach Timmy Chang carries teachings from late father to daily life

Another football season kicked off in the fall of 2024, Micah Alejado's first at the collegiate level as a true freshman at the University of Hawai‘i. For as long as Alejado could remember, game days were an opportunity for him to shine at quarterback. Yet in Hawai‘i's season opener against Delaware State, senior Brayden Schager got the expected start and led the Rainbow Warriors to victory. Alejado didn't see the field. 

The plan for Hawai‘i's coaching staff in 2024 was to have its seasoned senior in Schager hold on to the reigns. Meanwhile, Alejado could play up to four games and preserve a redshirt season. That meant Alejado would have to do something he hasn't done much of in his football career — he would have to wait his turn. 

During his high school days at Bishop Gorman, a powerhouse in Las Vegas, Alejado was a four-year starter. After fending off a late push from UNLV, Hawai‘i successfully got Alejado to enroll early in the spring of 2024. Being the Rainbow Warriors' quarterback of the future was a hard reality for someone who was used to being the quarterback of the present. But as steps into the role on a full-time basis in 2025, Alejado is grateful for the time he got to sit and learn. 

"When I grow up and get older, I'll look back at that time and think it was probably one of the greatest lessons of my life that I had to learn," Alejado recently told Aloha State Daily. "I was still growing and graduating early and leaving early. It was hard for me, for sure, not being able to finish out high school. But when I look back, I'm gonna value that a lot. It just taught me a lot as a person and helped me grow a lot as a person, spiritually and emotionally. 

"It was tough because I've been in the spotlight, and sitting back last year and having last year go the way it went, it was tough for everybody for sure, but I trusted God's plan. That's just how I go on about my day. So, I'm just thankful for the lessons that I've learned from last year."

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Alejado trained under renowned quarterback coach Vince Passas. A native of ‘Ewa Beach, he also spent time training with fellow southpaw Tua Tagovailoa and his father, Galu, at ‘Ewa Beach Community Park. 

"I've always wanted to be my own QB, but growing up, it was always Tua," Alejado said when asked if there's any players he modeled his game after. "The things he was doing in high school, and just being able to throw with him on the weekends and become close with their family, it just made me see how humble he is as a person, and see how he carried himself, that did inspire me a lot."

Alejado would spend time throwing to his brother, Noah, who also caught touchdown passes from Tagovailoa at the varsity level at Saint Louis. After making a name for himself on the youth circuit, the Alejados made the decision to move to Las Vegas. Instead of becoming the next great Saint Louis quarterback, it was up to Alejado to create his own legacy at Gorman. 

"At first it was hard because I was young and I still wasn't matured yet and didn't know how to think about it and stuff, but I was enjoying it at the same time," Alejado said of making the move to Las Vegas as a middle schooler. "Some days would be hard, just being homesick, and Hawai‘i was all I knew. But then over time, I just got more acclimated to Vegas and fell in love with it. Went through high school, made all my new friends, met a lot of people. So, I love Vegas. It was fun, and that's my home, too."

At Bishop Gorman, Alejado went 39-2 as the starter, passing for 9,233 yards, 125 touchdowns and just four interceptions. In his senior year, the Gaels went 11-0 as Alejado didn't throw a single interception. 

"I already knew he was different," said UH quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui, who was also Alejado's quarterbacks coach at Gorman. "He carried himself like a real professional, especially at the high school level. He always wanted to watch film. He always had questions. At the same time, when we asked him questions, he already knew, and then he also asked the right questions to us, too.

"I guess you could say he's a hidden secret right now, but I think if you know Hawai‘i football, you know the quarterbacks throughout the years, and he's one of those guys that could build his own legacy here too at the same time. We're excited about him and we're hoping for a big year for him."

Because of his 5-foot-10 frame, Alejado didn't get the Power Four offers other players with his statistics may have garnered. Alejado appeared in four games in 2024, preserving his redshirt. After a knee injury to Schager, Alejado's lone start came in the team's season finale, a 38-30 win over New Mexico on Nov. 30. His numbers looked similar to his box scores at Bishop Gorman, completing 37 of his 57 passes for 469 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. The Rainbow Warriors finished 5-7, but Alejado's performance drew intrigue to followers of the program. 

From that day forward, Alejado has been the unofficial face of the program, making appearances at local events and buying meals for teammates with NIL money. Even during spring practices, coaches on the offensive side of the ball made the claim that the team belongs to Alejado. 

On Saturday, as the Rainbow Warriors kick off their 2025 season against Stanford at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Alejado will become the first UH freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since Tyler Graunke in 2005. The game will also be televised nationally on CBS, a chance for country to get a closer look at the player that has piqued the interest of fans across the state. 

"It's not necessarily pressure, because we have everybody on the team having the same mindset and having the same goals and having the same ambitions to go win on Saturday," Alejado said. "It's more so passion that's gonna go into it when Saturdays come, because growing up, this is what I dreamed of. Being able to be a college starting quarterback and go play some games is amazing, and I'm truly blessed. And we're ready to go show out on Saturdays for the state."

Micah Alejado 082125

<title>Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado steps into spotlight</title>

On Saturday, Alejado will become the first freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for UH since 2005.

Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado steps into spotlight

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A city homeless support program is not working as it should, say county officials and public safety advocates.

The Honolulu City Council is asking the City Auditor to conduct an investigation into the Honolulu Emergency Services Department’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) Program.

The program, launched in Dec. 2021, responds to non-violent 911 calls involving homeless people in Honolulu. The program touts response teams that include emergency medical technicians and community health workers who are able to connect homeless people to necessary services instead of requiring the intercession of armed police officers.

But Councilwoman Andria Tupola, who represents Kapolei, Wai‘anae, portions of ‘Ewa Beach, and others, is calling for an audit of the program.

“We can’t waste time and we can’t waste money,” Tupola told the Council Committee on International and Legal Affairs on Wednesday. “We think that it’d be better to have a neutral third-party audit so that … it’s a really good look at comparing what we’re doing [with other programs].”

Liam Chinn, facilitator of the Reimagining Public Safety in Hawai‘i Coalition — a group of legal reform advocates — told Aloha State Daily that the program has not been particularly effective since its launch, despite being ostensibly modeled after more successful crisis outreach programs elsewhere in the country.

In particular, Chinn highlighted the “gold standard” of crisis outreach programs: the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program developed in Eugene, Oregon in 1989.

Chinn said most other crisis programs in the U.S. are modeled after CAHOOTS, which at its peak was able to divert about 20% of the area’s 911 calls away from police and toward social service workers.

Where CORE differs from CAHOOTS, Chinn said, is in that diversion process. Whereas CAHOOTS and its derivative programs send a tandem team of EMTs and crisis counselors to respond to 911 calls, CORE only deploys an EMT.

“EMTs are not skilled in de-escalation,” Chinn said. “Programs like CAHOOTS emphasize de-escalation, but as it is, CORE is just about medical intervention.”

Because of this, Chinn said CORE can’t properly function as a crisis outreach program. EMTs and social workers are siloed off from each other, making it difficult or impossible for the program to follow up with individuals for further care.

Chinn said CORE is being treated fundamentally as a political tool to move homeless people out of areas like Waikīkī and Chinatown, but CAHOOTS and other programs are not meant to exclusively handle homeless calls, but any calls involving someone undergoing a mental health crisis.

But Chinn said CORE has more than just philosophical problems. No performance measures have been posted on the program’s website since 2022, and how the project’s funds are being spent — CORE received more than $3 million in federal funds when it launched — is unclear.

Several people testified Wednesday claiming to be employees of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department or CORE supervisors. They said the program in its current state is “wasteful and inefficient” and not serving its intended purpose.

Despite this, Chinn and others emphasized that the audit shouldn’t be used as an excuse to cut funding for CORE or eliminate the program. Instead, he said, the investigation should be used to highlight where the program can be improved, and he recommended that an independent oversight board be set up to continue to monitor the program’s effectiveness going forward.

Deputy City Auditor Troy Shimasaki told the committee Wednesday that the audit could be completed by the end of the year if the council ultimate votes to pass it. The committee voted in favor of the audit, but the full council has yet to rule on it.

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD reached out to HESD for comment."}]

Liam Headshot 16x9

Homeless outreach program not meeting goals, say advocates. Launched in 2021, the program has yet to articulate specific benchmarks or account for its spending of $3 million in federal funding.