- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,268,905
- Reaction score
- 59
Aria Poaha might be a bit too young to remember the most recent heyday of Kaimuki football.
What the seventh-grader will remember for certain is running deep on a route as the girls scrimmaged the boys. A deep launch from Jayden Maiava trickled off the fingers of a much bigger defender in the end zone, and Hoala hauled it in effortlessly for a 45-yard touchdown.
A future NFL quarterback to one of the luckiest campers on the field.
“He told me to do a streak. (The defensive back) tried to catch it with one hand, but he didn’t, and I caught the tip. I saw the ball and, ‘I got it. I can do it, I can do it.’ I play mainly football. I get my speed from my dad (Justin Poaha).”
Maiava was everywhere at once as cameras from near and far (USC) followed his every step. Gov. Josh Green stopped by to chat with him for 20 minutes. Then Maiava went from station to station, coaching up keiki as young as 4, tossing spirals in drills, putting his coach’s whistle to good use. The TD toss to Aria Poaha? He won’t forget it anytime soon.
“That was awesome. Great. Unbelievable concentration and hand-eye coordination,” Maiava said. “That was crazy.”
Poaha, who attends Jarrett Middle School, was one of roughly 150 young, highly enthusiastic players at Maiava’s inaugural football clinic on Monday. Now a USC signal-caller, Maiava was in his element with a large contingent of coaches, utilizing every square foot of Palolo Valley District Park field for two hours. Campers got a free clinic from Maiava, his former high school coach David Tautofi and staff. The kids even got free Domino’s pizza after the clinic.
“It’s having all the kids out here, that they have fun. That’s the most important thing to me, that they have a good time and cherish the time they have together,” Maiava said.
In 2019, Maiava was a sophomore, leading an explosive offense buoyed by wide receiver Koby Moananu and running back Naomas Asuega-Fuala‘au. Maiava threw for 3,317 yards and 41 TDs. Then-coach David Tautofi’s squad secured back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in Bulldog history.
Maiava’s journey led to Las Vegas, where he played the rest of his high school career while Hawaii canceled the high school football season in 2020. He went to UNLV in 2022, redshirted and became a starting QB. In ‘24, he transferred to USC and had an outstanding junior year in ‘25. Two of his top wide receivers were recently drafted in the first and third rounds, but Maiava opted to stay for his senior year.
The projection for him in a 2027 draft that is loaded with stud QBs is as high as late first round. Maiava isn’t worried too much about it.
“It’s God’s plan,” he said. “God’s plan for sure.”
Meanwhile, the large gathering of keiki, including around 15 girls, have a lifelong memory. If you can run a go route and catch a long TD pass from a USC quarterback and future pro, maybe the sky is the limit. Poaha paused, thinking about where she will attend high school.
“Kaimuki,” she said.
Hawaii Prep World
For high school sports record books, visit .
Continue reading...
What the seventh-grader will remember for certain is running deep on a route as the girls scrimmaged the boys. A deep launch from Jayden Maiava trickled off the fingers of a much bigger defender in the end zone, and Hoala hauled it in effortlessly for a 45-yard touchdown.
A future NFL quarterback to one of the luckiest campers on the field.
“He told me to do a streak. (The defensive back) tried to catch it with one hand, but he didn’t, and I caught the tip. I saw the ball and, ‘I got it. I can do it, I can do it.’ I play mainly football. I get my speed from my dad (Justin Poaha).”
Maiava was everywhere at once as cameras from near and far (USC) followed his every step. Gov. Josh Green stopped by to chat with him for 20 minutes. Then Maiava went from station to station, coaching up keiki as young as 4, tossing spirals in drills, putting his coach’s whistle to good use. The TD toss to Aria Poaha? He won’t forget it anytime soon.
“That was awesome. Great. Unbelievable concentration and hand-eye coordination,” Maiava said. “That was crazy.”
Poaha, who attends Jarrett Middle School, was one of roughly 150 young, highly enthusiastic players at Maiava’s inaugural football clinic on Monday. Now a USC signal-caller, Maiava was in his element with a large contingent of coaches, utilizing every square foot of Palolo Valley District Park field for two hours. Campers got a free clinic from Maiava, his former high school coach David Tautofi and staff. The kids even got free Domino’s pizza after the clinic.
“It’s having all the kids out here, that they have fun. That’s the most important thing to me, that they have a good time and cherish the time they have together,” Maiava said.
In 2019, Maiava was a sophomore, leading an explosive offense buoyed by wide receiver Koby Moananu and running back Naomas Asuega-Fuala‘au. Maiava threw for 3,317 yards and 41 TDs. Then-coach David Tautofi’s squad secured back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in Bulldog history.
Maiava’s journey led to Las Vegas, where he played the rest of his high school career while Hawaii canceled the high school football season in 2020. He went to UNLV in 2022, redshirted and became a starting QB. In ‘24, he transferred to USC and had an outstanding junior year in ‘25. Two of his top wide receivers were recently drafted in the first and third rounds, but Maiava opted to stay for his senior year.
The projection for him in a 2027 draft that is loaded with stud QBs is as high as late first round. Maiava isn’t worried too much about it.
“It’s God’s plan,” he said. “God’s plan for sure.”
Meanwhile, the large gathering of keiki, including around 15 girls, have a lifelong memory. If you can run a go route and catch a long TD pass from a USC quarterback and future pro, maybe the sky is the limit. Poaha paused, thinking about where she will attend high school.
“Kaimuki,” she said.
Hawaii Prep World
For high school sports record books, visit .
Continue reading...
