KAMUELA — Every team wants a player who leads by example — someone who puts their head down and gets to work, no matter the circumstances. Someone who inspires his teammates to work just as hard as them.
Perhaps nobody fits this mold better than Hawaii Preparatory Academy star running back Alaka‘i Aipia, who is praised by his teammates and coaches not only for his play, but his consistency in preparation week to week that helps the senior perform at an All-Hawai‘i and All-BIIF level.
“He’s a little quiet, but he leads by example,” head coach Lincoln Kalama told West Hawaii Today at a recent practice. “He tries to push his teammates as much as he can, and he’s just a great all-around guy. Very humble.”
“What he brings makes him the heart and soul of the team,” Ka Makani safety Kena Craven added. “He’s not loud, but he sure shows it on the field.”
Craven’s comments would be an understatement to how Aipia has been playing in 2024. Through six games, the superstar has posted an incredible 1,193 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns — currently on pace to finish not only one of the most impressive single rushing seasons in HPA history, but in the entire BIIF. Aipia’s ability to slip through tackles and patiently find open gaps have befuddled BIIF opponents ever since he became the team’s offensive hub in 2022.
Some of the running back’s best showings thus far have been against Kohala on Sept. 28 (338 yards, five touchdowns) and Pahoa on Sept. 19 (210 yards, touchdown). He has averaged nearly 199 rushing yards per contest. A season ago as a junior, he rushed for 1,434.
“It’s great that my friends and family can see myself have success like this,” Aipia said of his dominant stretch this season. “It motivates me to work even harder.”
“Having a guy like him makes everything easier for our offense,” junior quarterback Hayden Kalama added. “He’s a huge stress reliever, and he takes control of the defense, which opens up those easy passes for me. Every week, he surprises you.
“He also brings consistent energy to our team; he tries to pull us up as much as he can. He’s a great leader.”
But Aipia wasn’t always sure football was something he wanted to take seriously. Putting on the pads for the first time during his freshman season, the Waimea native was hesitant to take the field at first, but credits his parents for pushing Aipia to play. Soon after, the love for the game was sparked inside of him.
“I actually scored the first touchdown of the season that year in our opener — I was playing receiver,” Aipia recalled. “And from there, the rest is history.”
Aipia isn’t just a star in the backfield, though. He’s played all over the field through his BIIF career — ranging from slot receiver, to safety, to special teams. Aipia has been a force in HPA’s secondary this season, securing a handful of interceptions — helping the unit allow an average of under 19 points per game.
Lincoln Kalama explained that Aipia’s all-around skill set has been a staple in Ka Makani’s 4-2 season, noting that he can always be counted on on both sides of the ball.
“He’s accepted every role we’ve given him. He’s someone the team looks up to when morale is down,” he said. “It’s very important to have someone like that. You can always choose him to rally around and provide a spark for us.”
With three games left in the regular season, Aipia and company plan to handle business like they’ve been doing since they began in August. While the running back’s high school career is soon coming to a close, Aipia is setting his sights to the next level. While nothing is concrete yet, he hopes to be playing for a Division-II college program next fall that will utilize his all-around game — aiming to eventually play for a DI program.
“Whatever a program needs me to do, I’m willing to do it,” Aipia said.
Kalama added that he thinks Aipia can not just play collegiately, but thrive.
“He’s got everything that coaches are looking for.”
Aipia and HPA will continue their season today against Ka‘u at 2 p.m. this afternoon in Kamuela. When the two schools last met on Aug. 31, Aipia rushed for 118 yards and two scores in the 46-0 shutout.
