Kamehameha Schools Maui football claimed the title of Division 2 state champions against Kaiser High School, 37-14, at Mililani High School, Saturday, Nov. 30.
While coaches and teammates agree that senior Nohi Casco is an integral part of the team, he was once again cheering from the sidelines.
Four-time MIL all-star Kaʻōnohiokalāikapikookeānuenue “Nohi” Casco has undergone many challenges throughout his football career in high school. However, his commitment to his team never took away his passion for football.
Even after facing a COVID-19 positive test in his freshman year that took him out of the state finals, a medial collateral ligament tear in his sophomore year that took him out of that season, two high ankle sprains in both ankles taking him out for three games–including the state championship match–in his junior year, and a posterior cruciate ligament injury that took him out before the first state playoff game against Roosevelt this year, Casco never gave up.
“I admire his perseverance,” said the Warriors’ head football coach, Ulima Afoa.
Although Casco wasn’t able to play in the championship game, the support he provided helped guide the team, and he ended his high school football career with an achievement he can carry with him for the rest of his life.
After every injury, Casco had his regrets.
“I had many moments where I was tired of being injured and unable to be there on the field to support my teammates,” he said.
He maintained an optimistic mindset, knowing that, in the end, the work would pay off for him and his team.
“Ultimately, I felt that every injury that I sustained helped me grow as a person, a man, and an athlete pushing me to strive for even higher standards every year,” he said.
He shared about the close-knit energy and chemistry of the football team, like a family who supports each other. He said that if someone gets frustrated or isn’t having the best day, they step in for each other.
“They cared for me, always checked in and made sure that I was getting the support I needed, whether it was helping me get lunch or carrying my bags.”
Outside linebacker Logan Andrade said that while Casco dealt with his injuries, he mentored other players, inspiring and motivating them.
“He is a vocal leader. His leadership, through what he does, is impactful,” he said.
Andrade said that Casco has a superior work ethic and drive to get better on and off the field, training and preparing when he goes home and going to the gym to put in extra work.
“Even when he does get hurt,” Andrade said, “he never falls short. He still is a leader even when he’s not there. He let me live life through his perspective.”
Casco, a versatile player who plays multiple positions and also runs track, has played varsity football since his freshman year and held onto his starting spot for all four years in addition to being an MIL all-star.
He stays humble and strong and doesn’t take this championship lightly.
“Making history in this school feels amazing because we have permanently carved our names into Kamehameha Schools Maui,” he said.
According to Casco, the single loss to King Kekaulike in an otherwise undefeated year changed the competitiveness of the team and taught them a lesson they held onto for the remainder of their season.
He lives by the mindset that losses are more important than winning as it teaches himself and the team about mental resilience and other life lessons for the future. This belief and discipline to stay determined, he said, led to their overall victory.
“Get through it, push through. Itʻs temporary pain. The great thing about hard days is that better ones are to come,” he said.
