Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho has desired to test his two-time defending Open Division state champion football team against the best.

He and the Red Raiders got everything they wanted in that regard against national No. 1 Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif., on Saturday night. The Monarchs rolled up 41 points in the first half and coasted to a 55-8 victory, taking advantage of a number of miscues by the previously unbeaten North Shore power.

According to HawaiiPrepWorld.com, the 55 points were the most ever scored against Kahuku, surpassing the 49 that Saint Louis put up on the Raiders in 2018, and the 47-point margin of loss was the largest in the proud program's history.

The lone Kahuku touchdown was scored on a rollout keeper by quarterback Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa in the final minute of the second quarter. A 2-point conversion made the score 34-8, but Mater Dei came right back with a touchdown from Elijah Brown to Marcus Brown going into intermission.

Carvalho messaged Spectrum News after the game, “It was a great opportunity for us to play Mater Dei. They took advantage of all our mistakes. Turnovers, blown coverages, etc. Against the nation’s No. 1 team, they will make you pay for every mistake. That’s what they did to us tonight. We did not control what we could control. However, I am proud and grateful of my players and coaches who look for opportunities and experiences like this to get better.”

Kahuku’s loyal, traveling fans of Red Raider Nation showed up in droves for the mainland game.

“What an awesome crowd,” Mater Dei football wrote on its X, formerly known as Twitter, account. “Kahuku fans made the travel and filled most of the stands.”

Kahuku (4-1) hosts national No. 3 St. John Bosco (Calif.) on the North Shore next Saturday.

Last season, Kahuku lost a home game to national No. 3 Saint Frances of Maryland, 22-15, and traveled to eventual national champion St. John Bosco and lost 34-7.

Kahuku has won 26 straight games against Hawaii teams going back to the start of the 2021 season.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.