Hawaii football dips into ILH for future defensive talent

Today Updated 12:29 a.m. Several years ago, Noah Wily and Alika Cavaco-Amoy were youth-football teammates who aspired to one day become college linebackers. Both took a significant step toward that mutual goal on Saturday when they accepted 2024 scholarship offers from the University of Hawaii football team. “We were friends in middle school and we played together with the Kapahulu Raiders,” said Wily, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound edge defender for Saint Louis School. “It’s kind of crazy we’re going to be playing for the same (college) team.” Cavaco-Amoy, a 6-1, 210-pound linebacker from Punahou School, is following the cleat-steps of an older brother, Ho‘oikaika Cavaco-Amoy, a former Rainbow Warriors defensive lineman. The younger Cavaco-Amoy is projected to compete at middle linebacker for the Warriors. “I’m going to join the Lion’s Den,” Cavaco-Amoy said of UH assistant coach Chris Brown’s nickname for the UH linebackers. Wily and Cavaco-Amoy are the latest additions to UH’s growing 2024 class. Earlier, UH received 2024 pledges from quarterback Micah Alejado of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), offensive tackle Tui Neau Muti of Punahou and rush end Nazaiah Caravallo of Kamehameha. “Coach Timmy (Chang) is doing the right things over there,” Wily said of his decision. “It really shows me I can make my dreams happen at UH. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.” According to recruiting service 247sports, Wily also received offers from Arizona, Oregon State and Washington State. “I wanted to show (other local recruits) you can still get what you want staying home,” Wily said. “I wanted to stay home and help make Hawaii football fun again.” At UH, Wily projects to compete at “dog,” the hybrid edge/linebacker position in UH’s 4-2-5 scheme. Saint Louis, where Wily will be a senior this year, runs a variation of UH’s attack, which has many principles from a scheme Corey Batoon incorporated in 2018 and 2019 as the Warriors’ defensive coordinator. Corey Batoon’s brother, Keone, is Saint Louis’ defensive coordinator. Asked about Wily, Saint Louis coach Ron Lee said: “I tell you what, we haven’t had a guy who could run like him or come off the edge like him in a while. I compare him to (Jordan) Botelho. He’s 6-3, 6-4, and he can run. That’s really a good one (the Warriors) are getting. He can pressure the quarterback. He’s very athletic.” Cavaco-Amoy said his decision was based on the strong relationship he built with the UH staff. “Just the bond and the connection I had with the coaches, especially coach Chris Brown,” Cavaco-Amoy said.