High school football: Matai Fuiava transfers from No. 2 St. John Bosco, clears way for Braves to start freshman Koa Malau'ulu

By Aaron Williams Oct 14, 2024, 11:40am

Junior had thrown for 1,155 yards and 13 touchdowns but has moved on to Hawaii powerhouse Kahuku.

Junior quarterback Matai Fuiava has left No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and transferred to Kahuku (Hawaii), according to Greg Biggins of 247Sports.

Bosco coach Jason Negro told the Los Angeles Times he learned of the move via X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

The move comes at an interesting time for both Bosco and Kahuku.

Fuiava, who played in six games for St. John Bosco, completed 72 of 116 attempts this season for 1,155 yards and 13 touchdowns. But he had shared time with freshman Koa Malau'ulu, who has thrown for 588 yards and nine scores.
Matai Fuiava has transferred from No. 2 St. John Bosco to Kahuku according to media reports. The junior had throw for more than 1,000 yards this season but was splitting time with freshman Koa Malau'ulu. (Photo: Jeff Klein)
Matai Fuiava has transferred from No. 2 St. John Bosco to Kahuku according to media reports. The junior had throw for more than 1,000 yards this season but was splitting time with freshman Koa Malau'ulu. (Photo: Jeff Klein)
Fuiava started Friday for the Braves in a 13-0 defensive slugfest win over Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita). Bosco scored twice in the fourth quarter, first on a blocked punt before Malau'ulu iced the game minutes later with a 33-yard touchdown run.

St. John Bosco (7-0) is in the midst of Trinity League play with a Friday showdown against No. 19 Servite at SoFi Stadium before what could be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle with Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) on Oct. 25.

Kahuku (6-3) enters its regular season finale against Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii), the top-ranked team in the state. Fuiava's is expected to be eligible.

Two of Kahuku's losses are to national powers Mater Dei and No. 5 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.). But the three-time defending Division I state champion also lost last month 14-10 to Mililani.



Kalaheo Kanae-Oliveira, Christian Sanford-Tupuola and Troy Mariteragi have split time at quarterback this season for Kahuku.