Indeed, under seven-year head coach Nolan Tokuda, the Mules have proved to be a stubborn opponent.
They've made the state playoffs five of seven years, earned a state finals' bid three of the last five years including a state crown in 2007.
They feature the state's most prolific passer in Kenan Sadanaga, a 5-foot-8 senior southpaw who passed for 2,598 yards and 26 touchdowns last season including 420 yards in a 42-28 semifinal playoff loss to eventual champion
St. Louis (Honolulu).
Though he'll miss his top two receivers, who graduated, Sadanaga, a Division I baseball prospect, will have Jeremiah Andrade (53 catches, 710 yards, five TDs) and Allen Racette (26-293-4) to pass to.
![Co-captain Stephan Ellis (55)
returns to lead Service defensive
front.](https://image.maxpreps.io/editorial/article/5/d/9/5d9033c4-03c4-e011-beab-002655e6c45a/3f704c5f-4dc4-e011-beab-002655e6c45a_original.jpg)
Co-captain Stephan Ellis (55)
returns to lead Service defensive
front.
File photo by Carl Auer
Tight end Penitito Melei (6-2, 210) and safety Russell Siavii (6-3, 185) are a pair of Division I prospects for the Mules, who came in ranked No. 4 in the state according to the Star-Advertiser newspaper and
No. 2 by MaxPreps.
"It's exciting to open the season for the entire country and to play a quality powerhouse like Service," Tokuda said. "It's a great opportunity to showcase what we can do."
Service, which finished 9-2 last year and lost in the state large-division finals, feature talented receiver Alan Busey and tackle Jeff Overbaugh (6-1, 225), who learned last week he's been offered a scholarship to Tennessee as a long snapper.
Overbaugh is ranked the No. 3 long snapper in the country.
The other big standout for the Cougars is safety Matthew Ililio, a 5-8, 195-pound junior who is the son of Service offensive coordinator Fenumiai "Numi" Ilalio Jr., who set the game up.
Numi,
who we featured here in 2009 for his duty to the Army National Guard, used to coach at Leilehua while stationed in Honolulu in the early 1990s.
During a recent trip back to the Island for the National Guard, Numi joked to a some Leilehua assistants that it would be fun for Service to open the season in Hawaii.
With some diligent planning and communicating from both sides, the game was announced in January.