Moanalua sweeps top All-State flag football honors after state title run

Moanalua turned its state-title run into the biggest individual prize haul in Hawaii girls flag football, with Jodie Keo named Offensive Player of the Year, IaOrana “Lofa” Simanu named Defensive Player of the Year and Ladd Mokiao selected as the coaching honoree. The Na Menehune also placed 10 players across the All-State first, second and third teams, a sweep that underscored how far the program has pushed the standard in a sport still in its second sanctioned season.

That recognition came after Moanalua opened the 2026 Hawaii Dental Service/HHSAA Girls Flag Football State Championships as an unseeded wildcard at Mililani and Pearl City High Schools, then won four straight games to claim the Division I title. After losing the OIA championship game to Waianae, Moanalua beat Leilehua 19-13, Konawaena 25-14, Campbell in the semifinals and Mililani 13-6 in the final. The championship ended on a 25-yard touchdown from Breidi-Ann Higa to Keo with 38 seconds left, and Higa finished the title game 16-of-30 for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Keo’s season numbers made the award easy to explain. The sophomore caught 74 passes for 1,436 yards and 36 touchdowns while adding 34 tackles, six interceptions and two pass deflections at safety. She missed one game to honor a national team commitment and still remained a two-way problem every time Moanalua lined up. In the semifinal against defending state champion Campbell, she produced on both sides of the ball before helping finish the job against Mililani.

Simanu was just as central to the title run. In the championship game she had five catches for 65 yards, eight flag pulls, a pass breakup and her 13th interception of the year, then added the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor to the all-state hardware. Her move from quarterback in the first sanctioned season to a defensive anchor in 2026 showed how much roster flexibility Moanalua had behind the spotlight names.

That depth matters because Hawai‘i girls flag football is still building its history. Campbell won the inaugural 2025 state title, beating Leilehua 6-0, and Moanalua was the top seed in that first field. One year later, the Na Menehune finished 16-1 and left no doubt that the program’s real calling card is not just one trophy, but a pipeline of players good enough to own both the scoreboard and the awards stage.