‘Bigger, faster, stronger’: Four-star Lincoln QB Sione Kaho poised for sophomore breakout
READ MORE
High school football preview ’24
The News Tribune will be visiting schools in the area and previewing local leagues as the first week of games approaches.
Expand All
Considering the upside for Lincoln’s Sione Kaho, don’t rule anything out.
Praised by coaches, touted by scouts, and coveted by blue-chip college programs, there’s growing belief the sophomore Kaho – already a four-star prospect with multiple Division-I offers – is the state’s premier quarterback recruit.
And he’s only getting better.
“His arm’s gotten stronger,” Abes head coach Masaki Matsumoto said Wednesday, standing alongside practice at Lincoln Bowl. “We time their runs. He’s gotten faster, as well.”
When Matsumoto named Kaho the freshman starting quarterback in 2023, he expected growing pains. But Lincoln’s investment in the budding talent paid instant dividends. Kaho completed 69 percent of his passes across Year 1, amassing 2,296 passing yards and 18 touchdowns.
Strong showings in spring camps netted Kaho four Division-I offers from April on: Washington, Oregon, California, and BYU. A year into the Lincoln program, and the playbook is all but mastered.
“He really could be (offensive coordinator Shalls Jacome’s) assistant, just because he knows the plays so well,” Matsumoto said.
With an Air Raid offense installed, there’s no telling where Kaho and these Abes could go.
“We throw a lot,” Kaho smiled. Exactly what he wants.
“We plan to do that because we have him,” said Matsumoto.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Kaho makes every throw, escapes pressure with his legs, and has impressed coaches in preseason camps with an ability to read defenses and check out of play calls. And he’s an unquestioned leader among peers, respected by teammates (albeit through occasional sarcasm).
“We’re the reason he’s a four-star,” some offensive linemen laughed Wednesday.
It’s a role Kaho embraced quickly. It’s a gift, he said.
“He’s a four-star quarterback, and he’s still very coachable,” Matsumoto said. “He’ll hold himself accountable. When he does something wrong, he gives himself push-ups.
“He’s that kind of kid, and obviously, that’s why he’s so great.”
Navigating the whirlwind of collegiate offers and growing exposure, Kaho’s response: “Just keeping my head down,” he told The News Tribune. “Just (being) eager to work after all of the offers, all the attention.
“Just having that humbleness and having that hunger.”
Kaho showcased an accurate deep ball at Wednesday’s practice, routinely hitting receivers in stride on touch passes toward the pylons. He’ll have plenty of wideouts to feed from a Lincoln receiver room led by two-way senior Kanoa Teplasy, complemented by first-team all-PCL tailback Maurice Gosby.
If there was any knock on Kaho’s stellar freshman season, it was seven interceptions. That’s a number the quarterback hopes to slash, and it’s why ball security is a top focus for Year 2. Still, he guided the Abes back to the state tournament in 2023, including a 5-1 record in the 3A PCL and runner-up league finish (Mount Tahoma).
“Decision making, protecting the ball, knowing the down-and-distance and what it calls for,” Kaho said. “And knowing the defense, preparing throughout that week and being more than prepared coming in on Friday night.
“Just being that type of person to elevate the guys around me.”
Lincoln’s revamped defense features reigning 3A PCL Defensive Player of the Year Dre Sio-Fetaui, a three-star prospect with Division-I offers from Arizona and Nevada. Teplasy flips sides, from receiver to defensive back. Among the five returning defensive starters stands 265-pound junior lineman Anthony Mancao.
The Abes are the favorite in a newly-formed 3A Puget Sound League and begin a non-league slate at Timberline on Sep. 6.
“I feel good about this team,” Matsumoto said. “I feel like we’re slowly coming along.”
A new goal for Kaho? A trip back to the state bracket, and beyond.
“Win state, for sure,” he said. “And as a personal goal, just find ways to win. Whatever it takes.”
This story was originally published August 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
