Fall 2009 All-North County football team

North County Times All-North County Football Team

Defensive Player of the Year: Oceanside Defensive Lineman Thomas Molesi

First Team
LB Ofisa Kose, Vista, Sr
DL Thomas Molesi, Oceanside, Sr
DL Ian Seau, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad), Jr
LB Rene Siluano, Oceanside, Sr

Second Team
DL Kenny Galea'i, Oceanside, Sr
LB Jeremiah Kose, Vista, Jr
LB JJ Taele, El Camino (Oceanside), Sr
RB Michael Taele, Carlsbad, Sr

In college football, Niumatalolo is a powerful example

By Mike Wise
Saturday, November 28, 2009

I found an old high school scrapbook in the basement last week and turned to the third page of faded newspaper clippings. "Radford 49, Campbell 45," the top of the box score read. The Rams had ended my beloved Sabers' six-game winning streak in Oahu Interscholastic Association basketball play, getting defensive help from a reserve junior guard named Kenny Niumatalolo.

Yes, that Ken Niumatalolo.

"I don't know if those were basketball games when we went to Ewa Beach; it was more like 'MMA' when we played you guys," the Navy Coach said of, uh, skill-challenged Campbell.

As we kept "talking story," a broken-English euphemism for shooting the breeze in the islands, it was easy to forget Niumatalolo is the first man of American Samoan ancestry to be named head coach at any level of college football, an authentic local boy who made good. He returns to his native Hawaii with his 8-3 Midshipmen to face his alma mater Saturday night at Aloha Stadium -- to the same place he once waited hours to catch a glimpse of a Heisman Trophy winner leaving the locker room.

The only reason I know this is because Darren Hernandez and I did the same thing in 1977, waiting forever for Tony Dorsett and Ricky Bell to sign our programs after the Hula Bowl. We then raced against kids from Hawaii Kai and Kahuku on the artificial turf, our programs folded into our back pockets, before taking "The Bus" home to Ewa Beach.

Unless the University of Hawaii scheduled a powerhouse, there were exactly two chances each year to meet a famous football player: Hula and Pro Bowl; that's it.

"I used to do the exact same thing," Niumatalolo said last week. "I still remember waiting for Archie Griffin underneath the dugout of Aloha Stadium. They wouldn't let us down, but I was kind of like leaning down with the top of my head over. I literally yelled, 'Archie Griffin!' It was so cool to talk to a two-time Heisman Trophy winner. I still remember that like it was yesterday."

When Navy employs that misdirection triple-option offense so well, it's fair to ask: How did a sports-addicted kid, raised 2,500 miles from the U.S. mainland, grow up to one day be feted at the White House -- feted, no less, by another overachieving, sports-addicted kid raised 2,500 miles across the Pacific?

"It's mind-boggling to think about sometimes," said Niumatalolo, whose Samoan surname contains six syllables, which might also be a division I first for a coach. "I remember when I was selling newspapers as a young boy for UH games, I remember as a young kid at Aiea Elementary going to Pro Bowl practices and Hula Bowl practices, watching Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, guys like that. I never thought I'd be a head coach of a division I program."

Let alone one who took over for his triple-option rabbi Paul Johnson, Niumatalolo's former coach at Hawaii, who left for Georgia Tech in 2007. Niumatalolo proceeded to lead Navy to upsets over Wake Forest last season and at Notre Dame this season (the Midshipmen's second victory in South Bend in three years), to consecutive wins over Army and a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to pick up the Commander-in-Chief's trophy from a Punahou High School grad.

"It was interesting when [President Obama] just came up and said, 'Howzit brah,' " Niumatalolo said when the POTUS extended him a casual island greeting. "Just the way he said it, you realize he's from Hawaii. It's kind of cool to see the leader of the free world say, 'Howzit.' It was like, 'Whoa.' "

Because Niumatalolo was a part of Hawaii's first bowl team in 1989 and his greatest successes in the past 20 years have come in coaching, people forget that he quarterbacked a state championship football team his junior year. The Rams were heavy underdogs and beset by grief after their coach, John Velasco, died suddenly of a heart attack. The funeral was held four days before the OIA championship.

Then and now, football has always carried a grander purpose in his life -- especially in Annapolis, in which six pages of the team's media guide is devoted to genuine "Stadium Battles," from 1918 to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.

"I love the leadership part of it, and hopefully helping them grow as men, as husbands, as fathers, as leaders in the Navy and the Marine Corps," Niumatalolo said. "Any component that the football side can help them grow in those aspects, great. I mean, because the football part -- anyone can teach people football.

"It's always tough, knowing that these guys will be in harm's way," he added. "You have great respect for them, because they're going to leave here and go protect us. It's a great honor just to coach them."

He said he plans to see his folks while in Honolulu and take his players to visit the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, about a 20-minute drive from where he starred in high school. And from the now-I-feel-old department, one of his six players from Hawaii, sophomore slotback Aaron Santiago, actually played for that same 13-year-old who collected autographs with me. ("You mean, Coach Hernandez?" Santiago said to me Monday night after practice in Annapolis.)

Mostly, Ken Niumatalolo returns home having broke a significant barrier for many local Hawaiian kids who now can be thought of as more than just exotic-looking, pad-popping football players in the mold of Troy Polamalu.

"Hopefully Polynesian guys won't only be known as football players; I hope they can also be thought of as coaches," said Navy's coach, the best living proof there is.

Quezada making fourth official trip this weekend

All-County running back Josh Quezada of La Habra will make another official recruiting trip this weekend when he travels to Washington, Lou Ponsi of OCVarsity.com reports.

Quezada said earlier in the week that he would pick either Washington or Fresno State for his fourth recruiting trip.

Interestingly, Washington is only school in serious contention for Quezada who is recruiting him for defense. He said BYU and Utah are his co-leaders.

Quezada also has visited Hawaii.

Moala keys Grant's romp

Already a 340-pound blip on every major NCAA Division I football program's recruiting radar, Grant High School junior lineman Vei Moala is going to need a bigger mailbox after Friday's game against Fairfield in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

Videotape of Moala's performance in No. 3 Grant's 66-12 demolishing of the No. 6 Falcons will show Moala dominating from both sides of the ball. On defense, Moala had nine tackles, three sacks, deflected a pass, gathered a tipped punt and scored from five yards out to give the Pacers a 24-0 lead. On Fairfield's first possession of the second half, trailing 38-12, Moala blocked a punt, and three plays later Grant scored on a Devontae Butler 13-yard run.

"Vei is just so strong. He bench presses 400 pounds and takes on double teams almost every play," said Pacers head coach Mike Alberghini. "He has a tremendous will to get the job done and a lot of big kids can't make that play he did for the score (tipped punt). Just think what he's going to be like when he turns 17 years old."

Fairfield's defensive linemen wanted no part of Moala, a lineman in Grant's potent offense that has averaged 65 points this postseason. The Falcons resorted to diving at his feet or, on several plays in the third quarter, actually moving backward at the snap without any contact, as if in pass protection.

Butler was his usual prolific self, scoring on runs of 18, one, 13, 42, 60 and 75 and finishing with 292 yards on just 18 carries. Grant ran just 20 offensive plays in the first half.

Grant opened the game with a 90-yard kickoff return for a score by Shaquille Thompson. Syd Thompson, a Grant alum and a starting cornerback for Cal, drove from Berkeley to watch his little brother and his alma mater advance to the D-II semifinals against No. 2 Rocklin, which beat No. 10 Atwater on Friday 35-6.

The game will be played at a neutral site to be determined.

Monterey Trail tops Burbank, gains D-I football semifinal

In the sort of post-Thanksgiving chill that equates to an extended season, the No. 4 seeded Mustangs downed No. 12 Burbank 22-8 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff game Friday night in Elk Grove.

Monterey Trail rushed for 325 yards on 60 carries, led by Drake Tofi's 169-yard effort on 31 attempts and a seven-yard scoring run. Quarterback Mike Calvan rushed for 85 yards that included a 25-yard punctuation score. He also passed to Evan Favors for a 66-yard touchdown.

All MEAC William Falakiseni

Norfolk State center William Falakiseni (Tafuna HS, AS, College of the Siskiyous) was named first team All-MEAC. Falakiseni (6-2, 300), a junior-college player in his first season at NSU, was a stabilizing presence along the NSU line. He helped pave the way for NSU to rank third in the MEAC in scoring offense (26.6 ppg) and total offense (348.4 yards per game).

The News Tribune 2009 All-Area Football Team

SCOTT CRICHTON, Foss
Defensive Lineman, 6-3, 225, Senior
Bio: The Falcons’ overpowering defensive end was named the Narrows League’s Defensive MVP. He recorded 78 solo tackles, tipped 10 passes, forced four fumbles and had one interception. Idaho, Oregon State and Washington State have offered scholarships.

HAPPY IONA, Bethel
Defensive Lineman, 6-3, 275, Senior
Bio: Despite missing half the season with an ankle injury, Iona finished the season with 10 tackles-for-loss. When healthy, he was one of the state’s most dominant interior defensive linemen. He has given an oral commitment to play at Oregon State University.

SIONE POTOA’E, Lakes
Defensive Lineman, 6-3, 265, Senior
Bio: The SPSL 3A’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and two-time All-Area selection is also one of the most coveted prospects on the West Coast. Potoa’e has given a “soft” oral commitment to play at the University of Washington, but he plans to visit other schools to be confident in his decision. Potoa’e will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January at San Antonio.

DANNY SHELTON, Auburn
Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 310, Junior
Bio: Shelton is a two-time all-area selection, and with good reason. An absolutely dominating two-way player, he won the SPSL North’s Lineman of the Year award and was a first-team pick on offense and defense. When Shelton missed two weeks this season because of an injury, he filled in as coach.

Saia Kofe 6A PIL Defensive Player of the Year

Jefferson (Portland) defensive tackle Saia Kofe was named 5A Portland Interscholastic League defensive player of the year. Kofe was also named first team all league guard and defensive tackle.

Three other Tongan teammates Noa Aluesi (QB), Josh Tonga (Tackle), and EC Unga were named named all league. Jefferson High School defeated Glencoe 41-21 to advance to the Oregon State semifinals.

Link

Fremont High takes Silver Bowl title over Oakland Tech

Fremont High's Sione Tupouata proved in Friday's Silver Bowl that he was a worthy recipient of the Oakland Athletic League's Most Valuable Player award.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Tupouata ran for a career-high 296 yards and two touchdowns and spearheaded a defensive effort that produced an 18-6 win over Oakland Tech at Laney College to give the Tigers their first Silver Bowl title in school history.

"I was having a great time," said Tupouata, a senior running back/defensive end. "The best time of my life."

Fremont (5-7) completes two transformations in winning the Oakland Section title, rebounding from an 0-6 start to this season and also finishing what it started last year, when it reached the Silver Bowl after a 1-9 season in 2007.

"When we took over last year under (former coach) Eugene Denard, the players believed in us," said Tigers' first-year coach Isamu Falevai, the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach on last year's Silver Bowl runner-up team. "Regardless of the 0-6 start, the players always believed in (the coaches)."

The winless start was helped out by Fremont missing several key players to ineligibility and didn't sway the Tigers' confidence.

"We always knew that once our players came back, we'd start clicking," Tupouata said.

"(The title) means a lot," senior Ivan Nisa said. "We worked hard for it, too. Nobody believed in us after the 0-6 start, but we came out here and let it hang."

Fremont jumped on Tech (9-3) early, taking the opening kickoff and going 71 yards in 10 plays before Tupouata scored from 10 yards out.

After forcing a Bulldogs punt, Tupouata went 80 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive for another touchdown and a 12-0 lead.

Tech reached Fremont's 8-yard line on its next drive after a 47-yard run by Ryan Murphy, but a touchdown-saving tackle by Timothy Hackett proved large, as the Bulldogs lost 15 yards on their next three plays and didn't score.

But Tech caught a break midway through the second quarter when Tupouata fumbled and Edgar Gillies Jr. returned it 41 yards for a score to make it 12-6.

It stayed that way until the fourth, when a 53-yard run by Tupouata set up Nisa's 5-yard scoring burst for a 18-6 lead with 7:34 left.

The Bulldogs marched to the Tigers' 3 on their next possession, but a fumble by Murphy was recovered by Fremont's Mykolay McGowan. Tech got the ball once more, but an interception by Joe Coleman on the game's final play ended it.

"We were out-coached and outplayed," Tech coach Delton Edwards said. "It seemed like we couldn't get anything going. When we did, we'd get a flag or fumble."

Murphy, the OAL rushing champion, paced Tech with 199 yards on 26 carries and finishes the season with 1,983 yards.

Archbishop Murphy defensive linemen Tani Tupou and Julius Tevaga will show you respect while they bury you with their ferocity

When Tani Tupou and Julius Tevaga steamroll foes on the football field, they could gloat.

They could pound their chests. They could talk smack. They could do any number of disrespectful, look-at-me moves that are commonplace in the NFL.

But Tupou (pronounced Too-po) and Tevaga (pronounced Tay-vong-uh), powerful juniors on the Archbishop Murphy High School football team, have a different style.

“I love those guys. They’re just knocking kids around,” Archbishop Murphy senior Alex Martinez said. “Every time I see them, they’re putting somebody on the ground and then helping them back up.”

Refreshing, isn’t it? Instead of boasting about their superiority, Tupou, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound tight end/defensive end, and Tevaga, a 6-1, 255-pound lineman, play hard and show respect. Sure, they enjoy making a great hit. But they don’t rub it in.

“They’re some of the best people I’ve ever met. Class-act guys,” said Martinez, one of several Murphy running backs who rely on the blocking of Tupou and Tevaga.

Their strong line play is a big reason why Murphy (11-1) is back in the Class 2A state semifinals. For the second straight year, the Wildcats battle the Lynden Lions (11-1) in the round of four. Third-ranked Murphy (Tacoma News Tribune rankings) and No. 2 Lynden, whose only loss this season was to Murphy, play at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.

Tupou — who already has a football scholarship offer from the University of Washington and is being recruited by several other programs, including Brigham Young University — and Tevaga, who also hopes to play in college, played well in Murphy’s impressive season-opening 34-20 win over Lynden. A similar performance by them this weekend would seriously boost Murphy’s chances of beating Lynden again.

Coached by Curt Kramme, Lynden is “a great team. We’re excited to go back against them,” said Tupou. “They’re defending state champs and they’re back there again.”

Even though they are juniors, Tupou and Tevaga have a senior-like calming effect on their team.

“We’ve got Tani on one side and Julius on the other. They give us yards when we need it and they really bring a quiet intensity to the game that builds confidence in the other players around them,” Murphy coach Dave Ward said. “Their teammates really admire their ability, their intensity and their work ethic.”

“They’re good people, they’re fun to be around and they take their football seriously,” Ward added.

Tupou and Tevaga, who both live in Marysville, are also best friends. They met in third grade and immediately started playing football together, sharing lots of success and bonding experiences.

“We consider ourselves cousins,” said Tupou.

Tevaga, who moved to Marysville from Hawaii, is half Samoan; Tupou is half Tongan, half Hawaiian. Besides sharing a love for football, they are connected by faith (they attend the same Mormon church) and culture.

Both linemen know a variety of cultural dancing styles and enjoy performing in public. Before the season they danced at a luau fundraiser at the Murphy campus in south Everett. They earned raves — and probably gave their coaches ulcers — with their eye-opening fire dance.

Tupou and Tevaga, who both earned Cascade Conference All-League first team honors on offense and defense, get similar enjoyment from dancing and playing football.

“For me, it’s pride, in a way. This is who you are,” said Tupou. “When you’re on the field you’re representing your school. When you make a big hit or a big play, you go, ‘This is for my school.’ You’re also representing your family.”

Added Tevaga, “Just like back home (in Hawaii), who you are is who you represent.”

Fonoti craves big finish

For all of the ground Fetaiagogo Fonoti has covered over the past five years, it's the few remaining steps that hold his attention.

"Time's running out and I still have a lot to do," Fonoti said as Hawaii approaches its pivotal final homestand.

With the defensive end's journey with the Warriors winding down, he's part of a Hawaii senior class working to extend the campaign deeper into the holiday season.

The Warriors (5-6) face Navy (8-3) tomorrow at Aloha Stadium needing a win to maintain hope of earning a berth in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve.

A loss means next week's regular-season finale against Wisconsin will signal the end of the road.

Whenever the end comes, it'll conclude a five-year run that often tested and ultimately strengthened Fonoti's resolve.

Having overcome academic issues early in his career, Fonoti established himself as a playmaker off the edge the last two seasons, as a reserve in 2007 and a starter last fall.

His senior season strayed from the script when he was carted from a hushed practice field with a hyperextended knee the week of the season opener. The injury sidelined him for the first three games of the season, and he returned against Louisiana Tech at less than full strength.

"But now he's full speed and I really expect him in these next games to really jump off the screen," UH head coach Greg McMackin said.

Fonoti didn't have the chance to finish his high school career on the field, his final year cut short by a fractured fibula.

Still, his potential convinced then-UH head coach June Jones to sign him in 2005 and he earned playing time at outside linebacker in Jerry Glanville's 3-4 scheme and on special teams as a true freshman.

"He's kind of a physical freak," said assistant head coach George Lumpkin, who works with the Warriors' defensive ends. "It's like he never gets tired. He goes to the weight room now, but even when he wasn't he was really strong, probably one of the strongest players on the team. And he runs like a DB."

Academics led to him sitting out the 2006 season, and Fonoti had to work his way back into the program.

"It was a lesson learned; I made some mistakes when I got here," Fonoti said.

"A couple times I thought I was done playing football. But I just love playing. I love anything to do with sports. I kept pushing to get back to football."

When he returned, McMackin had taken over as defensive coordinator and turned Fonoti into a 4-3 defensive end for the Warriors' Sugar Bowl season in 2007. After recording three sacks coming off the bench, he moved into the starting group opposite David Veikune and made 62 total stops.

When linebacker Brashton Satele had season-ending shoulder surgery during fall camp, Fonoti was the lone full-time starter returning to the UH defense. That number dropped to zero when he was injured in practice in late August.

Even though the knee hampered his production, "He hasn't complained," Lumpkin said. "It's got to be really something serious for him to complain. He's a good guy to coach -- when you tell him something he does it."

The pain in his knee was rivaled by the angst of having to watch the first three games of the season. But he was able to stay upbeat through the trials of the season -- both individually and during the team's six-game losing streak -- to enter the Warriors' final homestand eager to capitalize on his remaining time as a Warrior.

"I have to take care of football and school and make sure everything works out," he said.

Purcell UH's best option

Ability to stop run earns start against Navy for junior defensive end

BY STEPHEN TSAI
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor

Now that playing football is no longer, literally, a pain in the neck, Hawai'i defensive end Elliott Purcell is poised to contribute as a starter in tomorrow's game against Navy.

For most of the season, Purcell has endured a stinger, which resulted in sharp jolts to his shoulders and neck.

"Every time I would get hit, there would be pain in my neck," Purcell said.

Ice packs and rest were the only treatments to alleviate the condition.

Purcell, who was limited in practices, eventually ceded the left end's job to sophomore Liko Satele.

But now Purcell is relatively healthy, and his run-stopping ability is needed against Navy's triple-option attack. The Midshipmen are third nationally in rushing (282.55 yards per game), and they run 89 percent of the time.

"Elliott has shown himself to be a real effective run defender," defensive line coach Dave Aranda said of the 6-foot-3, 255-pound junior. "The weeks we've asked him to play the run, he's done well for us. I think this will be a big week for him."

Against a run-option team, the key is to not crash the backfield — the offense will then run into the vacated gap — but to control the line of scrimmage.

"He plays with low pad level in the run game," Aranda said. "I think the best attribute is how he strikes with his hands, and is physical."

Purcell said: "With run-stopping, there's more contact, there's more hitting. It's more physical. I'm a more physical person. Off the field, I'm calm and relaxed. When I go on the field, I turn the switch on."

Even with a multiple responsibilities — he and his longtime girlfriend have a son — Purcell manages to find time to perform community service.

Purcell and several members of his church clean school campuses in Waipahu.

"You feel better when you clean everything up," Purcell said. "There's a sense of accomplishment, like, 'I did something good for someone else.' It's humbling."

Then again, it is a way for Purcell to channel his inner "Monk."

"I like to clean," he said. "When I see something dirty, I clean it. ... My son is messy with his toys. I'm always picking up after him."

His commitment is infectious. He shares a row of lockers with Cory Daniel, Clint Daniel, Miah Ostrowski, Kainoa LaCount, Adrian Thomas and Austin Hansen.

"Our aisle is the cleanest," Purcell said. "We take pride in that. I challenge any of the other guys to see who has the cleanest aisle."

Las Vegas All League Honors

Desert Pines (Las Vegas) Eric Tuiloma was named Northeast Region Offensive Player of the Year. Tuiloma was selected first team wide receiver and also first team defensive back. For the season Tuiloma had 42 receptions for 803 yards and 11 TDs.

Linebackers Samson Toalei (Liberty, Henderson) and William Purcell (Legacy, Las Vegas) were named Southeast and Northwest region defensive players of the year.

Complete All Star Team

Galileo 35, Lincoln 0: Greatest turnaround in AAA History

The exchange had little to do with Galileo's thoroughly dominating 35-0 victory over four-time defending champion Lincoln in the 86th Turkey Day Game before about 3,500 fans at Kezar Stadium on Thursday.

But it had everything to do with the greatest turnaround in Academic Athletic Association history.

Losers of 18 straight coming into the season and 28 of 29, the Lions (9-3) rocketed straight to the top in one magical season thanks to the leadership and all-around play of quarterback Dylan Nelson, a potent, balanced running game and a sturdy, sound defense - all in vivid purple and white display while claiming their record 16th section crown, but first since 2001.

Fullback Pat Ale (44) added 100 yards and two more scores.

Pictured above: Shaun Numera (C/DT) and Pat Ale (RB/LB)

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/26/SPO61AR461.DTL#ixzz0Y5gbK5Ry

Iowa's Anthony Moeaki First Team All Big 10

Iowa senior tight end Anthony Moeaki was selected First Team All Big-10. Despite only playing 9 of Iowa's 12 games this season due to injury, Moeaki had 26 receptions for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns. Iowa finished the regular season 10-2 and is a awaiting a post-season bowl game.

2009 WSFL POSTSEASON HONORS

ALL-WSFL FIRST TEAM

POS.

NAME

HT.

WT.

SCHOOL

OL/C

Devin Tavana

6-3

330

Snow

OL

Bo Faauaa

6-5

320

Eastern Arizona

DL

Isley Filiaga

6-1

305

Snow

DL

Kurt Tauaasau

6-4

285

NMMI

ALL-WSFL SECOND TEAM

POS.

NAME

HT.

WT.

SCHOOL

DL

Jesse Williams

6-4

330

Arizona Western

All-Big Island Interscholastic Federation football

Published: Thursday, November 26, 2009 8:22 AM HST

DIVISION I

OFFENSE

POS. Player Grade School

QB Sage Johnson Sr. Honokaa

RB Jonny Chow Jr. Keaau

RB Justin DeSilva Sr. Kealakehe

OL Mana Lutey Sr. Honokaa

OL Devin Liva Sr. Keaau

OL Tevita Faleofa Sr. Kealakehe

OL Jordan Hao Jr. Kealakehe

OL Toby Amuimuia Sr. Waiakea

OL Chris Millard Sr. Hilo

WR Eddie Morales Sr. Honokaa

WR Ikaika Kua-Nachor Sr. Kealakehe

WR Jesse Gonzales Jr. Hilo

K Austin Sauer Sr. Kealakehe

DEFENSE

POS. Player Grade School

DL Chris Reed Sr. Honokaa

DL K.ekoa F.-Abraham Sr. Kealakehe

DL Elu Taimatuia Sr. Waiakea

DL Kenji Kekela Sr. Waiakea

LB Nona Ambrosio Jr. Honokaa

LB Haku Kapule Sr. Kealakehe

LB Luke Leasure Sr. Waiakea

DB Ola Ambrosio Sr. Honokaa

DB Stephen Zemke Sr. Keaau

DB Peni Vea Jr. Kealakehe

DB Winston Kailimai Sr. Waiakea

P Justin DeSilva Sr. Kealakehe

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

Quarterback: Dylan Bolos (Waiakea)

Running backs: Kawika Haili (Keaau)

Offensive line: Siale Fahiua (Keaau); Jacob Keolanui (Honokaa); Kimo Louis (Kealakehe); Branden Rasay (Kealakehe); Nathaniel Timoteo (Waiakea); Tony Wells (Honokaa)

Wide receivers: Sam Furumo (Waiakea); Kamu Lorenzo (Honokaa); Vaughn Ma (Kealakehe)

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

Defensive line: Malu Benedicto (Honokaa); Edward Cowell (Waiakea); Taione Nau (Keaau); Junior Vole (Kealakehe)

Linebackers: Kristoffer Daquep (Waiakea); Tyrone Kahooilihala (Keaau); Autai Ofisa (Keaau)

Defensive backs: Kawika Cecil (Kealakehe); Paka Comilla (Hilo); Eddie Morales (Honokaa); Scotty Wong (Hilo)

Punter: Kawika Haili (Keaau)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sage Johnson (Honokaa)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nona Ambrosio (Honokaa)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Fred Lau (Honokaa)

---

DIVISION II

OFFENSE

POS. Player Grade School

QB Keanu Yamamoto So. HPA

RB Keoni Colson Sr. HPA

RB Kana Silva Sr. Kam

OL Shane Brostek So. HPA

OL Onipaa Stevens Jr. HPA

OL Hawk Hanoa Jr. Kam

OL Kelii Kekuewa Sr. Kam

OL Dane DeMello Sr. Kona

WR Nathaniel Adams Jr. HPA

WR Mike Alcoran Jr. Ka'u

WR Kelson Kawai Sr. Kohala

K Kalei Konrad Sr. HPA

DEFENSE

POS. Player Grade School

DL Mike Monahan Jr. HPA

DL Onipaa Stevens Jr. HPA

DL Kelii Kekuewa Sr. Kam

DL Iosefo Pavao Sr. Kam

DL Jeremiah Benevides Jr. Ka'u

DL Dane DeMello Sr. Kona

DL Dorian Rivera Sr. Kona

LB Bobby Stomski Sr. HPA

LB Taylor Cruz Jr. Kam

LB Royce Pasalo Sr. Kohala

DB Nathaniel Adams Jr. HPA

DB J.J. Higginson Sr. HPA

DB Billy Kailiwai Sr. HPA

DB Kainoa Crum Sr. Kam

DB Jerome Hiraoka Sr. Kohala

DB Kona Yurong Sr. Kona

P Dane DeMello Sr. Kona

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

Quarterback: Thomas Deniz (Konawaena)

Running backs: Isaiah Adams (HPA); Trae Alcoran (Kohala)

Offensive line: Arvin Antonio (Kohala); Marcus Hess (HPA); Kalei Konrad (HPA); Noa Liftee (Ka'u); Blake McCormick (Konawaena); Ikaika Sauer (Ka'u); Kawika Scott (Konawaena)

Wide receivers: Erick Lee (Konawaena); Keoni Wong (Kamehameha-Hawaii)

Kicker: Royce Pasalo (Kohala)

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

Defensive line: Marcus Hess (HPA); Cody Souza (Kohala)

Linebackers: Isaiah Adams (HPA); Zane DeMello (Konawaena); Keala Freehauf (Konawaena)

Defensive backs: Kelson Kawai (Kohala); Leo Kozlowski (Kamehameha-Hawaii); Abel Serrao (Konawaena)

Punter: Jonathan Hiraoka (Kohala)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Keoni Colson (HPA)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: J.J. Higginson (HPA)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jordan Hayslip (HPA)

Moevao preps Canfield for Autzen Stadium

Sean Canfield's play at quarterback this season has been crucial to the Oregon State football team's success.

For the 16th-ranked Beavers to win the Civil War on Thursday in Autzen Stadium, he'll need to keep up - maybe even enhance - what he has been doing.

To do that, he'll need to handle the intense atmosphere of the rivalry game on the road.

When the Beavers defeated Oregon in 2007 in Autzen Stadium, a cool, calm and collected Lyle Moevao led the team. He has missed this year with shoulder and ankles injuries, and will only watch on Thursday.

However, he's already prepping Canfield for the worst.

"It will be crazy," Canfield said. "I talked with Lyle about it when he started (the game) two years ago. It was just crazy on third down - on all downs, really. It will be a hostile environment, but it's a great stage for us. Our team in those situations, it rises to those occasions."

OSU players such as linebacker Keaton Kristick and cornerback Tim Clark talk about that constant hum in Autzen and how it can be unnerving.

However, they say when the fans are quiet, it stands out and it's an inspiring silence.

Moevao played well in Autzen in the 38-31 double-overtime victory in 2007 and helped calm the masses. He completed 20 of 37 passes for 245 yards. He didn't try to do too much, just get the ball to his playmakers.

"I told him it's going to be loud," Moevao said. "There will be times you can't hear your center or the guys in the huddle. But I also told him it can get quiet. And that's the key for us. You need more moments that are quiet than loud. That means you are doing good and winning."

The Beavers have been able to take the opponent's home crowd out of games on a regular basis, and have won eight of their last 10 Pacific-10 Conference road games.

OSU has beaten California five straight times on the road, and Arizona and Washington four straight.

"The crowd and noise are factors, and so is the poise you have to show if things don't go right," coach Mike Riley said.

However, Autzen is different. Before 2007, the last win came in 1993 with six losses in-between. The Beavers have a 23-25-3 record in Eugene.

The Ducks have won all six home games this season, and five of six last year. Their last home loss was Sept. 20, 2008, against Boise State.

"There's no doubt both teams have good home-field records," Riley said. "Autzen is a tough place to play. Their crowd gets into the game and you have to embrace it. I hope the experience of doing well on the road carries over into this ball game."

Canfield is in his fifth season with the Beavers, but has yet to play in a Civil War. He was the backup and didn't play as a freshman, was hurt his sophomore season and backed up Moevao last year.

Since he missed more than a full season between his sophomore and junior years due to injury, he faced many teams and visited many stadiums for the first time this season.

"For Sean, there have been a lot of firsts," Riley said. "It still has been a great stretch of play. He's had a very good year."

None of the trips to foreign stadiums bothered him. He leads the Pac-10 in passing yardage with 254.3 a game and passing efficiency with a 147.5 rating.

Canfield has yet to have a bad game.

"He has all the tools, more than I did in 2007," Moevao said. "Physically and mentally he's ready. He has done everything right."

CalHiSports Stat Stars of the Week

Jesse Callier (Warren, Downey): Just another day at the office for one of the top backs in the state as Callier went for 232 yards and five touchdowns on only 15 carries in a 51-21 victory over West Torrance to open the CIFSS Western Division playoffs. He showed right away that he means business in the post-season, after rushing for 2,632 yards during the regular season, when he scored from 73 yards out on his first carry. He added an 89-yard kickoff return for a score and has now scored 45 touchdowns and 236 points through 11 games. LB Press Telegram Article

Drake Tofi (Monterey Trail, Elk Grove): Pitman of Turlock players may have bad flashbacks if they have any tofu for a meal this weekend as Tofi rushed for 200 yards and five touchdowns in a 59-21 victory. Elk Grove Citizen Link

Soma Vainuku (Eureka): The Loggers are still rolling in the NCS Division II playoffs and a large part of it is due to this 6-1, 245-pound bulldozer of a running back. Last week against Pinole Valley of Pinole, he ran for 254 yards and four TD's in a 61-7 pounding of the visitors. On the season Vainuku has 1,506 yards and 26 touchdowns.

UCLA's Maiava fired up for USC

Kai Maiava is the last man standing on the UCLA offensive line.

At one point in preseason, as many as four local players were in the running to start for the Bruins. Freshman Stan Hasiak (Kapolei '09), senior Micah Kia (Mililani '06) and junior college transfer Eddie Williams (Damien '06) were all competing for starting jobs.

But injuries to Kia (torn ACL) and Williams (fractured ankle) and off-the-field problems for Hasiak have left Maiava as the only starting lineman from Hawaii for the Bruins, who end the regular season with their rivalry game against Southern California on Saturday.

"Our O-line took a couple of injuries this season, but the guys next on the list have shown up and done a good job filling in for them," Maiava said.

Maiava, a sophomore from Baldwin High on Maui, earned freshman All-America accolades at Colorado in 2007. But after a proposed position change to fullback in the offseason, the 6-foot-1, 310-pound center decided to transfer to UCLA, but had to sit out the 2008 season.

Back at his original position, Maiava has started all 11 games at center and helped the Bruins become bowl eligible with three straight wins heading into Saturday's showdown with crosstown-rival USC.

"We had a good start, then a rough October, but our team has come back," Maiava said. "We told ourselves we can't let ourselves crawl out the window and our boys did a good job of rallying up."

UCLA takes that three-game winning streak into the Coliseum, where it hasn't won since 1997. The Trojans have won nine of the last 10 games in the series, but are vulnerable to a loss this season as they find themselves out of the Rose Bowl hunt for the first time since Pete Carroll's first season as USC coach in 2001.

"It's like the first days of practice again (this week)," Maiava said. "Everybody is fired up, flying around, enthusiastic.

"There's a lot of pride in this game and I want to help our seniors go out with a bang."

National perception of the Pac-10 is down, with USC enduring its worst season in eight years. Still, the Pac-10 has four teams ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25 -- the 24th-ranked Trojans, No. 10 Oregon, No. 16 Oregon State and No. 21 California.

Stanford, which has beaten both USC and Oregon this year, has the most votes of the nonranked teams and Arizona was in the top 20 of the BCS standings as recently as two weeks ago.

"There's a lot of momentum swings in the Pac-10 because it's so tough, but that makes things more competitive and more fun," said Maiava, who has a year of play in the Big 12 to compare it to.

"From my point of view, I say the Pac-10 is a little tougher. Everybody shows up to play every weekend in our league and it could go both ways every time you play."

Maiava said he plans to talk to older brother Kaluka, a rookie with the Cleveland Browns and USC alum, before Saturday's game.

"Thanksgiving is (today), so I'll probably have to talk to him," Kai said. "But don't worry, there will be plenty of trash talking."

Jesse's Crew

DOWNEY - Jesse this. Jesse that. Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.

When it comes to the football team at Warren High, that's just about all anybody talks about - star running back Jesse Callier. And for good reason, as Callier has put up the best rushing numbers in the area over the past two seasons.

But one thing is for sure, Callier and the Bears (10-1) wouldn't have had the success they've had without a group of unsung heroes, namely the offensive line that blows open holes for him to run through and a quarterback and receiver who have put aside individual agendas for the good of the team.

"The team orientation, the team aspect has played a big part," second-year Warren coach Chris Benadom said. "The kids all seem to be close friends ... and that's been a huge part of our success. They're like, `Let's play together, let's get it done together."'

Callier rushed for a school-record 2,466 yards and 30 touchdowns last season with an experienced offensive line leading the way. This year, however, the offensive line was new, with the exception of three-year tight end Aguafa Vaaulu.

Benadom knew how good Callier was and he also knew that Callier might struggle a bit behind the newbie blockers. It was certainly an area of concern, especially when it comes to the bread and butter of the team.

"Coming into the year, I didn't know what to expect from the guys (on the offensive line). They were all new, never varsity starting guys," Benadom said. "We all know that Jesse is an athletic kid, but lots of kids who are athletic don't run for as many yards if they have nowhere to run. ... But they've opened up holes and let Jesse do his job."

Do his job and then some.

With junior Eddie Gutierrez (5-foot-11, 235 pounds) at left tackle, junior Ben Palma (5-9, 240) at left guard, junior Ruben Iosefa (5-10, 260) at center, senior Elizandro Beltran (5-8, 250) at right guard, junior Eddie Posadas (6-2, 255) at right tackle and senior Vaaulu (6-3, 280) at tight end, Callier has flourished even more this season.

Callier brings 2,874 yards rushing and 43 touchdowns (45 total) into Friday's CIF Southern Section Western Division quarterfinal playoff game against visiting Alemany (8-3). His yardage total is tops in the state and sixth in the nation.

Even with teams keying on the running game, the offensive line has done the job.

"They are putting eight, nine guys in the box (to defend us)," Benadom said. "But we are opening up holes just enough for Jesse to do his thing."

One of the biggest surprises on the line has been Beltran, who started two years on the JV level.

"We didn't know what he would develop into," Benadom said. "He's a late bloomer. He took it upon himself to work hard in the offseason ... and he's developed into the guy we thought he could be all along. He's gone up and beyond our expectations and the kid has blocked his butt off, as they all have."

Gutierrez moved from the right side, where the Bears like to run, to the left side to protect the backside. Posadas was plugged into the right side because of his size and demeanor.

"He's more of a finesse guy," Benadom said of Gutierrez. "(Posadas) is a little bigger, a little stronger and has that raw, savage football in him."

With Vaaulu next to Posadas, defensive linemen are often times smashed out of the play.

"He is able to dominate most guys in front of him," Benadom said of Vaaulu, who is being recruited. "When we run power, the tight end is very important. He washes guys into the stands. That's been his job for three years."

Palma is a strong player with quick feet who often pulls to the right side, and Iosefa is the mainstay in the middle of the line.

"When (Palma) pulls, he blows up the middle linebacker," Benadom said. "Ruben is our field general."

There's no doubt that junior quarterback Sam Bettencourt would like to throw the ball more than the 107 times he's done so this year.

And senior receiver Bailey Cowins, who has 26 catches for 505 yards and seven TDs, would likely be a star on a team that throws the ball more often.

Bettencourt and Cowins have been invaluable at keeping opponents as honest as possible, and, at times, they have been downright lethal.

Benadom believes Cowins would be a 70- to 80-catch, 1,300-yard receiver on a passing-friendly team like Gahr.

But the fact is that Callier is the focal point, accounting for 57 percent of the touches on offense. And everyone seems to be OK with it and their roles.

"Obviously, we give the ball to Jesse," Benadom said. "I have not heard a complaint about not getting the ball more. These guys are giving up bigger numbers for the good of the team."

dave.werstine@presstelegram.com

Laloulu selected for Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl

HONOLULU --- Elika Laloulu of Maui High School has been chosen for the Hawaii team for next month's Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl.

Laloulu, a senior defensive back, was on the roster of 30 football players from Hawaii and 10 from the Mainland with Hawaii ties announced Wednesday. Laloulu is a transfer from Garden Grove HS (CA). The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Aloha Stadium, and will follow the Hawaii Goodwill Senior Bowl, which is reserved for Oahu players.

The Hawaii team's head coach will be Reggie Torres of Kahuku. The assistant coaches will be Amosa Amosa of Campbell High School, Punahou Aina of Damien High School, Gary Rosolowich of Kailua High School, Pat Samsonas of Kaiser High School, Kip Botelho of Pac-Five, Fred Salanoa of Radford High School, and Danny Matsumoto of Waianae High School.

Bucs’ Will Burbridge picked for national all-star game

Posted on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 at 10:20 p.m.

By Keith Niebuhr

Gulf senior football standout Will Burbridge has accepted an invitation to play in the 2009 Aloha Prep Bowl, which will be played in Hawaii on Dec. 12.

The Aloha Prep Bowl is a double-header showcase of high school football players from Hawaii, Samoa, and the Mainland. In one game, 40 of mainland U.S.A.'s top prep players will compete against a Hawaii team comprised of 30 players from across Hawaii and 10 mainland players with ties to the Aloha State.

Gulf coach Jay Fulmer said Burbridge will play for the Hawaii team because he has Polynesian ancestry.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Burbridge played RB and DL this fall for the Bucs. He averaged more than 8 yards per carry and was among the county’s top defensive players.

“He’s real excited,” Fulmer said.

The Aloha Prep Bowl will be played at Honolulu’s famed Aloha Stadium and will be broadcast live by Fox.

Jamora ready for Govs

Even a bye week for Kahuku couldn't keep Red Raiders defensive linemen Hauoli Jamora and Kona Schwenke away from another down-to-the wire gridiron classic.

They were key contributors to multiple come-from-behind wins and exciting finishes en route to Kahuku running the table as Oahu Interscholastic Association champions. They spent last weekend in Tucson on an official recruiting trip to the University of Arizona.

In addition to touring the campus and meeting players and coaches, they got a glimpse of what their future could hold as the Wildcats fell to Pac-10 rival Oregon in a thrilling overtime contest, 44-41.

Jamora, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound end with speed to rush quarterbacks and strength to contain opposing runners, orally committed to BYU last summer, but also still has scholarship offers from Arizona and Wyoming on the table.

"He's getting people calling him, and it's starting to become a little overwhelming," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres of the relentless recruiting courtships. "As you get closer to the signing day, it gets more and more hectic. He'll start eliminating some of the burden by narrowing down his list of schools as signing time gets closer."

Jamora says he will wait until after the season to decide, but not until the final hour. He wants to take his time in making such an important decision. It is an example of the team captain's maturity.

"As a leader, he's been example to our team," Torres said. "He worked hard in the weight room over the offseason and it's paid off. He's one of the spokespersons for the team, a mediator that helps the team address certain concerns with the coaches. The captains know that their teammates can go to them first if they have problems or something they're too shy to bring up to the coaches."

Jamora headlines Kahuku's stellar defensive unit that has the team two wins away from an undefeated season, and one from reaching the state championship game.

"Our D-linemen are studs, they attract attention," Torres said.

Jamora, Schwenke and Veteson Sauni consistently draw double- and triple-team attention. That allows the uncovered defensive players to go into pass coverage.

In the OIA Red title game Nov. 6, they combined for eight sacks of Leilehua gunslinger Andrew Manley. Jamora had five of the quarterback takedowns, and 10 in his last two games.

Jamora also recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown in the title game. The score brought Kahuku within a field goal, and it rallied for a 24-20 win over the Mules to claim their second straight championship, and sixth in the past seven years.

Kahuku (11-0) plays league rival Farrington on Friday at Aloha Stadium in a state tournament semifinal. The Governors gave the Red Raiders a scare in the lone regular-season meeting Oct. 2 by taking a 14-0 halftime lead, but Kahuku crawled back for the eventual 16-14 victory. Farrington has not beaten Kahuku since Oct. 31, 2002.

Farrington's senior running back Harry Tuimaseve will again be the focal point for the Kahuku defense. The back is coming off a career-high 258-yard outburst in a 48-16 trouncing of Honokaa in last week's quarterfinal round of the state tourney. Tuimaseve ran for 95 yards on 26 carries in the first meeting with the Red Raiders.

"I messed up a few times in that game," Jamora said. "I thought they were going to pass, but they ended up running draw plays. But, I'll be ready this time. I'm looking forward to the win, and getting one step closer to a state title."

Torres says the defensive front must execute its gap-control assignments perfectly. Each player has an area to contain, and any blown coverage usually results in a long run from scrimmage.

"We can't over-pursue, we really need to clean (our defense) up because last time, they ran wild on us," Torres said. "Farrington is the underdog, so they've got nothing to lose. In the last meeting, it was a game of two halves. Farrington is not a gimme. Physically, they're the strongest team we've played."

Torres emphasized that Jamora and the other linemen must control the battle up front for Kahuku to win.

"We want (Jamora) to keep doing what he's doing," Torres said. "The goal is to win a championship, and we know what's next if we beat Farrington. But, we have to take care of that first."

Elisara, Trufant households have switched rooting interests in Apple Cup

By Bob Condotta

Seattle Times staff reporter

Cameron Elisara and Desmond Trufant grew up in households where rooting for the Cougars in the Apple Cup was just part of the deal.

Now, each is on the other side, members of the starting Washington defense that will take on the Cougars at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

And each has a chance to do something their famous Cougars relative never did — win an Apple Cup.

Elisara's father Matt was an all-conference defensive lineman at WSU as a senior, lettering from 1979-81 during a time when the Cougars lost eight straight to Washington. Trufant's brother Marcus played cornerback at WSU from 1999-2002 during a time when the Huskies won six in a row, several as the underdog.

"I did notice that, that he never won," said Desmond Trufant, a freshman. "So I'll try to get a win for my family for the first time."

Elisara, a junior, has played in the past two Apple Cups, each UW losses.

"It's pretty rough, going back to Spokane, hearing it from all my friends," said Elisara, who attended Ferris High in Spokane.

Elisara has missed the past 3 ½ games due to a stinger, but expects to be back in the lineup. He made it through practice again on Wednesday and could resume his starting role at defensive tackle. He says he's glad he's able to make it back for the Apple Cup.

"It does have a special meaning," he said. "I've got a lot of family ties, a lot of friends that go to Wazzu."

For a long time, Elisara figured he'd go there, as well. But he said the staff of coach Bill Doba didn't recruit him as avidly as the Huskies, and by that point, he had begun to think of branching out.

"They didn't recruit me real hard, no," he said. "I think it was maybe mutual disinterest, possibly. I don't really remember that well now. But I've got no bitterness toward them."

His parents, WSU grads, wear purple and gold to all the games, having also changed sides, at least as long as their son is a Husky.

Trufant's family also made the switch after he turned down the Cougars (and schools such as Arizona State) to stay close to home.

"My dad got a purple Camaro," Trufant said. "So he kind of switched over when I came here."

The family will be at the game Saturday, though Marcus will be traveling with the Seahawks to St. Louis.

But if his brother has a chance to follow the game, Desmond figures he'll be rooting for the Huskies.

"He'd better," Desmond Trufant. "He's got his blood out there."

BYU, Utah Utes football: Reynolds will have hands full with Misi

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 7:24 p.m. MST

PROVO — When it comes to protecting the quarterback, BYU sophomore left tackle Matt Reynolds has Max Hall's back.

And Reynolds, who has started in every game of his two-year Cougar career, will need to be at his best Saturday against Utah, which boasts one of the Mountain West Conference's top defensive linemen, senior Koa Misi.

Because the 6-foot-3, 263-pound Misi spends most of his time at right end, he should see plenty of action against the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Reynolds this weekend.

Misi, a senior and NFL prospect, is second on the Ute defense with 3.5 sacks and seven tackles-for-loss. He leads the conference in forced fumbles with three.

Also, Misi has 61 tackles this season, fourth-highest on the Ute defense, and averages 6.1 stops per game. He has tallied the most tackles of any defensive lineman in the MWC despite being sidelined for one game due to a back injury.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham compared the Misi-Reynolds matchup to the one between U. left tackle Zane Beadles and Y. defensive end Jan Jorgensen.

"That should be interesting," Whittingham said.

This season, BYU has allowed 17 sacks while the Utah defense has recorded 22 sacks.

Hall is impressed with Misi and the Utes' talented D-line.

"They're good. They move around. They like to jump up and knock balls down, so we have to be aware of that," he said. "They do a lot of things well. So, it comes down to preparation, knowing that they're going to try to bat balls down. They might get a couple, but we have to be aware of it."

At the same time, Hall is confident that the offensive line, which has dealt with numerous injuries this season, will take care of business against the Utes.

"I like my offensive line. I think they're physical. I think they've done a great job," Hall said. "We've had guys get hurt and other guys had to step in. You've seen (freshman) Braden Brown do a great job at right tackle. I'm proud of them and I think they're going to play well."

Contributing: Dirk Facer

Niumatalolo's homecoming

At Aloha Stadium, Navy football coach has done it all

Every stage of Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo's football life can be chronicled in snapshots from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

As an elementary school student, he sold programs there. As a high school quarterback, he won a state championship there. As a college quarterback, he played for the University of Hawaii there. As a graduate assistant he coached his first game there. As a full-bird assistant at UNLV, he coached against his alma mater for the first time there.

Saturday night, when Niumatalolo returns to Aloha Stadium, 20 miles from his childhood home on the North Shore of Oahu, it will be as a successful head coach, the first Polynesian in charge of a Division I-A football program, and the first Samoan to head up a program at any level.

Anyone who has seen the face of Niumatalolo after a big win knows how emotional the Mids coach will be Saturday night with his parents, friends and thousands of home-state admirers in the stands as Navy (8-3) takes on Hawaii (5-6).

"Ultimately, it's not about me. It's about our team and our program," said Niumatalolo. "But I am excited to go back. This will be a fun game."

With a 16-9 career record, Niumatalolo, 44, is a rising star. But in a profession that breeds self-importance, Niumatalolo shies from attention. Getting him to talk about his feelings on his homecoming might be more difficult than stopping his triple-option offense, which ranks No. 3 in the nation in rushing (282.2 yards per game).

"We're getting ready for a football game," said Niumatalolo. "Hawaii right now is playing for a bowl berth. They're going to be highly motivated."

The significance of Niumatalolo's homecoming is not lost on his players.

"We definitely want to represent him well. He's a man of great character and he's done a lot for the school, for this program," said senior linebacker Ross Pospisil. "It's true for anyone, when you go back to your home turf, there's some extra motivation."

Navy will leave for Honolulu on Wednesday and will not depart the islands until Sunday night, allowing for some beach time. But aside from a tour of the Arizona Memorial, this will be a business trip, according to Niumatalolo.

"We gotta make sure from a schedule standpoint, we're not taking this as a bowl game," said Niumatalolo. "We don't have much time -- just making sure we have a normal week as we would any Saturday."

Niumatalolo was a basketball and football star at Admiral Arthur Radford High, which has many students from military families. Just to the west are Hickam Air Force Base and Pearl Harbor. A mile north is Aloha Stadium.

In his junior year, Niumatalolo quarterbacked Radford to a 14-2 victory over St. Louis in the Oahu Prep Bowl Championship. Seven years later (including a two-year religious mission as a Mormon), Niumatalolo played in the first bowl game in University of Hawaii history.

"I got hit by Percy Snow (Michigan State) on an interception, so it's something I try not to think about," said Niumatalolo. "I went in toward the end, threw a pick and got KO'd. I didn't play very long, but I had a headache for a long time."

kdunleavy@washingtonexaminer.com

Fanene, Peko realizing their potential

By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted November 25, 2009 4:00 PM ET

Domata Peko invited his longtime friend and teammate, Jonathan Fanene, and Fanene's family to join him for Thanksgiving dinner. The invitation soon spread to all of the Polynesian players on the roster, their families, and any other player without a place to go.

"The Peko household is open to everybody," Peko said with a smile.

That he and his wife are so willing to host is a sign of how seriously he takes his role as a captain and team leader.

That he and Fanene are still together -- from American Samoa to College of the Canyons to the bottom of the Bengals roster to the starting lineup of a first-place team -- is a sign of how seriously they take their jobs.

"They are great guys to coach, and I couldn't be happier with either of them," defensive line coach Jay Hayes said. "I feel fortunate to have them in my room."

Neither grew up playing football, but they took to the game quickly enough to earn Division I college scholarships and get drafted by the Bengals: Fanene in the seventh round in 2005, Peko in the fourth round a year later. Peko became a starter by his second season, earned a multi-million dollar raise prior to his third and was named captain for his fourth. Fanene finally cracked the starting lineup this season after an injury to Antwan Odom, and he is second on the team with five sacks.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Fanene has improved more since arriving in the NFL than any player he has seen.

"I would agree with Marvin," Fanene said. "I've been working hard since the off-season with coach Mike Zimmer, and he taught me a lot of good stuff -- not only me but the whole D-line."

Fanene said he has made particular improvement with his technique and his knowledge of the defense, and Hayes said he is in better shape. "Right now I feel comfortable," Fanene said.

Peko believes his lack of experience prior to the NFL has been an asset, for it made him a blank slate for Hayes and Zimmer.

"I didn't learn any bad techniques," he said. "I had no bad habits."

Peko said he did not play football until his senior year of high school, but he showed enough talent to continue his career the next year at College of the Canyons, a junior college in California where he was reunited with Fanene. The two knew each other while growing up in American Samoa, though they were not close friends at the time.

Peko played defensive line in junior college and at Michigan State. His breakout season came as a senior in 2005, when he emerged as a playmaking defensive tackle for the Spartans.

Fanene began playing football at age 14, first as a receiver and tight end. He moved to defense as a high school senior and played outside linebacker in junior college. He then spent two years at Utah, where he played defensive line.

The Bengals drafted him mostly on long-term potential, and he was active for only seven games in his first two NFL seasons.

"It took me almost a year to learn the defense," Fanene said. "It wasn't like college. There were just a lot of little things I wasn't prepared for."

Hayes agreed. He said Fanene was "green as grass when he got here," but gifted enough that the Bengals were willing to wait for his game to grow.

"The first time he ever got in a game, first play, he had a tackle for loss," Hayes said. "Pittsburgh game. Next play, he was all over Ben Roethlisberger. He's always been a disruptive player. He has that burst."

As Fanene learned how to watch film and play through pain, Hayes and the coaches found ways to get him on the field, including moving him from end to tackle on passing downs to take advantage of his pass-rush skills.

Peko was nearly as raw when he arrived in Cincinnati, but he was athletic enough and tough enough to fill a role as a rookie. He earned a starting job the next year.

Hayes credited each of them for their willingness to take instruction and work year-round.

"They always have been willing to do what you ask them and go the extra mile, work really hard in the off-season," Hayes said. "You could tell because of how they produce when the time comes. The one thing about both of them: I stress with them what they need to work on and they do it."

It is a point of pride for Peko, and perhaps the biggest reason why the gifted-but-green fourth-round pick has become a cornerstone of a rapidly improving defense.

"I've always been a hard worker. If I'm here at work, it's not time to play, it's time to work," he said. "I want to be remembered as a coachable guy. If my coach says there is something to work on, I'm going to work on it. I don't want to be, like, `Oh, I know what I'm doing.' That's the thing about Fanene, myself, a lot of these guys on this team, we're all coachable people and I think that's a big point."

Chip off the Throwin’ Samoan block at WSU

APPLE CUP NOTES: Tony Thompson won’t duplicate famed Dad’s WSU heroics, but he’ll still leave disliking UW

HOWIE STALWICK; For The News Tribune
Last updated: November 25th, 2009 10:00 AM (PST)

Tony Thompson, the son of legendary Washington State quarterback Jack Thompson, plays tight end for the Cougars.

That did nothing to prevent the younger Thompson from delivering a mean impersonation – in more ways than one – of his rocket-armed father when he was a 6-year-old spectator at the 1992 “Snow Bowl” Apple Cup in Pullman.

“Unfortunately,” Thompson recalled, “I was a little immature and I was throwing snow balls at the Huskies as they came out.”

Yeah, the man said, “unfortunately.” The look in his eye told a different story.

Thompson, a fifth-year senior, worked his way up from walk-on to starter at Washington State. His career came to a premature end Oct. 31 when he suffered his fifth concussion in college during the game with Notre Dame.

“It does break my heart, because I do want real badly to play against the Huskies,” Thompson said. “But I understand that it’s a better decision for my overall health.”

Thompson, who regularly attended Apple Cups with his father while growing up in Seattle, said his “single best memory” of Apple Cups past took place last year. He got knocked out of the game with his second concussion of the year, but he joined the on-field celebration after Nico Grasu’s field goal in the second overtime gave the Cougars a 16-13 win.

“I couldn’t watch Nico’s game-winning field goal because I was too nervous,” Thompson said. “So I looked at the crowd, and I knew we had won by the crowd’s reaction.”

Thompson graduates next month with a general studies degree. He hopes to stay connected with the school, possibly as an intern with the Gray “W” Club, an organization that works to enhance the WSU experience for current and former athletes.

Bengals' Jonathan Fanene worth the wait

By John Erardi
jerardi@enquirer.com

On the edge of the mayhem, but also deeply (and gratefully) entrenched in the middle of it, stands the Bengals' Jonathan Fanene, the indomitable defensive end from American Samoa.

He's been there since Antwan Odom went down five weeks ago with a season-ending injury.

It is guys like Fanene and Brandon Johnson and Bernard Scott --and other players who've had to step in when the starters went down --that have helped make the Bengals what they are this season: 7-and-3, and extraordinarily close, a team in the best sense of the word.

Typical of the squad's unselfish attitude --perhaps even the very symbol of it --is Fanene, 27, who has had to earn his way up the depth chart as a seventh-round draft pick out of the University of Utah in 2005.

"When I came in, there were already guys who were ahead of me, high draft picks," said Fanene, a fifth-year pro. "There wasn't anybody willing to take me under their wing and explain how the system works. It's taken me (a while) just to learn the defense. There were a lot of things to do, and I wasn't prepared."

The biggest adjustment to the pros is that playing football is a business, not merely unbridled fun as it was in college, Fanene said. If you don't approach it like a job in which you grow and keep getting better and become more valuable to your team, you'll soon be on the outside looking in, he said.

He admits that he had to come to grips with that fact. There's more time required, more film-watching, more sacrifice.

"I'm still trying to catch up, doing more, learning more" he said.

Fanene didn't begin playing football until he was 14. He began as a tight end.

Typical of all the D-linemen on the Bengals, he has good hands. The Utah product wasn't switched to defense until he was a senior in high school. A junior-college defensive coordinator moved him to outside linebacker, "which is where all this ( pass-rushing) started," he said.

"My junior year, I was moved to the inside and my senior year I was moved to right end," he said.

Coach Marvin Lewis raised some eyebrows earlier this season when he said that nobody among the current Bengals had come so far as Fanene. Lewis wasn't talking geographically; he was saying that nobody had come into the Bengals' fold as such a project and had developed into such a player.

No higher compliment can be paid to an athlete, to anybody really, because it means he or she has done the utmost to fulfill their abilities.

"I'll agree with what Marvin says on that (because) I feel like I've improved a lot," said Fanene, noting that this past offseason was huge learning experience. "Coach (Mike) Zimmer taught me a lot -- not only me, but the whole D-line. To get to the quarterback, the first thing you've got to do stop the run and then use your hands."

It is also possible that Lewis' words were meant as continued motivation to Fanene. Just don't expect Lewis to ever admit that.

The Bengals needed Fanene if they were going to stay on the playoff road. The loss of the reconfigured and re-charged Odom, who had eight sacks, was potentially season-altering.

"We miss him," Fanene conceded. "Antwan's a tremendous pass-rusher. But we're going to keep this thing going."

Without a push toward the opposing team's quarterback, there is no push to the playoffs. One of the top surprises, of many, on this team is its ability to get to the QB, to trigger the sack dances and the chest-pounding and the crowd-rallying that is the Bengals' 2009.

For all the excitement that the offense brings when it is clicking -- the increasingly fine play-action and precision passing of Carson Palmer, the thumping running style of Cedric Benson, the remarkable cutting ability of Bernard Scott, the fingertip grabs of Chad Ochocinco -- it is the defense that is this team's emotional center.

With the blanket coverage by the Bengals' cornerbacks, there is time for the D-linemen to do their work, and none have done it so dramatically well to the naked eye as Fanene, who has five sacks, tops among the active players.

He didn't have any sacks last Sunday -- none of the Bengals did, for the first time this season -- but he did have a big pressure that flushed the quail that Johnathan Joseph picked off.

"Came from outside, beat the tackle," Fanene explained.

It was one of the few times Fanene wasn't being doubled Sunday. He's come a long way. Not too long ago, the only thing he was being doubled out of was the starting lineup.

Fanene used to be known as a guy who made unconventional plays --not because he didn't want to follow the book, but because he didn't know the book. Now he knows what he's supposed to do.

"I don't want to be selfish in my rush lane; the job is to contain," Fanene said.

When he put the pressure on Raiders' QB Bruce Gradkowksi that resulted in the interception, the score was Bengals 17-10, and there were exactly six minutes left on the clock, tailor-made for the offense to put this game away as it had put away so many games this season.

It didn't happen, but Fanene's attitude is this:

There's another game Sunday. It's like pass-rushing.

"You just keep coming," he says.

Like the rest of the veterans, Fanene knows that doubts are already being voiced nationally that maybe the Bengals finally realize where they are, and will wake up.

"We don't believe in that," Fanene said." We don't believe in the talk, the rumors, all that media stuff. We have a great group of guys that want to work, want to win, and we've got a staff that's going to prepare us for this game...We're going to win this game, and the division."

Navy's offense a cut above the rest

By stephen tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor

When Mana Silva was a junior quarterback at Kamehameha-Hawai'i, the school's athletic director suggested implementing the triple-option offense.

That was the scheme that athletic director Bob Wagner ran successfully as the University of Hawai'i's head coach for 10 years.

"I couldn't make the reads," said Silva, now UH's starting safety. "We ended up going to a four-spread conventional offense. (The triple-option) was complicated for me. It lasted a few weeks. Coach Wagner realized he didn't think we could run it, so we stopped running it."

Five years later, Silva and his UH teammates will try to solve the riddle of the triple-option when they face Navy Saturday at Aloha Stadium.

Paul Johnson, who was Wagner's offensive coordinator for eight years at UH, implemented the triple-option at Navy.

His successor, Ken Niumatalolo, is a former UH quarterback and assistant coach.

In the running phase of the triple option, the quarterback can hand off to the running back, keep the ball or pitch to a trailing slotback.

It is a stretch offense that requires defenders to make the right reads while fighting off blocks from all points.

Unlike more traditional offenses, the triple-option features cut blocks, in which a slotback or receiver dives toward the feet or ankles of a defensive back or linebacker.

The technique is legal if it is done in the open field and the defender is not engaged in a block. Still, the blocking technique has drawn criticism, most famously from Notre Dame coaches, who claim it is dangerous.

"Cutting is tough," said UH associate head coach Rich Miano, who coaches the defensive secondary. "You have to be prepared."

The keys are quick feet and strong hands. This week, the Warrior defenders will be coached to shove away feet-seeking blockers.

"We have to watch our legs so they don't get cut-blocked," safety Spencer Smith said. "We have to use our hands really well."

Silva is drawing inspiration from his lookalike and fellow Big Island resident.

"You've got to sprawl like BJ Penn," Silva said of the MMA champion. "You've got to go to your knees, get back up, and make a play."

Because the Midshipmen use a sideway attack, defensive linemen must be active. If they stop after a few steps, they risk being hit by a third-party blocker.

"Otherwise the guy in front of (the defender) is not blocking, the guy to the left or to the right is blocking," said Dave Aranda, who coaches the defensive tackles.

Most of all, the Midshipmen are efficient.

They have lost fumbles fewer than 1 percent of the time (seven in 773 offensive plays).

They are fourth nationally in time of possession, averaging 33 minutes, 38 seconds per game.

"We've got to be very disciplined, because they're very disciplined," UH head coach Greg McMackin said. "That's the focus."

The UH coaches have studied videos of the triple-option for several weeks. After returning from San Jose Sunday, they met into the night.

Yesterday morning, the players watched videos.

They practiced for more than an hour yesterday afternoon. After that, the majority of players lifted weights. Smith, Silva, linebacker Corey Paredes and safety Richard Torres went to watch more videos.

"This is one of those weeks where you don't get any sleep," Miano said. "What (the Midshipmen) do, they do so well. They also can throw the ball. They give you nightmares. Nobody in the country wants to play these guys. They do a great job."

Cornerback Jeramy Bryant said: "We have a great deal of respect for what they do for our country, and what they do by sacrificing their lives. But when we get on the field, we're playing the game of football."