ONLY in Hawaii. JV players have what it
takes to make this teamWhere else would you find football players with the first names Honolulu and Hawaii? Farrington High School, that's where. But not for long, according to Agenhart Ellis, Farrington's athletic director.
Honolulu Mika and Hawaii Mika, identical twins and sophomore linebackers on the junior varsity team, played their final game for the Governors last night, along with older brother Fetu Mika, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound junior on the varsity.
The Mika brothers leave next week to join their parents, Toifula and May, who moved to Provo, Utah, last month. It'll be a big loss for the Govs' football program.
That's one reason I've dipped heavily into the JV ranks to come up with my 1998 all-name prep team.
Honolulu and Hawaii Mika -- naturally, Honolulu was born before Hawaii -- would have made my all-name team for years to come.
Also, only in Hawaii would you find Damien's Bradah Ohelo, Kailua's Braddah Choy-Foo and Roosevelt's Casey Waikiki. But Jim Thorpe (Campbell) and Archie Griffin (Pearl City) are great football names anywhere.
For those with a literary bent, this year's crop includes Thomas Hardy of the Kahuku JV team, which includes Magic Atuaia.
THERE'S a veritable treasure trove on the Kahuku Red Raiders' roster with Diamond Kaaihue, Sterling Naki and Lyons Pearl.
To go with Nanakuli's Lanakila Park, there's Castle's Damien Place. And it seems youth is being served with three other JV players: Roosevelt's Hercules Kahooilihala, Castle's Samson Satele and Mighty Isaia of Campbell.
If you think it's premature to bring them up from the JV ranks, Kamehameha's Daddy Boy Nahalea is as precocious a name as you will find for a high school freshman.
There's a bit of Texas at Kamehameha with Houston Ala and Dallas Carter. Other city slickers include Cleveland Werner (Nanakuli), Trenton Wailehua (Kamehameha), Austin Holmes (Mililani), Dayton Gernier (Castle) and Kahuku's Cheyenne Turner and Orlando Wong.
Golf fans will appreciate Nicklaus West (Kamehameha), and Lendl Apleu (Kahuku) will appeal to tennis buffs. For the romantics, it's Baldwin's Romeo Paet. Magellan Faumina (Aiea) will circumnavigate the world for you.
The King is alive: Presley Faiupu, who played for Aiea last year, is now with Farrington.
It's wait 'til next year for Punahou's Jeremy Grad, who's only a junior. Keep Castle's Starr Loa away from Aiea's Clinton Holiona. And will Kamehameha's Tithing John Chun give 100 percent, or play to just one-tenth of his ability?
THIS year's most mellifluous-sounding name belongs to McKinley's Lale Lale-Saole. The 1998 Ditto Award, first given to Puluti Puluti Jr. years ago, goes to Kahuku running back Talamoni Talamoni.
Evoking a blast from the prep football past are two names on this year's JV rosters -- Mark Tuinei (Waianae) and Mike Akiu (Kamehameha). And there's Gordon Miyashiro, who's on the St. Louis varsity.
Yes, Akiu and Miyashiro were named after their fathers, who starred in local football. Tuinei, who's a 6-foot-2, 330-pound ninth-grader, is the son of former UH star Tom Tuinei and nephew of Mark Tuinei, long-time Dallas Cowboys' tackle.
Waianae coach Leo Taaca says what goes around comes around, especially at his school. Cousins Edmund Paaoao and Jacob Faagai, who are on this year's team, are the sons of twin brothers Edmond and Edward Faagai, who also played for the Seariders.