IN the best of all possible worlds for University of Hawaii football fans, former Kahuku star linebacker Kautai Olevao would be stopping Utah runners today in Salt Lake City, not sacking the Rainbow quarterback. If the Rainbows could only
‘keep’ some local boysDonny Utu, the former Punahou wide receiver, would be snagging passes for the 'Bows instead of the Utes.
I would mention Ute quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, formerly of St. Louis School, but he's sidelined with an injury. Fortunately for the Rainbows, he won't be passing UH dizzy.
But it's not a perfect world, so Olevao, Utu and Arceneaux -- among a dozen former Hawaii prepsters on the Utah roster -- are home boys playing against the home team.
They're just a few of the many local boys playing for colleges on the mainland this season.
Dick Tomey's Arizona Wildcats came to town with Makai and Makoa Freitas, Steve Grace and redshirt Ben Alualu. When Northwestern visits, it'll be a homecoming for Matt Souza, a 6-foot-6, 277-pound blue-chipper from Punahou.
BYU still has a pipeline to Hawaii talent. Six former Isle players, including Joe Wong of Kailua, are on the Cougars' roster. Wong, a one-time Rainbow starting tackle, starts for the Cougars.
Nevada-Las Vegas has eight Hawaii players on its roster and Montana six, including the duo of quarterback Brian Ah Yat and wide receiver Raul Pacheco, who used to pitch and catch for Iolani.
Inoke Breckterfeld (Damien) is starting at defensive end for Oregon State. Dominic Raiola is playing for Nebraska, which is redshirting his former St. Louis teammate, Tony Tata.
Faasea Mailo, a 6-4, 330-pound tackle from Kahuku, is at Southern California, which is at Aloha Stadium for next year's UH opener. Here's hoping that game won't be played on a Thursday afternoon.
Notre Dame recruited Punahou's Jason Ching. California fullback Joshua White was known as Zeus at Farrington. Vae Tata (St. Louis) is back at UCLA. Another ex-Crusader, Sam Taulealea, is with Colorado.
You get the idea.
Imagine how good the Rainbows could be if they could have landed some of those blue-chip recruits.
Of course, a winning program, including bowl appearances, would help. But that might not make a difference, according to Cal Lee, the successful Crusader coach who has developed much of the talent now playing elsewhere.
"Kids here are so isolated. You drive so far and the next thing you're driving into the ocean," Lee said.
"It's absolutely no reflection on the football program at UH. Basically, for the kids, it's just to get away. You can't blame them."
AND of course, you can't blame the coaches who come recruiting here.
Lee remembers when former Colorado coach Bill McCartney went to Mayor Wright Housing to recruit Viliami Maumau.
Nebraska's Tom Osborne and his successor, Frank Solich, thought so much of Raiola and Tata that they personally came here to recruit them.
The Cornhuskers are interested in Crusader linebacker Joseph Siofele, whom Lee considers to be the No. 1 recruit of this year's crop.
"I think he has more athleticism than the other two (Raiola and Tata)," Lee said of Siofele, who also plays basketball and is the state shot put and discus champion.
In the best of all possible worlds, Siofele would some day play for the Rainbows, too.
But as that athletic apparel saying goes, "Get Real."