[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Among Damien's players are, from left, brothers Eddie and Tevita Williams and their cousins, Fehi and Soane Sevelo.
Damien earns respect
on way to states
For the Damien football team, there was no direct line to its turnaround on the football field. If anything, the Monarchs have taken the long, hard route.
"They worked hard, and now good things have been happening," Damien co-head coach Dean Nakagawa said. "I told the guys before the season, we need to earn respect. And one of the biggest things the offseason provided us was respect for ourselves -- working hard together with a purpose. We can still earn more respect, and we're fortunate to have the opportunity to go and do that."
Added senior quarterback Tevita Williams: "Last year was a turning point. We wanted to change the perception of things around here. We knew if we worked hard and concentrated on what we had to do, we could come out on top. This past offseason was the best we've had here at Damien. Everyone got stronger and faster and mentally stronger. The seniors were at all the workouts and got on the younger guys to come out."
First Hawaiian Bank
State Football ChampionshipsDivision I
Quarterfinals
Today
Kauai (5-3) vs. Kahuku (11-0), at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
Farrington (6-4-1) vs. Hilo (8-2), at Keaau High School, 7:30 p.m.
Kailua (8-2-1) vs. Baldwin (9-1), at War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Mililani (9-2) vs. Saint Louis (7-1), at Aloha Stadium, 8 p.m.
Division II
First round
Today
Damien (3-5) vs. Kapolei (9-1), at Aiea High School, 7:30 p.m.
Tomorrow
Hawaii Prep (7-4) vs. Lahainaluna (1-7-1), at War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Williams is one of 15 seniors who helped take the Monarchs from the depths of back-to-back winless seasons in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu to this season's Division II ILH title. That qualified them for a date tonight with Kapolei (7:30 p.m., at Aiea High School) in the first round of the inaugural Division II First Hawaiian Bank State Football Championships, in what figures to be the biggest game in the Monarchs' history to date.
And while the current Monarch team can be neatly summarized as workmanlike, they have still managed to generate plenty of excitement along the way. Damien's student body and fan following overflowed onto the field after the team's title-clinching win over Iolani on Halloween in a celebration that was continued back on campus.
"It's been a very positive thing for us," said Nakagawa.
While the three-week layoff gave the Monarchs the opportunity for reflection, it also left them trying to maintain their polish. Kapolei has played twice in that span, including last week's locally televised loss to Aiea in the Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference championship game.
"We're trying to get back to playing at game speed because Kapolei has been playing the last few weeks," Williams said. "We had a long break ... the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to come out on top. We're confident and playing better every day. Coach always tell us that we should be playing our best football at the end of the season."
How well the Monarchs defend the diverse Kapolei offense figures to be a key question tonight.
"We have to play mistake-free football -- every coach will say that," Nakagawa smiled. "We need to come out and play hard and not give up the big play. They have big play-makers ... their quarterbacks (Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and Jon Medeiros), their running back (John Dela Rama), their receivers. They're a good football team."
Like Kapolei's offense, Damien's defense has relied largely on big plays from lineman and team leader Soane Sevelo. He caused one fumble and returned another 52 yards for a touchdown in the win over Iolani.
"Everybody was tired of being at the bottom," Sevelo said. "We knew we could do better, so we worked hard this offseason. But we can't live off of that win. It's in the past. We have to put it behind us."
Soane has three cousins on the team, including Fehi Sevelo, a lineman, and brothers Eddie and Tevita Williams, who are among the leaders of the Monarchs. Soane, Fehi and Tevita are also teammates on the Damien basketball and track teams. Eddie Williams is only a sophomore, but the special bond the foursome share has rubbed off on their teammates.
"Soane is the one that gets everybody up," Eddie Williams said. "He never gives up; we all look up to him for that. He's our class joker and the funniest guy we know. He can be serious, too, when he wants to be."
Most associated with the Damien program attribute this year's success to its senior class' commitment in the offseason.
"A lot of the younger guys look up to the seniors," Fehi Sevelo said. "Going through the hard years -- being good, but not good enough -- we just had to step it up and take control. I'm cherishing the times. It's all beginning to pay off. I'm glad to experience it."
"We had better participation," Nakagawa added. "This group of seniors has been through a lot during their four years here. A lot of things were out of their control. The only thing they could control was preparing for the season, and they went about it nicely. It's the seniors' team. You're going to have a season dictated by how hard they work and how committed they are, and these guys are a good group."
