Paulson Leong, an all-state selection as a receiver last season, runs the ball, plays defense, punts and returns punts for the Governors.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin

Where did that Leong kid go?

You can't help notice the disappearance of a player who led the Oahu Interscholastic Association's elite Red Conference in receiving with 616 yards and eight touchdowns in six games.

Leong was hauling them in at an average of nearly 19 yards a catch.

Well, no need to look on the side of a milk carton for Leong's face because he's still at Farrington, and he's still playing football.

But he's not even among the conference's top 25 receivers because Farrington has only 29 passing yards in four games.

No, that's not a misprint.

The Governors, who lead the conference with 901 yards rushing, have abandoned the passing game. Corey Shippy, whose 938 yards ranked second in Red passing yardage last year, has graduated. His synchronized connection with Leong accounted for two-thirds of the Farrington aerial game, but that era is gone.

Leong knew it in preseason when the Governors suffered a 27-0 loss to Morse of San Diego. Farrington fumbled 10 times, lost an interception for a touchdown, and its two quarterbacks were sacked seven times.

"They tried to throw me the ball, but it just wasn't coming to me," said Leong.

So he suggested to his coach, Skippa Diaz, that it would be better if he became a running back this season.

But he didn't stop there.

"I told coach I also wanted to play safety and help out the defense," he said.

"And my brother, Joseph (cornerback), is back there," he said.

The Govs continued to take a pounding in the second preseason game, against Kamehameha, but Leong scored his first rushing touchdown - a five-yarder. It was an unfamiliar thrill.

"It felt different going from receiver to running back," he said. "You have to learn the formations and the plays, and there's more hitting."

Nowadays, with Farrington (3-1) on a three-game winning streak and very much in contention for the conference crown, Leong is also punting and returning kicks.

He has three interceptions, three blocked passes, two sacks, one recovered fumble and five initial tackles.

Oh yes, there's one more role the 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior has taken on.

He can occasionally throw the sweep pass, as he did successfully in the clutch for Farrington in the Governors' 7-0 win over Roosevelt on Sept. 27. In the fourth quarter, with his team backed up inside its own 20, Leong uncorked a 35-yard strike to Mose Tuala that gave Farrington a first down, allowing the Governors to eat up the clock.

Also in that quarter, Leong scored Farrington's only points with a two-yard touchdown run.

"He's a constant threat and you always have to be aware of where he is on the field," said Roosevelt head coach Les Parilla.

Leong does not start at running back. The starter is Nathan Fereti, who leads the team with 280 yards and a touchdown.

But Leong makes the most of his backup role and has 159 yards on 39 totes.

"When I get tired, they always give the ball to him and he always knows what to do with it," said Fereti.

"His ability to run wide out of the backfield is solid," said Diaz.

On Sept. 20 against Kahuku, Leong led the Govs to their first victory over the Red Raiders since 1989, scoring on runs of two and four yards in a 28-7 victory at Roosevelt.

In that game, Farrington had zero passing yards but Leong carried the ball 15 times for 84 yards, including long gains of 15 and 22 yards.

Last weekend against Waipahu, Leong's contribution was on defense as he picked off a Kaiser Seumalo pass at his own 7-yard line late in an 18-13 victory.

Waipahu head coach Sam Delos Reyes said Leong showed effectiveness in punting the ball away from his top return man and premier scorer, Alvin Takeshita.

Diaz said Leong has made the difference in the Farrington secondary, which was the team's weakest point in preseason.

"Because he was a receiver, he has a real good feel for what to look for from the quarterback and from the formation, and the receivers coming downfield," he said. "He knows routes, watches the quarterback's eyes and knows which way to go."

David Fujimoto, assistant Farrington trainer, said Leong's multi-faceted role is evident in the number of bruises on his body these days.

"But I love the hitting part," said Leong with a smile.

"This kid empties his tank on the field every game," said Diaz.