ROCKNE Freitas roots for the University of Hawaii every chance he gets. But not today. Arizona-UH game a
Freitas family affairVice president of Kamehameha Schools, Freitas was affiliated with UH, first as assistant athletic director and then as the school's vice president after a 12-year National Football League career.
During that time, his young sons hung around the UH campus. "They grew up with Dick Tomey and the Rainbow football team," Freitas said.
Now both of Freitas' sons -- Makai and Makoa -- are playing for Tomey at the University of Arizona. And against the Rainbows today at Aloha Stadium in the college season opener for both teams.
Rockne and his wife, Ala, will be in the stands, cheering for the Wildcats. Along with Rockne's dad, Johnny Freitas, 85 next month, who was a three-year Interscholastic League of Honolulu all-star end for McKinley High School in the 1930s.
"I loved my time at the University of Hawaii. I cheer for them when things are good and feel for them when it's not," Rockne said. "But now we got blood involved. And blood is thicker than water."
So you can't blame the Freitas clan.
While there's blood involved, it's not bad blood.
MAKAI and Makoa will be playing against their cousin, Eleu Kane, a senior wide receiver for the Rainbows.
"I hope we win, but I hope he has a good game," said Makai, who's nearly two years older than Makoa.
It didn't take Makoa long to decide to enroll at Arizona. He liked the idea of playing on the same team with his brother. That's right, it took Tomey and Arizona to get them together as teammates for the first time. Rockne didn't allow his sons to play youth football.
"We're thrilled to have both of them," Tomey said.
Makai played for Pac-5 while attending University High, but wound up playing for Clintondale High School in Michigan his senior year.
"He didn't seem to be too happy, so I thought a change of scenery would be good for him," Rockne said. Makai played for a team coached by former Farrington star Bill Apisa, and was an all-state tight end.
Overall, the caliber of prep football in Michigan is about the same as Hawaii, according to Makai. "As far as the league I played in, I don't think it matched up too well with Hawaii football," he added.
Kamehameha coach Kanani Souza sees a lot of Rockne Freitas in Makai, who at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds is of similar build. Makai also wears No. 76, which was Rockne's jersey number for 11 years with the Detroit Lions.
"Rocky developed late. He started playing as a freshman for Oregon State when he was 17. He got better after college," said Souza, who was Rockne's teammate at Kamehameha.
FANS today at Aloha Stadium will see a lot more of No. 77 -- Makoa's jersey number -- for the Wildcats.
Although just a true freshman, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Makoa has earned a spot as a starting guard for the Wildcats.
"He's already one of the strongest guys on our team," Tomey said of the former Kamehameha all-stater, who's actually named Rockne after his father.
Makoa said he's lost weight. "Maybe it's the Spanish food," he said.
The biggest cultural shock since arriving in Tucson? "No rice. Everything is potato, potato," he said.
The Hawaii-Arizona game has been billed as a reunion for Tomey and his Rainbow-flavored coaching staff. But it's also reunion time for the Freitas family.
"It's a good opportunity to come home and play in front of a home crowd," Makoa said.
That, and playing in a football game with his brother, Makai, for the first time.