Thursday, September 16, 1999

Brain drain
crosses to gridiron

Fifty-nine Hawaii-born football
players have chosen to toil
for mainland teams

A team-by-team list of local players

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

There are a lot of them who get away.

Just how many former Hawaii prep players can be found on the rosters of mainland Division I football programs?

At last check, there were 60. Seven teams nationally ranked by Associated Press have island players.

No. 4 Nebraska has four on its roster, No. 19 Arizona has seven, No. 25 BYU has five, and No. 16 Kansas State, No. 17 USC, No. 21 UCLA, and No. 24 Notre Dame have one apiece.

The mainland conferences with the most island players are the Pac-10 (23) and Mountain West (28).

'(Joe Igber) had a great camp,
came in great shape, played smart,
took to the offense right away
and was kind of electric
to the team.'

Tom Holmoe
CALIFORNIA HEAD COACH

Except for the Rainbows (37), Utah has the most Hawaii players of any Division I school: 16.

The key Utes are junior quarterback Darnell Arceneaux (St. Louis), who has led the team to wins in each of his seven starts, and junior linebacker Kautai Olevao (first-team All-Western Athletic Conference in 1998). Olevao played for Kahuku in high school.

The only other Hawaii quarterback who gets regular playing time in Division I is Washington State's Jason Gesser, also a St. Louis alumnus.

Gesser backs up starter Steve Birnbaum, but he has seen substantial time in the Cougars' two games this season.

In last weekend's loss to Stanford, Gesser completed 11 of 23 passes for 120 yards. In the season-opening loss to Utah, he directed an 80-yard drive for the Cougars' only touchdown.

The most promising ball carrier is California freshman Joe Igber, who is a reserve tailback behind starting junior Marcus Fields.

Igber excited Bears fans with his 55-yard performance in the opener against Rutgers.

Bears head coach Tom Holmoe said the decision not to redshirt Igber was easy.

"He had a great camp, came in great shape, played smart, took to the offense right away and was kind of electric to the team," said Holmoe. "The coaches liked him so we made the decision to play him right away."

Against Rutgers, Igber not only went 35 yards on his first carry, but he helped sew up the 21-7 win.

"At the end of the game, he was the tailback to come in and give us three consecutive runs for a first down that iced the game," said Holmoe.

---

Isle players at mainland
Division I schools

INDEPENDENT

Notre Dame

Jason Ching 		DE 	6-3 	260 	Sr.	 Punahou

PAC-10

Arizona

Ben Alualu 		DL 	6-0 	260 	So.	 St. Louis
Keoni Fraser 		DL 	6-0 	287 	So.	 Kailua
Makai Freitas 		OL 	6-7 	283 	Jr.	 Kamehameha
Makoa Freitas 		OL 	6-4 	294 	So.	 Kamehameha
Steven Grace 		OL 	6-2 	280 	So.	 Kamehameha
Wilton Paogofie 	FB 	5-9 	225 	Jr.	 Konawaena
Joe Siofele 		LB 	6-2 	235 	Fr.	 St. Louis

California

Wayne Hunter 		DE 	6-6 	280	Fr.	 Radford
Joe Igber 		RB 	5-8 	190 	Fr.	 Iolani
Josh White 		FB 	5-11 	245 	Sr.	 Farrington

Oregon

Billy Prince 		LB 	6-1 	227 	Jr.	 Hawaii Prep

Oregon State

Shawn Ball 		DT 	6-0 	275 	Sr.	 Punahou
Colin Kealoha 		OL 	6-3 	273 	Fr.	 Kamehameha
Toalei Talataina 	DE 	6-2	239 	Sr.	 Kahuku
Isaac White 		LB 	6-1 	215 	Sr.	 Campbell

Stanford

Tafiti Uso	 	WR 	6-0 	190 	Jr.	 Punahou

UCLA

Billy Pieper	 	LB 	6-2	238 	Jr.	 Kamehameha

USC

Fa‘asea Mailo		OL	6-5	330	So.	 Kahuku

Washington

Ken Walker 		LB 	6-1 	230 	So.	 Moanalua

Washington State

Ing Aleaga 		DL 	6-2 	291 	Fr.	 Aiea
Gerald Cook II	 	DL 	6-7 	230 	Fr.	 Campbell
Sean DeCambra 		WR 	5-10 	182 	Sr.	 Kailua
Jason Gesser 		QB 	6-1 	197	Fr. 	 St. Louis

BIG TEN

Northwestern

Mike Souza 		OL 	6-6 	285 	Jr.	 Punahou

BIG 12

Colorado

Sam Taulealea 		DL 	6-0 	300 	Fr.	 St. Louis

Nebraska

Toniu Fonoti 		OL 	6-4 	300 	Fr.	 Kahuku
Dominic Raiola 		C 	6-2 	295 	So.	 St. Louis
Tony Tata 		LB 	6-1 	240 	Fr.	 St. Louis
Junior Tagoai	 	DL 	6-3 	290 	Fr.	 St. Louis

Kansas State

Mario Fatafehi 		DL	6-2 	305 	Jr.	 Farrington

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

Air Force

Shane Alfar 		LB 	6-1 	210 	So.	 Mililani

Brigham Young

Donny Atuaia	 	FB 	6-1	235	Sr.	 Kahuku
Jimmy Betham 		DL 	6-0	280	Fr.	 Kahuku
Kahau Enos 		LB 	6-2	245	Fr.	 Kamehameha
Tevita Ofahengaue 	TE	6-3	250	Jr.	 Kahuku
Bristol Olomua 		TE 	6-5	210	Fr.	 Laie native

New Mexico

Jacob Ordenstein 	SB 	5-11 	192 	Fr.	 Kamehameha

UNLV

Micah Ancheta 		RB 	5-8 	190 	Jr.	 St. Louis
Hekili Apao 		DB 	6-0 	200 	Fr.	 Damien
Danny Pacheco 		C 	6-2 	290 	Jr.	 Kamehameha
James Sunia 		LB 	5-10 	245 	So.	 St. Louis

Utah

Anthony Arceneaux 	WR 	5-9 	165 	Fr. 	 St. Louis
Darnell Arceneaux 	QB 	6-1 	194 	Jr.	 St. Louis
Stewart Carvalho 	RB 	5-7 	191 	Sr.	 Kauai
Ryan Kaneshiro 		K 	5-10 	193 	So.	 Iolani
Maake Kemoeatu	 	DL 	6-5 	297 	Jr.	 Kahuku
Taulia Lave 		LB 	6-1 	273 	Sr.	 Waianae
Siuaki Livai 		OL 	6-2 	311 	Fr.	 Kahuku
Kautai Olevao 		LB 	6-2 	245 	Jr.	 Kahuku
Cliff Russell	 	WR 	6-0 	180 	So.	 Campbell
Lauvale Sape 		DL 	6-2 	272 	So.	 Leilehua
Leroy Shelton		WR	6-2	167	So.	 Hilo
Sean Souza 		OL 	6-5 	321 	Fr.	 St. Louis
Ed Ta‘amu 		DL 	6-3 	311 	Jr.	 Iolani
Rod Talaeai 		OL 	6-0 	250 	Sr.	 Farrington
Wes Tufaga 		LB 	6-0 	242 	Jr.	 St. Louis
Donny Utu 		WR 	6-1 	210 	Sr.	 Punahou

Wyoming

Leo Caires 		LB 	6-1 	220 	Jr.	 Maui