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Still the one
Ryan 'R.B.' Bibilone pays
homage to his late father
on the football field
The power of one is evident in central Oahu. One. To some it represents superiority. To others it symbolizes unity. Some may consider it to represent the first step in a sequence.
To the Leilehua High School football team, it means all of the above and so much more.
When Mules kicker Ryan "R.B." Bibilone II raises his finger skyward following a made field goal, a successful extra point, or a touchback on a kickoff, he reminds his team of the importance of the unity it has benefited from in resurrecting a proud program that has made a return to prominence this season.
The index finger he points up reminds the Mules, ranked No. 8 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10, of the excellence they strive for.
It reminds them that they have achieved their first goal of the season, qualifying for the postseason with a 6-1 record.
To Bibilone, it is a symbol of his positive thinking and an homage to his recently departed father, Ryan Bibilone Sr.
The elder Bibilone died of cancer at age 50 last summer. The ordeal began with the original diagnosis in 2000, when doctors found a tumor just above Ryan Sr.'s heart. From there, the cancer spread, eventually constituting the removal of spinal column segments in October of 2003, leaving the former Meadow Gold employee and Air Force veteran wheelchair bound.
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With wife Vicky busy working in the fabrics department at Mililani Wal-Mart, it was youngest son R.B. who was responsible for caring for his dad.
"It was definitely one of the hardest experiences I can think of ever going through," R.B. said. "It was hard to watch my dad like that, but I think I was actually lucky. Some people lose their parents in an accident, or all of a sudden. I was fortunate to be able to spend eight months every day with my dad."
Shortly after his father's passing, R.B. decided that his father would have wanted him to play his senior season of football. So he met with Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda and asked if he could return to the team.
"My philosophy is that a rule is a rule," Tokuda said. "If you miss spring and summer ball, you can't play. There are no exceptions. I told R.B. that he couldn't, because I never want to put the benefit of the player above the good of the team, even though I knew his situation."
That day the team's captains approached Tokuda and asked to vote on it. In a scene right out of a Hollywood feature, the players had their say in a team meeting.
"When we vote on something as a team, we all get together and put our heads down," Tokuda said. "Every player raises his hand to make their vote anonymously. A fist means no, and a high-five means yes."
One by one, each of the 50 players placed their vote. All were open hands.
"I always tell the players that this is their team," Tokuda said. "They came together that day, and I am thankful to my captains for coming forward and supporting R.B. He has helped us win a number of games, and his positive attitude is infectious."
Already a three-time all-Oahu Interscholastic Association performer on the soccer field, R.B. has emerged to become a force for the football Mules this year on special teams. With his mighty boot, Bibilone has accounted for 32 points this season, and he has also averaged well over 40 yards per punt on 15 attempts.
"I think he is a lot more focused right now," said Vicky Bibilone. "He had so many worries before, having to take care of his dad, and making sure that he was OK. Now that he's at rest, Ryan knows that his dad is at peace and he can go on."
With interest from NCAA Division I soccer programs UC Davis, UC Irvine, Northern Illinois and St. Mary's (Calif.), R.B. is hoping to go on to bigger and better things.
Selected to the West Region pool for the U.S. Olympic Development Program in each of the past four summers, the youngest Bibilone has emerged as one of the nation's top soccer players, even training with the U.S. National Program Under-14 squad in 2001.
"Hopefully I can get a D-I scholarship and maybe get selected in the MLS draft someday," R.B. said. "It will be hard not to think of my dad. He was just always there for me, driving me to practice, taking me to my soccer games and keeping me grounded.
"It's different now, but I know that he will never miss another one of my games and he'll always have the best seat in the house now. Even though he won't be there physically, he will always be there.
"Always."
