Opposing defensive linemen, take note: Those maroon-clad behemoths toeing the line of scrimmage for Farrington are known as the Bamboolas, and they mean business.

The term, bestowed on generations of wide-bodied Governors linemen, was popularized by legendary former head coach Skippa Diaz.

“;When I used to shoot marbles, we had the regular size marbles and the big marbles,”; recalled Diaz, in a phone interview from Wisconsin, where he now lives. “;We called the big ones the Bamboolas. I always liked playing with the big Bamboolas cause when they hit the piles, the smaller ones flew all over the place.”;

“;I call them that,”; said current offensive coordinator Sean Pacheco, who played for Diaz on Farrington's 1990 Oahu Interscholastic Association championship team. “;Bamboolas are big, got a little belly going, and if you can move your body 10 yards up the field, you're good to go.”;

Absent from the box scores, their real names aren't known to most. Offensive linemen, as a natural circumstance of the position, labor in relative obscurity. They don't score the touchdowns or kick the field goals; intercept the passes or sack the quarterbacks.

Those individual flashes of fame, often celebrated by me-not-we antics, don't appeal to blue-collar guys like Farrington center and team captain Paul Kama, guards Skylawn Folaumahina and Lindon Kahana, or tackles Justin Momosea and Joseph Siliga.

To the public, they're seen as that indistinguishable mass of manpower in the trenches. But in the locker room, among their teammates, they're known as the heart and soul of Farrington's offense.

“;Character-wise, they're team guys. To be an offensive lineman, usually that's what you have to be,”; said Randall Okimoto, seventh-year head coach of the Governors. “;They take on all the pressure, all of the hard hitting and hardly get much credit for it.”;

With wins and losses the Bamboolas' only meaningful statistic, credit is long overdue, as the seventh-ranked Governors enter Saturday's regular-season finale against Kaimuki 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the OIA Red East.

The offensive line has been instrumental in the success of Farrington's West Coast offense, which has outscored its opponents this year 138-70.

The offense, a 60-40 ratio of power running to precision passing, relies heavily on the line's ability to transition back-and-forth.

“;They gotta be able to fire out with the run and step back with the pass,”; Okimoto said.

Practices this year have been more fast-paced, with quicker transitions between drills to force the linemen to think on their feet.

“;I call them my skill guys,”; said offensive line coach James Pasi. “;They're out here every day, on time, taking care of business.”;

The sting of last year's 26-14 loss to Baldwin in the Division I state quarterfinals provided ample motivation for seniors Kama and Folaumahina, who organized offseason workouts in January.

“;This year, it's not like last year,”; Folaumahina said. “;We are more committed and closer to each other this year because we all worked out in the preseason.”;

Although all five linemen have put in countless hours in the weight room, perhaps even more admirable is their commitment to academics.

The team was beset by grade troubles in 2007. Okimoto estimates that more than 15 of his players, including seven starters, were placed on academic probation last year.

None of the current starting offensive linemen were among the players with academic difficulties.

“;Each and every one of those offensive linemen, I don't have to worry about as far as grades,”; said Okimoto, with a smile. “;They've been real solid in the classroom.”;

And this year, the team is following the Bamboolas' example, with only three players on academic probation, and all are progressing.

“;Last year, a lot of us had to go tutoring Mondays and Wednesdays and that hurt us on the field,”; Folaumahina said. “;This year we feel like all that school stuff should be done during school.”;

The commitment on and off the field is fueled by a conscious awareness of community and tradition, two traits that Farrington football has in surplus.

“;We go out and play for the community, the school, and for all the boys here,”; said Kama.

Okimoto's staff, comprised of Farrington football alumni, understands the positive role football has in the community and its players.

“;We're not a school with a lot of money,”; Okimoto said. “;We don't have a big budget, so we rely on each other. Relationships become very important. It's the only thing we have.”;

The Bamboolas know this. Lacking the fanfare and recognition that fuels so many others, they rely on each other for motivation.

In his formative years, growing up in Kalihi and playing both offensive and defensive lines for Farrington, a young Skippa Diaz remembers a phrase from his football coach, Tom Kiyosaki.

“;He had this saying, 'We, Us, and Ours' as opposed to 'Me, Myself, and I,”; Diaz said. “;To this day, the concept has stayed with me.”;

Of course, he was a Bamboola, too.