Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo is no stranger to pressure.

“;Last year I had a lot of pressure, but I think this year it's twice as much,”; she said recently without a hint of self-pity. “;… I just have to do what I have to do. For me to do that, I just have to play my game, come to practice every day, practice hard and just bring it on the court.”;

Last season, Tatupu-Leopoldo's Farrington girls basketball team won the Oahu Interscholastic Association title (its first since 1991) and reached the Division I semifinals before losing to eventual champion Konawaena. This year, the returning Star-Bulletin All-State/Fab 15 guard/forward helped her team to a 10-0 start in OIA Red East play this year and a Top 10 ranking, despite battling tendinitis in both knees.

And then that perfect regular season was interrupted by the Castle brouhaha, a skirmish that started with punches thrown by a player on each team during the postgame handshake following Farrington's 65-50 win on Jan. 15. In the aftermath, both teams pointed to the other as the first-punch culprit. Farrington chose to forfeit its next game rather than have one of its players suspended for that contest.

It was a rebellious show of team solidarity that drew the harsh glare of the local spotlight firmly on the Governors (20-4), and it will remain there until the end of the season as the fourth-ranked team in the state churns toward a deep postseason run once again. Leading that us-against-the-world mentality is Tatupu-Leopoldo.

“;Yeah, we have that bull's-eye on our back,”; she said last week before the OIA Red title game against Roosevelt, the team spurned by Farrington's forfeiture. “;We've been a target for everyone.”;

Yet Tatupu-Leopoldo, a three-year starter, will take that target and gladly accept the pressures that come with it. Last year, as a sophomore, she was guilty of trying to do too much in the state tournament. She shot just 6-for-27 from the field and scored a total of 23 points in the three games; it's never a good sign when your shooter has more shots attempted than points scored.

“;A lot of times we have to remind her to take it one game at a time,”; said Farrington head coach Caroline Tatupu, the junior's aunt. “;The weight and the pressure of the tournament (are) not on her shoulders. Every girl has to do her part. She just has to go out there and play and do her part, and the rest of it will take care of itself. She doesn't need to feel pressure to do more than what's expected of her.”;

What is expected of the 5-foot-9 junior is to be the gunner from the perimeter, to create shots for teammates and to do the dirty work inside if called upon. With the loss of several key guards from last year's team, even more pressure resides on Tatupu-Leopoldo's broad shoulders.

She scored 23 points, including two free throws with 7.5 seconds left, in a 48-45 win over Roosevelt for the OIA Red Conference championship last week, securing the fourth seed and a first-round bye in this week's state tournament.

But make no mistake. Farrington is more than a one-woman team. With double-digit scoring threats like seniors Dianna Prescott, guards Ashley Gravely, Lucky Crichton, Angie Argel and Sofia Folaumahina and junior Kirsten Liana surrounding Tatupu-Leopoldo, the Governors have an experienced, deep and dangerous team.

“;Our girls are very talented,”; Tatupu said. “;They work hard. So I expect a lot from them going into the state tournament. ... I have a lot of confidence and faith in them. These girls know what their roles are and each girl carries out her role and does her part, which ultimately together brings us success that we've had so far.”;