Pola Doing Big Things for Santa Ana : Prep football: Running back-linebacker moved to U.S. from Samoa. Tonight, he’ll lead Saints into Division I playoffs.

Kevin Pola’s introduction to football began with the basics during his freshman year at Santa Ana High School.

Pola, who had moved to Southern California from American Samoa, didn’t know how to put on pads. He didn’t know where a guard or tackle lined up. He didn’t even know the rules.

“I was so nervous,” Pola said. “I had seen my uncle (Kennedy Pola of Mater Dei) play a few times, and I always looked up to him. He was the star player at Mater Dei and the school president.”

But Pola moved in with his grandmother and enrolled in Santa Ana in an attempt to establish his own identity, rather than follow in the footsteps of his two uncles, Kennedy and Albert, who were standouts at Mater Dei.

“All I heard when I came to Santa Ana was, ‘What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at Mater Dei,’ ” Pola said. “I decided I wanted to make a name for myself.”

Pola was a quick study. He also grew quickly, sprouting from a gangly 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman into a bruising 6-foot, 200-pound senior through an intensive weightlifting program.

Pola’s strength and stamina have helped him gain 1,129 yards and score 12 touchdowns heading into tonight’s opening-round game against Canyon Country Canyon in the first round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

Pola’s rushing totals are impressive considering he also plays middle linebacker and rarely comes off the field. He started slowly in three nonleague losses against Esperanza, Hawthorne and Mater Dei, but left little doubt that he’s the best player in the Sunset League with six impressive performances.

Pola’s play early in the season was overshadowed by Coach Dick Hill’s quest to become the county’s winningest football coach. Santa Ana lost its first five games, but Pola never doubted the Saints were the best team in the Sunset League.

“When we lost our first three games, the thought started running through my mind that this year could be a repeat of last year (3-7),” Pola said. “But then I started thinking, ‘As soon as we get 192 (county coaching record) out of the way for Coach Hill, we’ll be all right.’

“The main thing on my mind was winning the Sunset League. I felt OK after our first three losses because we played well, we just didn’t get any breaks. But when we lost to Westminster (26-24) in our league opener, I was determined not to lose again.”

Santa Ana won five consecutive league games to earn the championship, clinching the title with a 21-7 victory over Marina last week. Pola gained 175 yards and scored two touchdowns against Marina, more than making up for a forgettable game against the Vikings in a 7-0 loss last year.

“I got hit under the chin on the first play of the game and was knocked unconscious,” he said. “I tried to play later, but my legs turned to spaghetti. I ended up wearing a neck brace for the rest of the season.”

Pola wears jersey No. 1 for good reason; he chose the number after his freshman season to gain attention. But he learned last year that opposing teams found the number to be a big target as Santa Ana struggled and won only three games.

“We didn’t have the team attitude, and I couldn’t wait for the season to end last year,” he said. “I looked forward to this year because this was my team. These were the guys I played with on the freshman and sophomore teams.

“We really didn’t know anything about the teams in the Sunset League last year (after moving from the Century League). It was a learning experience. The losses were tough, but I think it made us hungry for the title this year.”

Pola has earned his share of headlines that he clips and sends to his mother, Marsha, who lives in Seattle. He gained 197 yards in a 26-24 loss to Westminster and had 185 yards in a 21-6 victory over Ocean View.

“My mother has never seen me play,” Pola said. “I call her after every game. The first question she always asks is, ‘Did you get hurt?’ I’m hoping someday to play on a college team and hopefully she’ll get a chance to see me on TV.”

Kevin Pola, Game by Game

Opponent TCB Yds. Avg. TDs Esperanza 11 55 5.5 0 Hawthorne 8 93 11.6 1 Mater Dei 10 36 3.6 0 Westminster 32 197 6.2 2 Capistrano Valley 18 42 2.3 1 Fountain Valley 22 97 4.4 2 Huntington Beach 29 161 5.6 1 Edison 18 88 4.9 1 Ocean View 23 185 8.0 2 Marina 26 175 6.7 2 Totals 197 1129 5.7 12