Santa Ana College Adds Some Hawaiian Punch

About a year ago, Elia Laeli Tauala left his tropical island paradise home in Hawaii for the muddy fields and sweat-stenched locker rooms at Santa Ana College.

Gone were the relaxing sunsets and soothing scenic backdrops, in were hot summer two-a-days and punishing weight-training sessions.

He liked it so much, he convinced his brother, Ronald, to join him. Then he brought in a couple of friends: Chad Kalilimoku and Blake Harano. They all played together at Roosevelt High in Honolulu and are expected to play key roles this year as Santa Ana tries to defend its Mission Conference Central Division championship.

There is no question that Elia Tauala will. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman had 49 tackles and five sacks and was the conference defensive player of the year for a team that was 7-4 overall and 4-1 in Central Division play last year.

Ronald Tauala, a 6-4, 325-pound offensive lineman, might be an even better football prospect. Kalilimoku (6-1, 230) will start at linebacker and Harano (5-7, 160) will be a speedy asset at the slot back.

Though they differ greatly in size and position, they all have one thing in common: The dream vacation destination they call home offered no dreams for them.

“We all came here with broken hearts and broken dreams,” Elia Tauala said. “I couldn’t wait to leave [Hawaii].”

All had big plans for football during high school, but all were cut short. Elia Tauala, highly touted as a sophomore, needed knee surgery during his junior year and then again his senior year.

“All the colleges that sent me letters ran away,” he said.

Ronald Tauala was heavily recruited by prominent programs such as Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, but he came up short in school and did not qualify under NCAA regulations.

“No matter how good he was on the field, he always got tackled by the books,” Elia Tauala said.

Kalilimoku was headed for Utah until his SAT scores came in a little low and he ended up at Missouri Valley College. He didn’t like it there so he returned to Hawaii, where he worked in a grocery store for a year before getting the call from Elia Tauala.

Harano, while speedy and athletic, simply got overlooked because of his size.

“Everyone in Hawaii told us we wouldn’t make it,” Elia Tauala said. “We want to go back and prove to them, knowing we have succeeded; not with all the people laughing, saying it’s a waste of time to go to California.”

For the Tauala brothers and Harano, it was the first time they had left the islands. Southern California was a much different environment and Santa Ana Coach Dave Ogas said that a bunch of Hawaiians showing up might have had a negative effect on the local recruits had Elia Tauala not proved himself last year.

“I think the other kids looked at them as, ‘Hey, here’s some of Elia’s friends,’ and they had a tremendous amount of respect for Elia, so it really paved the way for the other three,” Ogas said. “I think if they had come in just cold, the breaking-in process would have been a lot longer.”

Still, there are adjustments. In Hawaii, many locals speak pidgin English, a Hawaiian and English mixture that mainlanders can’t quite figure out. And then there is the task of finding good Hawaiian food, but that adjustment has been eased by the discovery of a local gourmet establishment.

“In-and-Out has the best hamburgers,” Elia Tauala said. “I could eat there every day.”

Brandon Lewis, a sophomore offensive lineman, welcomes the Hawaiians.

“They play with a lot of intensity,” he said. “And Elia has become a leader. He’ll yell at you if you’re not doing something. Everyone kind of follows him.”

Ogas appreciates the leadership role Elia Tauala has taken, but points out that he has shown a lot of character as well.

“If he sees you 15 times a day, he’ll come up to you and shake your hand every time,” Ogas said. “He comes in the office and shakes every coach’s hand. It’s not a phony baloney kind of thing either, it’s very sincere. Ronald does that too. And Blake. That stuff is starting to rub off on the other guys.”

If the Dons are going to defend their title, they’re going to need some of those other guys to step up. Gone are 14 starters off last year’s team, including conference-leading rusher Camron King, who had 1,418 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.

They should have no problem running the ball again, no matter who is carrying it. The offensive line averages 6-3, 300 pounds. The passing game should also be strong with quarterback Grant Wagner returning after completing 63% (121 of 191) of his passes for 1,593 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

Add in the extra motivation to succeed provided by the Hawaiians, and the Dons, who begin the season ranked No. 18 in the state, are once again the division favorite.

“This is our chance,” Elia Tauala said. “We have to do well here because football is our ticket to life away from Hawaii. We can always go back and make five dollars an hour, but hopefully God will bless us and we can make it to the big boys.”

Others teams in the division:

Palomar (8-2 overall, 4-1 in division last year)--The Comets lost 20 starters from last year’s team but have 11 “bounce back” players, those who played a year at a four-year school but have returned to community college. Running back Keiki Misipeka, a transfer from Snow Community College in Utah, is the top player for a team that will start 17 freshmen, including nine on defense. Palomar is No. 8 in the state preseason poll.

Saddleback (4-6, 2-3)--Coach Mark McElroy said that Jason Whieldon, an all-state selection at Orange Lutheran last year, will get the nod over Mike DeFalco at quarterback, ending a battle that has ensued all summer. DeFalco will see some action, McElroy said.

Whoever is throwing, there is no shortage of players to catch it with 21 receivers in camp. Malakai Lesa (35 catches, 505 yards), a returning all-conference selection, leads the way with Chris McCormack (36-436) also returning to an offense that totaled 2,601 passing yards a year ago.

The biggest improvement for Saddleback is at running back. No Gaucho rushed for more than 313 yards last season, but the addition of Gerald Walker from Alonzo Crim High in Georgia, Trabuco Hills’ Chris Lewis and Century’s Tino Rivera should add plenty to that total.

Orange Coast (4-6, 2-3)--Linebackers are the strength of the Pirates, who return to the Central Division after a year in the Northern. Starting linebackers Dustin Davis (Mater Dei), Justin Blackard (Bishop Gorman in Nevada) and Martin Janzon (Sweden) all return. Davis had a team-high 95 tackles last year and Blackard had 27 in one game.

James Dawkins (Estancia), an all-conference kick returner a year ago, takes over at running back, while tight end Ben Fredrickson (La Quinta), who is being recruited by Miami, anchors the offensive line.

Fullerton (3-7, 2-3)--The Hornets are faster with the additions of defensive back Duane Johnson (Corona), who spent the last two years playing minor league baseball, and 10 freshman wide receivers. The best of that crop, Justin Jones (Cypress), broke his collarbone and will miss the first four to six games.

Four starters return on the offensive line and should provide returning running back Matt Gogan (Servite) with plenty of holes. Linebacker is a question for the Hornets, but Coach Gene Murphy is optimistic that they will be a better team than last year’s.

Golden West (0-10, 0-5)--After two consecutive winless seasons, things can only get better for Coach Mike Shaughnessy. The Rustlers were an improved team last year, coming within three points of a victory in their last game against Saddleback, and Shaughnessy hopes to ride that momentum into this season.

The defensive line, led by Nick Heinle (Fountain Valley), Johnathan Parson (Magnolia), David Graham (Servite) and Mike Mayo (Fountain Valley), will be the team’s strength. Team MVP Brandon White (West Torrance) returns at tailback and scrambling quarterback Anthony Zaragoza (Magnolia) is also back.

“We will be an improved team,” Shaughnessy said. “I don’t know necessarily if the record book will show that, but I hope it does.”