Malele Creates Own Memories

Malele Malele used to take his sons to the park to play tennis and basketball. Football was something he didn’t want to emphasize in their lives.

But brothers Mel and Matthew were reminded of the sport’s role in their father’s life by the trophies displayed in their Carson home and by the worn album of photos and newspaper clippings that chronicled his exploits.

They heard more stories from relatives and friends. And their love for the game grew.

“People would tell me how great a player my dad was,” Matthew Malele said. “They’d tell me that he was the hardest hitter in the city.”

Matthew Malele has grown up to become much like his father on the playing field. The senior defensive tackle is the centerpiece of a Carson High team that is again expected to challenge for the City Section championship.

At 6 feet 2 and 300 pounds, he is considered the best at his position in the City and one of the top recruits on the West Coast. Coaches and scouts rave about his ability to shed blockers and get into the backfield.

Taft edged the Colts, 17-14, in last year’s City quarterfinals en route to a title-game appearance. But Taft Coach Troy Starr was so impressed, he rated Malele with former Westchester High and University of Washington standout Larry Tripplett as the best linemen he had seen in his 11 years at the school. Tripplett was the Indianapolis Colts’ second-round draft pick in April.

“We averaged 0.8 yards [per rush] on the ground that game,” Starr said. “That should say how good [Malele] is. He’s a wall.”

Manuel Douglas is in his first season as coach at Harbor City Narbonne after serving as offensive coordinator at Carson. He said he isn’t looking forward to designing a scheme to neutralize Malele when the teams meet on Oct. 18.

The reason Malele is so effective, Douglas says, is his footwork.

“He’s got the most explosive first two steps that I’ve ever seen,” he said. “For a big man to move that fast is amazing. To be honest, you run away from him.”

Malele showed off those talents on April 13 at the Nike Camp at USC, where 370 college prospects from across the nation were evaluated. His strength was obvious, but his 4.91 clocking in the 40-yard dash and 26.4-inch vertical leap caught the scouts’ attention.

That helped cement his name at the top of recruiting lists at several major colleges. USC, Stanford, UCLA and Washington have all reportedly offered scholarships. He has a trip lined up for Tennessee on Nov. 9, when the Volunteers play host to Miami. Both schools have talked to him, as have Oregon, Notre Dame and Michigan State.

“You feel good that a lot of schools want you,” he said. “It shows you that hard work pays off.”

Despite being selected to the Shrine all-star football game when he was a senior, Malele Malele played only one year of junior college football before giving up the game and starting a family. The elder Malele and his wife, Cecilia, have always stressed education to their children and it has paid off.

Matthew Malele will have no worries meeting academic standards. He has a 3.8 grade-point average and a 900 score on the SAT.

“As parents, we’re concerned about what’s out there after four years,” Malele Malele said. “A lot of kids are obsessed with playing in the big leagues, so the big thing we stressed with Matthew is he’s got to look at the long run. He’s got to make sure that a school is not only good for him for football but also good for him for his future.

“You can go to Oregon and still go to the pros. You can go to Stanford and still go to the pros. All of these schools offer different things.”

For now, Matthew Malele wants the experience of winning the City title. In his two previous years on the varsity, the Colts have lost in the title game and in the quarterfinals.

“I want to at least have one ring,” he said. “With the team we’ve got, we can do it.”

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*--* How They Rate Rating the top defensive linemen in the Southland SOUTHERN SECTION Player, School Ht Wt Yr Comment 1. Lawrence Jackson, Inglewood 6-4 240 Sr Has 52 career sacks 2. Kevin Brown, L.B. Poly 6-2 285 Sr Can go to any college he wants 3. Sedric Ellis, Chino 6-3 268 Sr Tosses aside blockers like rocks 4. Warren Anderson, St. 6-4 240 Sr He’s no small-school Bonaventure player 5. Matt Spanos, Corona 6-5 270 Sr Moving up the recruiting charts 6. Fili Moala, Western 6-6 295 Sr Has committed to USC 7. Chris Cole, Mission Viejo 5-11 225 Sr Had 15 sacks as nose guard 8. Brandon Nicolas, Mater Dei 6-3 250 Jr Recruiters will be lining up in 2004 9. Gabe Long, Esperanza 6-4 270 Sr Shotputter with 4.7 40-yard speed 10. Brigham Harrell, Los Altos 6-2 248 Jr Let’s see who can block him 11. Junior Lemau’u, L.B. Poly 6-5 240 Sr Defensive end who can run 12. Kyle McClure, Oaks 6-6 236 Sr Has committed to Christian California 13. Paul Cody, Los Altos 6-0 260 Sr Part of formidable defensive line 14. Ryan Bonner, Warren 6-4 285 Sr Size makes him hard to move 15. Alex Puccinelli, S.O. 6-3 220 Sr Knows how to get to Notre Dame ballcarrier 16. Dan Leopoldo, Twentynine 6-0 240 Sr Returning all-section Palms selection 17. Brandt Jesperson, Santa 6-2 250 Sr Strongest player on team Margarita 18. Steven Reveles, Oxnard 6-2 241 Sr Has quick feet and strong hands 19. Billy Atlas, Eisenhower 6-2 210 Sr Returning all-league selection 20. Jeff Simmons, Elsinore 6-3 325 Sr Helped team win consecutive league titles 21. Kevin Dyer, St. Paul 6-3 245 Sr A physical defensive end 22. Dan Jones, Capistrano 6-2 220 Jr Can be a top pass rusher Valley 23. Domenic Foli, Newbury Park 6-4 235 Sr Aggressive, tough defensive end CITY SECTION 1. Matthew Malele, Carson 6-2 300 Sr Double-teaming him is a must 2. Brandon Mebane, Crenshaw 6-1 258 Sr A dominant pass rusher 3. Antwan Applewhite, Narbonne 6-2 215 Sr Quick defensive end 4. Matt Streid, Granada Hills 6-1 275 Jr Can become a top player 5. Paa Sapolu, Gardena 6-1 350 Sr Strongest player at Gardena 6. Dorien Smith, Birmingham 6-3 235 Sr Transfer has speed, aggressiveness 7. Eddie Miller, Taft 6-3 210 Sr Just learning to play the game 8. Artem Shatokhim, Reseda 6-3 290 Jr Russian immigrant improving daily 9. Geoffrey Schwartz, 6-7 290 Jr A three-sport athlete Palisades with improving skills Eric Sondheimer

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