Aiea High’s Defensive Line Is Spelled ‘Lagafuaina’
By Jack Danilewicz
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Aiea defensive lineman Lawrence Lagafuaina didn’t wait until Friday night’s public unveiling against Roosevelt to assert his dominance.
His Na ‘Ali’i teammates have certainly seen the 6-foot-1, 310-pounder at his best in practice in recent weeks since Aiea opened fall camp.
“We’re trying to get him to go not so hard on the younger linemen,” mused coach Wendell Say, who starts his 30th season this weekend. “He’s giving those guys a workout. I’ve been explaining to them that they’re only going to get better playing every day against someone of his caliber. That’s my response to them.”
Lagafuaina, who is being courted by several Pac-10 schools, among other college programs, will lead the Aiea defense.The unit’s first test will be Friday at Roosevelt against a Rough Rider team in transition, having hired new coach Pat Silva in the off-season. That also makes Roosevelt a bit of a mystery to Na ‘Ali’i, although Say is a longtime friend and college teammate of Silva’s back at Linfield in the ‘70s. Silva’s resume also includes stints at Castle as a head coach, and as a longtime coach at McKinley.
“I know Pat, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be a 50-50 guy (half running plays, half passing plays),“said Say.“He’ll balance it out. That’s what he did at Castle, but we have no idea what they’ll be running. At Castle, they ran the pro set, with a lot of roll-outs and play-action (pass plays).”
Na ‘Ali’i has one of the state’s best linemen in Lagafuaina, but the good news doesn’t end with him, as Say also welcomes back Api Foumai and Chad Patolo to the interior. Rylen Fonoti will anchor the linebacker corps, while the secondary returns veteran play-makers Chuckie Kaahanui and Kainoa Raguindin.
“Right now, the defense is ahead of the offense, which is always the case in the beginning,” said Say, whose team went 5-4 in the OIA White Conference last season.“They seem to be doing a good job. Offensively, we need a lot of work on our timing. They did a good job in pass league - we had good turnouts - but working with the line is where we need to get better.”
Say named junior Freddy Taliulu as his starter against Roosevelt. A former lineman his freshman year, he is now 6-foot-1 inches and 200 pounds and has settled into the position after a diligent off-season.
“He’s a legitimate quarterback now,” said Say. “He committed himself to getting better, and he improved a lot by going to camps. He has a strong arm and a quick release. He’s worked hard to get where he’s at.”
While an ankle sprain will likely keep wide receiver Nick Hiraoka out of Friday’s game, Na ‘Ali’i still feature several play-makers on offense in receivers Phillip Madriaga and Kekoa Thompson and running back Titan Salausa.
How quickly Aiea’s young offensive line would come together was a key question as the team entered camp, according to Say, who noted that both Lagafuaina and Foumai could see time on the offensive line before season’s end.
“The confidence part can take a little time, so we’ll see (who starts up front on offense). We might need to play those two guys there.”
Injuries and the flu bug cut into some of the momentum during the first weeks of practice, but Say was hopeful his team would be more settled by this week’s game.
“We’ve been real happy with the kids that are playing,” he said.
Aiea’s regular-season opener is Aug. 22 at home against Kalani. A much-anticipated matchup with nearby Pearl City is set for Sept. 29 on the Chargers’ home field.
Contact Jack Danilewicz at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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