Football Mustangs Warming Up At Saint Mary’s College

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For the Kalaheo football program, the road to what they hope will be an OIA White Conference title in the fall, will once again pass through the Saint Mary’s College campus in Moraga, Calif.

The Mustangs, who are coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in recent memory, will bring 27 members to Moraga beginning July 3 to spend a week at a football camp with seven other high schools. Kalaheo made a similar trip in 2007 as a springboard into what turned out to a breakthrough season.

“The kids get to live like college athletes for a week,” said coach Chris Mellor, who is entering his fourth season at the helm. “They’ll live in the dorms and eat their meals in the cafeteria. Everything is definitely first-class there.”

The Mustangs are close to raising the balance of the $32,000 they sought to fund the trip. They raised $30,000 in 2007 to make the trip possible.

Football-wise, the timing of the trip is favorable as it comes only weeks before the official beginning of fall camp.

“It’s builds camaraderie and gives us a head start in getting into the mind-set to compete,” Mellor explained. “Challenges are always good. You have to compete in everything.”

The Mustangs also will compete against nationally renowned De La Salle in a pair of 7-on-7 scrimmages while in California. Mellor was an assistant at De La Salle, which is known for having compiled a 151-game win streak earlier in the decade.

First up for Kalaheo, which went 7-3 in the White in 2008, is spring practice. The Mustangs will hold the first of 10 sessions May 18, and spring season will culminate in an Orange-and-Blue scrimmage.

“It will be a very busy summer,” Mellor admitted.“After we begin spring practice, we’ll be on the field basically every day. We’ll be relentless in trying to improve on last year.”

The Mustangs have much to build on when practice begins, starting with the return of Division I-college prospects Eki Atanoa and brothers Phil and Eddie Tauai. Atanoa is one in a long line of brothers to play for Kalaheo and will go both ways at linebacker and tight end. Eddie Tauai “can play any position on the field,“according to Mellor, who added he will probably play running back and linebacker.

Phil Tauai was the team’s quarterback last year for much of the season and also will hold down a spot in the secondary. He could also see time at running back on the offensive side in the fall.

“He has some competition at quarterback with Justin Pagan, who started for the JV team last year,” said Mellor, noting that the JV finished second in the OIA. “That (determining a starting quarterback) will be a focal point in spring and in fall camp.”

The Mustangs have been one of the top offensive teams in the OIA in recent years operating out of the veer, which Mellor brought in from De La Salle.

Also back are place-kicker Dongwoo Kim, one of the state’s leading scorers last season, and returning starters Jesse Carney, Zach Lovelace, Torin Kringel and Elijah Mataele.Among the newcomers Mellor expects to have an impact are juniors Kainoa Lauriano and Kolu Hashimoto and sophomores Shannon Aiwohi, Adrian Mata-Ho, Curtis Correa, Pono Nakamaejo and Anthony Maglinti.

Mellor also expects Sua Atanoa to become the first player to start both ways as a freshman since he took over the program. The younger brother of Eki Atanoa, he packs 220 pounds into a 5-11 frame, and is projected to be a two-way lineman.

Kalaheo also announced the field for the fourth annual Mustang 7-on-7 pass league, which takes place June 13. The Mustangs will be joined by Damien, Waialua, Campbell and Aiea.