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In Wrestling And Football, Fuimaono Says ‘Just Do It’

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“Playing fast,” as they like to say in football circles, has never been an issue for Sani Fuimaono. In a sense, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound junior defensive end from Punahou is perpetually in motion - certainly in mind-set.

“I don’t think when I’m playing - when the ball is snapped, I’m gone,“said Fuimaono, who lives in Kaneohe. “I attack. There’s a lot of responsibility playing defensive end, but my mind is free. I don’t hesitate. My motor just runs. It can go for a long time.”

If Fuimaono sounds like he’s itching to deliver another blow on the football field, it is only because the off-season and fall camp can wear long on a high school football player, especially when there are no games in immediate sight.

That changes this week as Fuimaono and the Buffanblu look forward to their season-opener at 2 p.m. at Punahou Saturday. Like the Buffanblu, Waianae is coming off a solid season in 2007 that saw them finish 9-4 overall en route to an appearance in the state football championships, making the matchup one of the most intriguing among this weekend’s lineup of games.

For Fuimaono, the game can’t come quick enough, especially after having to sit out a week while healing from an injury to his ear. “I’m pretty anxious and hungry and ready to put my helmet on and go,” he admitted.

Unlike some of his teammates who focused exclusively on football this summer, Fuimaono has been juggling football and wrestling. He finished third in the state at the 2008 state wrestling championships last May and traveled to North Dakota as part of the Hawaii USA high school wrestling team this summer, where he also took third in his (above 180-pound) weight class. That earned him a trip to the Olympic Training Center in September.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Fuimaono, whose wrestling gifts have caught the attention of Stanford. “Wrestling helps me a lot with football. It strengthens me not only physically, but mentally as well. I’m focusing in on football right now, but I’m also excited about wrestling.”

On the football field, word also has gotten out about Fuimaono, who has already begun to receive interest from college recruiters, although he still has two full seasons of eligibility remaining. Oregon and Colorado are among the schools who have made the most contact, to date. These developments are hardly a surprise to Punahou football coach Kale Ane.

“He did an outstanding job as a sophomore for us,” Ane said. “It’s difficult to make the team as a sophomore. To start as a sophomore is really outstanding. From Day One, Sani was very athletic, very coachable, and he earned the right to start.

“He has extremely quick feet, and he’s demanding of himself,” continued Ane, who played at Michigan State.“He’d like to play at the next level. Whether it’s wrestling, judo or in academics, he’s really committed to preparing himself.”

In addition to starting at defensive end, Fuimaono also will play some outside linebacker this fall as well as figuring into the Buffanblu offensive line’s rotation. It’s all good with him. Since he started playing football for the Kaneohe Knights Pop Warner team in third grade, he’s rarely had a play off, playing both sides of the ball.

“I always wanted to play line-backer or something when I was in Pop Warner - I was one of the bigger boys, so I played O-line and D-line,” he said. “Linemen don’t get the glory, but I learned to love it. I came to love the defensive side more. You don’t think as much. There’s more freedom. You just go. Wherever the ball goes, you go. I love to hit and tackle people.

“I’ve been getting some reps at linebacker, and I’m liking it,” he added. “They want me there mainly for blitzes, although I’m learning the coverages, too. I feel more freedom at linebacker. I can see what’s going on better than at defensive end because I’m standing up, which is more exciting than going into my (three-point) stance.”

Off the field, Fuimaono is a straight-A student with plans to be an engineer. A school with a good engineering program figures to have a leg up on the competition when it comes to deciding where he’ll attend college, he said, but he is likely to go on a Mormon mission either right out of high school or following his freshman year of college.

“My faith is an important part of my life,” said Fuimaono, who is the second oldest of seven children being raised by his mother Eva and stepfather Felise.

Eventually, there may also be the small matter of choosing between football and wrestling. “That would be a tough decision,” he laughed. “I’d like to pursue both right now.”