For just about everyone at the letter of intent signing day event at the Sheraton Waikiki on Wednesday morning, life got simpler and tougher.
Nobody had quite the morning that Kamehameha soccer player Brooke Ramos had. As one of the student-athlete speakers, she introduced Saint Louis football player Tua Tagovailoa, who sent a message via video from Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he already is enrolled at the University of Alabama.
Ramos delivered well behind the podium and was as enthused as any of the soccer standouts who signed their letters shortly after 7 a.m.
But just an hour or so earlier, Ramos had been a bundle of nerves. While pulling into the intersection at King Street and University Avenue, her car was hit by a bicyclist riding into her path. There were no injuries, but her car’s windshield was shattered.
“Like eight police cars and a fire truck came,” said Ramos, who checked the time constantly. “It’s been four years of hard work and now getting recognized. I was, ‘Lord, please get me there.’ I had to leave my car there.”
Her parents arrived and brought her to the signing ceremony. Ramos signed her letter and will play for Kansas State. She plans to major in psychology and eventually attend law school. Her poise and composure during her speech gave no indication about her morning.
“I have a gift for speaking,” said Ramos, who plans to go into family law.
Her teammate, Kailee Balthazar-Chang, is another student in Kamehameha’s AP Psychology class. Balthazar-Chang signed with Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It was a monumental day for football players who had been sitting on a bubble. Five key prospects finally revealed their decisions: Kapolei defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa to Notre Dame, Kahuku defensive lineman Aliki Vimahi to Utah, Punahou defensive end Miki Suguturaga to Utah, Kapaa offensive lineman Morris Unutoa to Utah and Kahuku safety Kesi Ah-Hoy to Oregon State.
Tagovailoa-Amosa sought input on his decision from former Notre Dame All-American Manti Te‘o.
Suguturaga has family ties to Utah. One cousin played there and another is on the current roster.
Ah-Hoy, currently a guard/forward for the No. 1 Kahuku basketball team, is a younger brother of former volleyball standout Camilla Ah-Hoy, who played at Oregon State.
Their final declarations made it a day of unrequited invitations by Hawaii. Ah-Hoy had originally committed to UH before Oregon State swooped in. Suguturaga also had reportedly been leaning toward the Warriors, but said on Wednesday that it had been more about Utah and BYU.
He wasn’t fully aware that Utah had lost a few DL prospects to their in-state rivals recently, but welcomed the opportunity to get more playing time than most freshmen.
“That wasn’t my intent, but that sounds pretty good,” Suguturaga said. “Their defensive scheme is a lot like what we did at Punahou.”
Charles Moku Watson of Leilehua, Christian Mejia of Kailua and Michael Minihan stuck with their earlier commitments.
Mejia, a 6-foot-4 defensive end, signed with Washington State. Minihan committed to Georgia Tech early and never wavered. He’ll be doing a lot of downhill blocking and nimble-footed execution in Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson’s spread option.
“I’m absolutely surprised. I couldn’t imagine this happening when I was younger. Freshman year, I didn’t even know I was going to play football. I weighed 180. Sophomore year, I transferred to Saint Louis and didn’t play,” said Minihan, who now weighs 275. “Everything’s been a fairy tale. The stars aligned.”
Watson, who gutted out a labrum injury until finally getting surgery late in the season, was a sometimes spectacular, always steady defender who saw significant time at wide receiver.
“They’re going to put me everywhere in the secondary, safety and nickel. I want to get a little heavier, 195 is a solid weight,” said Watson, who is at 182. “I want to keep my speed and quickness, get a little bit faster.”
The OSU effect was in play. Waianae offensive lineman Onesimus Lutu-Clarke signed with the Beavers.
“I feel truly honored and blessed. I’ll be going for early admission in April,” Lutu-Clarke said. “The place is amazing and family-oriented, and that’s big in my life. It’s one of those things, I had to go there.”
Watson said Lutu-Clarke was already a firm believer in OSU, once he learned that Ah-Hoy was open to a chance to play for the Beavers, it became a mission.
“I didn’t leave him alone. I was in his ear every day, talking at the Poly Bowl,” Watson said.
The chatty senior took a liking to Oregon State assistant coach and Hawaii recruiter Chad Kauhaahaa, the former Baldwin head coach. Would Watson be going to the Beavers if Kauhaahaa wasn’t there?
“That’s a good question,” he said. “He’s one of the reasons why I went there, but my visit made me fall in love with Oregon State. He’s cool. I forget he’s a coach sometimes.”
Utah’s presence in the Pac-12 made a difference, as well. Hawaii was in the mix.
“Coach Rolo is a good coach. Him and Lemps (Kevin Lempa) recruit good. It’s just a matter of where my heart is,” Watson said.
Unutoa signed with the Utes during a ceremony at his school. Vimahi also inked his deal with Utah during Kahuku’s signing ceremony, along with Ah-Hoy and cornerback Kekaula Kaniho (Boise State). Vimahi had 12 offers on the table, including one from Hawaii. In all, the Warriors weren’t as broad a presence as before, Watson said.
At Kamehameha, linebacker Andrew Aleki (San Diego State) and defensive lineman Nakoa Pauole (Air Force) were among several Warriors who signed their documents. Placekicker/punter Adam Stack is already enrolled at Oregon.
Another SDSU signee is Punahou linebacker Seyddrick Lakalaka, who is fully healthy after an injury-plagued senior year.
“It’s been good to go through these obstacles. You get to know who’s there for you,” said Lakalaka, a younger brother of UH running back Steven Lakalaka. “He said to work hard, don’t stop and never be satisfied.”
What Vanderbilt lost with the change of heart by Tagovailoa-Amosa, it gained with the signings of Maui linebacker Feleti Afemui and ‘Iolani defensive end Jonah Buchanan.
Another student-athlete speaker at the Sheraton Waikiki event, which was hosted by Education-1st with hands-on support from former PIAA volunteers: Farrington quarterback Justin Uahinui. The senior will walk on at Hawaii.
Education 1st Letter of Intent signing day
Women’s Soccer
Name High school College
Kaile Leiolani Kauanui Castle Columbia Basin
Shea Kealoha Kauanui Castle Westminster
Mia York Kalaheo Adelphi
Kamaile Aluli Kahuku Cal State San Marcos
Skylar Littlefield Baldwin Sacramento State
Kylee Kim-Bustillos ‘Iolani Sacramento State
Tiana Ono Aiea Nevada
Taylor Rusnak Honolulu Waldorf Hawaii
Randi Fontes Pearl City Hawaii
Chardonnay Curran Campbell Oregon
True Dydasco Punahou Oregon
Alyssa Rasmussen Punahou Academy of Art
Kiara Fairbairn Punahou American
Cambrie Motooka ‘Iolani Occidental
Asia Canon Campbell Holy Names
Lauryn Cabudol Campbell SW Assemblies of God
Jaelyn Chargualaf Campbell Ottawa
Chelsie DePonte St. Andrew’s Stony Brook
Shayla Padilla Leilehua Oral Roberts
Jace Tamayei Roosevelt Doane
Karey Ann Yoshioka University Skagit Valley
Alyssa Yoshida Kapolei Colorado State
Laule‘a Akana-Phillips Kamehameha Idaho State
Brooke Ramos Kamehameha Kansas State
Kailee Balthazar-Chang Kamehameha Westminster
K. Gomera-Stevens Kamehameha Washington State
Kohei Tomita Mid-Pacific Chaminade
Shantel Torres-Benito ‘Iolani Peninsula
Randi Macadangdang Mililani Azusa Pacific
Malia Napoleon Mililani Western Oregon
Zoe Sano Pearl City Colo. School of Mines
Jordan Hill Aiea Azusa Pacific
Caitlin Amanda Perry Kapolei Chaminade
Clara-Josephine Medeiros KS-Maui Hawaii
Men’s Soccer
Tyler Ebisuya ‘Iolani Chaminade
Christopher Jenkins Kamehameha Air Force
Football
Charles Moku Watson Leilehua Oregon State
Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Kapolei Notre Dame
Miki Suguturanga Punahou Utah
Seyddrick Lakalaka Punahou San Diego State
Jonah Soakai Radford Adams State
Ryan Kaneshiro Hanalani/Pac-Five North Park
Braeden Lafaele Meyer Saint Louis Adams State
Tevita Otuvaka St. Francis Arizona Western
Omar Mareko Kapolei St. Francis
Onesimus Lutu-Clarke Waianae Oregon State
Andrew Kaufusi Kaiser Azusa Pacific
Christian Mejia Kailua Washington State
Luke Ocreto-Penitusi Campbell Adams State
Gage Keola Quinabo-Reis Kalani Pacific
Jacob-Drew Russell Saint Louis Adams State
Water polo
Haley Crabtree Punahou Pitzer College
Kylee Giblin Le Jardin Villanova
Softball
Lena Kotrys Waianae Eastern Arizona
