Combating cousins

By Paul Honda

phonda@staradvertiser.com

For a good chunk of the season, there was a certain intrigue about that old car slicing through the heart of Farrington country.

Steven Lakalaka’s ride did the job every day, but he got his share of double takes from pedestrians and other drivers on the streets of Kalihi. Maybe it had something to do with that yellow and blue "O" sticker on his window. Yes, the one with wings, representing both old Oahu College — the "Sons of Oahu" — and Punahou School.

With Farrington at No. 1 for most of the year and Punahou challenging for a title in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, the odds of the Governors and Buffanblu clashing for a state crown seemed probable. But this is high school football; variables change constantly, and now Farrington is out of the picture after losing in the state quarterfinals. Instead, Punahou is up against Kahuku in Friday’s Division I final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships.

Lakalaka, a bruising running back who will play for UCLA next season, knew it would be the Buffanblu and the Red Raiders all along. So did Mason Kualii-Moe, one of Kahuku’s standout defenders. In fact, when the teams line up at Aloha Stadium, Kualii-Moe will be right across the line of scrimmage, ranging in the secondary, occasionally moving up to mid-level. Often enough, he’ll be keeping close watch on Lakalaka not just after the snap, but before it.

That’s what cousins do when they compete. Every bit of body language can give away the next move, and these two know each other too well — they played youth sports on the same team since they were kindergarteners.

This will be the first time they play against each other in any sport. They bring big-game mojo to the field. Lakalaka has more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage and has scored 14 touchdowns. Kualii-Moe, who was among the top receivers in the state last year, is now a formidable defensive back at Kahuku. At some point, or maybe many, Lakalaka will have the ball and his cousin will be closing in for a tackle.

"It all depends on what their defense does. They usually have different formations for different (offensive) plays," said Lakalaka, who often made the trek to Kahuku during the regular season to scout the Red Raiders. "I have a feeling Mason’s going to spy on me."

His cousin doesn’t deny that possibility.

"I’ll watch his eyes. I’ll be going for his knees," Kualii-Moe said, expecting plenty of action. "Double digits. At least 10 tackles (of Lakalaka)."

"If he goes for my knees, I’ll just try to run him over," Lakalaka replied. "If he goes too low, then I’ll hurdle him. Whatever it takes to get that first down. We’ll probably have a trash-talk moment."

They will also likely meet on the flat, where Punahou likes to send Lakalaka in motion occasionally.

"He’s going to try to jam me," Lakalaka said. "He’ll grab my shoulder pads and he’s going to hold me. The ref won’t see it because he’s paying attention to other people. He’ll hit my head and start playing dirty."

Kualii-Moe just grinned.

"We’re sharks," he said, referring to the secondary’s nickname.

They started out in soccer, commuting from Metcalf Street in Makiki to Hawaii Kai as 5-year-olds. Then came flag football at the Boys and Girls Club, Moiliili, and then Pop Warner at Kapahulu, Kaneohe and Manoa. It was only five years ago when they were butting heads at practice with Lakalaka as the running back and Kualii-Moe as a linebacker.

"They always went at each other hard," recalled Mongy Moe, Mason’s father and, back in the day, a coach for both boys.

The intensity of their friendship is easy to understand. The comparisons. The practices in Pop Warner. Those weren’t just fun and games. The hitting and ferocity got to a point where they wouldn’t back down from each other off the field as well.

One Super Bowl Sunday when the boys were 12, the family gathered and was occupied with the game. Meanwhile, the cousins startled everyone by getting into a scrap. That got resolved, though, and the two were attending University Lab School before Lakalaka went to Punahou starting in eighth grade and flourished.

"On the field, he’s focused," Kualii-Moe said. He zones everything out, all the media. Off the field, he’s goofy, funny. We spend time together, bond."

"Mason, as a player, is aggressive, strong," Lakalaka said. "When he goes against other players, whatever happens, he knows he’s going to win. Off the field, he’s like my brother. I treat him like my brother. He’s a clown sometimes, but here and there, we’re good."

Kualii-Moe went to Kaimuki for three years, excelling in football and basketball. His prowess as a wide receiver, making acrobatic catches weekly, sometimes went unnoticed beyond the world of Division II play. He and his father moved in with family in Kahuku for his senior year. After playing both offense and defense at Kaimuki, his focus at Kahuku was strictly on defense, where his closing speed and tackling fundamentals added to an already supreme unit.

Lakalaka has similarities to another top-level ballcarrier Kahuku faced twice: Tyler Taumua of Farrington. Kahuku bottled Taumua up in the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship game, and that included a solid open-field tackle of the elusive back by Kualii-Moe.

For now, it’s all about Friday. Big Blue vs. Big Red. All the work, all the sweat, all the mileage have led to this.

"I think it’s going to be a low-scoring game," Kualii-Moe said. "It all depends on special teams."

"Special teams and turnovers," Lakalaka added.

With some prodding, they finally offer predictions.

"Kahuku wins 21-17," Kualii-Moe said.

"Punahou wins 17-14," Lakalaka promised.