With Ewaliko, Baldwin should lasso attention

It’s no coincidence that some cowboys take to football so well.

For Keelan Ewaliko, giving up the "rodeo life" that he grew up with in Upcountry Maui has been a sacrifice worth enduring.

The Baldwin quarterback’s production exploded last season, capping a fine junior year with a superlative performance at the state tourney. The tall, speedy playmaker led Baldwin over then-No. 2 Farrington 28-24 in the quarterfinals of the state championships, marking another stunning MIL postseason win over an Oahu Interscholastic Association powerhouse. Ewaliko had 221 total yards, including a go-ahead 33-yard sprint to the pylon.

But against Punahou in the semifinals, the Bears’ offense was smothered. Ewaliko, who nearly transferred to Punahou before his junior year, was bottled up by a well-prepared Buffanblu defense, and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champs advanced with a 35-0 victory at Aloha Stadium. He finished with 16 rushing yards on 18 attempts and 61 total.

Then and now, Ewaliko didn’t regret his decision to stay home. The rodeo champion has since committed to play football at the University of Hawaii.

"I’m happy I stayed. Things went good for us," Ewaliko said, still missing those days on the ranch. "My parents wanted me to stop so I wouldn’t get hurt.

Ewaliko, who lives in Makawao, has family roots to Kaupe Ranch, which extends from Ulupalakua to near Hana.

"I’m kinda sad, giving up rodeo life. I’m connected to the country, but education is the key. Football is my ticket," he said.

After last year’s 9-2 mark (8-0 Maui Interscholastic League), Bears coach A.J. Roloos counts 30 returnees, including 12 starters. Seven of them are back from a defensive unit that stymied and frustrated Farrington’s normally potent ground attack. Though Pasoni Tasini drew raves as a two-way lineman, his teammates were superb at reading the Govs’ blocking scheme. Miki Fangatua, who has a scholarship offer from Weber State, is one of the anchors. Baldwin’s talent and depth will survive the graduation of Tasini.

"We have a lot of youth this year. We had a lot of good defensive linemen last year, but Miki will hold the middle for us," Roloos said. "Pasini leaves us with big shoes to fill."

The Bears have plenty of experience and talent at linebacker and defensive back. Jordan Hoiem, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound junior, already has a scholarship offer from UH. He was an MIL second-team pick last year, but wowed watchers at the Nike SPARQ Combine in March. He ranked 11th out of 453 participants with a score of 88.11.

"He worked hard in the offseason. What he lacks in pure speed, he makes up for it with his size. He takes two steps, he’s in full stride and covers ground."

The Bears are practically cubs up front on offense, with only one returning starter on the O-line.

"We have good size there," Roloos noted.

"They never stop training hard," Ewaliko added. "I believe in them. I have trust in them."

The receiver corps is deep — 11 strong — with Ryan Garces back from last year’s injury. He missed the state tournament, and Ewaliko suffered without one of his top targets. But the group is young, like the O-line, and the running backs are equally inexperienced. Dusty Flores, Danny Welds-Ebanks and Abraham Reinhardt are battling for the starting job.

On the Valley Isle, Baldwin didn’t have much competition last year, not even from rival Lahainaluna.

"They were young last year. The whole league was young, but they should be stronger this year," Roloos said.

With King Kekaulike moving back to Division II, that leaves only Maui as a D-I opponent in the MIL this fall. That lack of size in the league is probably one of the reasons why Top 10 voters can be fickle about the Bears. After bouncing Farrington and losing to Punahou, the panel of coaches and media dropped Baldwin to No. 5 in the final poll — one slot below Farrington.

"It is what it is," Roloos said. "People don’t give credit where it’s due. It’s just a poll and we’re from the neighbor islands. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. We can’t control what coaches think of us."

Ewaliko has no fear about the future.

"I don’t want to jinx anything, but we’ve been busting our tails 24/7 since before summer," he said. "The plan is to win a championship."

That may be easier said than done. State-title contenders will continue to send two spies at Ewaliko, as Punahou did last year.

"People on Oahu should never forget us on the outer islands," he added. "There’s always a team that can open their eyes."