The great unknown

The coach is certain of the transfer’s talent, and the highlight reel shows all the signs of a robust quarterback: escapability, strong arm, poise, smooth footwork, comfortable in the pocket, can run when needed.

To Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda, senior Mack Eberhardt is "a Division I (college prospect) quarterback that nobody knows about."

The season is young and Eberhardt has blended in well with his new Mules teammates so far. He’s here —  all the way from Groton-Dunstable Regional High School in Massachusetts — to help Leilehua get back into the state championship discussion (the Mules, currently ranked fourth in the state, won the Division I title in 2007 and were runners-up in ’04 and ’08).

But Eberhardt is also determined to attract D-I college scouts and follow in the footsteps of past Leilehua star quarterbacks — Andrew Manley, now at Eastern Illinois, and Bryant Moniz, who was a three-year starter for the University of Hawaii.

He’s off to a good start, and the season is still young. In three games, Eberhardt has thrown for 453 yards and four touchdowns, and he played less than half the game in a 65-6 victory over Vincent Massey of Winnipeg, Manitoba, last Friday.

"It’s a blessing to have a student-athlete like Mack fall in our lap," Tokuda said. "He’s got a 3.7 GPA, high SAT scores. He’s a leader and has a calm mentality, and he’s a goal-setter. He’s got everything you want in a quarterback. The decisions he makes on and off the field, you can’t put a price tag on. He’s a sponge for knowledge and he wows me with his character."

But how did Eberhardt end up at Leilehua from about 6,000 miles away?

Prior to high school, Eberhardt and his family lived in Waialua before moving to the mainland. Recently, his father was transferred back to Schofield Barracks, and Mack had a decision to make this summer — go with his family or stay with a friend to finish his senior year at Groton-Dunstable.

"He was 90 percent going to stay," Tokuda said. "He wanted to stay where his girlfriend was. He told his parents that he wasn’t even going to bother to call the coach at the (prospective) school (Leilehua). But his mom said that it would be a good idea to make the call just in case, and he did.

"He called to find out about our program and what offense we run and wondered if he would be able to get scouted, and we told him that if he wasn’t a very good quarterback that he should stay where he was. But we also told him that if he was a good, Division I prospect, that the scouts would go wherever he is. It was a tough decision for him. He made a last-minute leap of faith and he has adjusted really well."

Being with his family was the main reason behind the decision.

"And, obviously, Leilehua is a great place to get looked at," the 6-foot 180-pounder said.

Eberhardt is still adjusting to what he finds to be a much quicker game in Hawaii.

"The game speed is much faster and more intense and very impressive," Eberhardt said. "Football here is also much more disciplined."

The Leilehua players immediately greeted him warmly, and he’s made lots of friends, including Justin Jenks (who is also a talented QB and former starter at the position).

"Justin has really helped me learn the plays," Eberhardt said. "The whole team was very welcoming and everybody helps each other and they all wanted to be my friend right away."

Eberhardt is also getting used to a much more complicated offense than the option attack he ran as a junior.

When Eberhardt was mulling his big summer decision, Tokuda encouraged him to come to Leilehua.

"I looked at the tape and I knew that who I was looking at was a very good quarterback," Tokuda said. "I didn’t know I would be getting all of that (football skills) and more.

"He’s so smart. When we’re watching tape, I will stop it and ask, ‘Which side of the defense would you attack, the left or the right?’ He’ll say the left side because there’s five defenders there and the right has six. He knows the numbers game and how to leverage an advantage."

Accolades aside, Eberhardt has the rest of the season to show just what he brings to the table. It’s still way too early to tell if he’ll lead Leilehua (3-0) to the promised land and become a legitimate D-I prospect.

He was off-target at times in Friday’s romp, so how will he handle the pressure of the annual wars in the wild OIA West?

A big test looms Friday against Waianae, but Tokuda isn’t about to waver. He believes he’s got the right pilot.

"If the team continues to play the way we’ve been playing and our senior captains continue to lead us in the right way, I can see us playing on the Friday after Thanksgiving (the date of the D-I state title game)," he said.