High-flying falcon

There they are, in plain sight, practicing along Kalanianaole Highway. They see history in the making. The Kalani Falcons have trekked near this territory before, but never have they played a game in the OIA varsity football playoffs. Amazing, yes. But true.

At 5-3 (5-2 in OIA White play), the Falcons have their highest win total in 40 years.

For years — decades — much of the finest talent from the district migrated to the ILH’s powerhouse programs. Marcus Mariota, Heisman Trophy candidate? A Kalani Falcons Pop Warner product. Then on to Saint Louis and a Division I state title.

Noah Brum traveled a slightly different route. He grew up in Hilo, moved to Oahu in fourth grade. He played for the Kapahulu Raiders Pop Warner squad, then attended Saint Louis.

There, under the tutelage of passing guru Vince Passas, he found his passion. Every Sunday in the offseason, he was there working out with other passers under the watchful eye of Passas.

"I started going and I got stronger. I got better doing the stride step and coming over (the top)," Brum said.

But there was one problem. Brum found himself buried under the immense depth of talent at Kalaepohaku. After his freshman year, he opted to leave Saint Louis — the alma mater of the men in his family — and transferred to Kalani.

He went from fourth string to first string soon enough, learning the nuances of the four-wide offense, from one of the masters himself: Ron Lee, the team’s offensive coordinator.

The Falcons continued to rise in 2012, but this fall, they’ve approached the promised land. With one regular-season game left against Waialua, they’ve already clinched a playoff berth. Brum has been stellar, completing 163 of 303 attempts for 2,406 yards and 31 touchdowns with nine picks. His 445 yards against Roosevelt set a school mark and is the fourth-highest total in OIA history.

The once-struggling program has averaged 40.5 points per game. The Falcons still don’t have a massive lineup, hardly any gargantuan offensive linemen. They just figure out how to make it work in a very competitive division.

"It’s a work in progress," head coach Greg Taguchi said. "Noah knows he needs to work on those things, not forcing the ball. He has a good understanding of the offense. He has good arm strength. His demeanor is very calm. He doesn’t get overexcited or get too down on himself. He focuses on the next play. That’s basically what we’re looking for, very consistent demeanor from him."

To be sure, it isn’t quite perfect yet. The Falcons have been on the losing side against ‘Iolani (51-36), Kaiser (62-20) and Radford (47-37). The guru, Lee, still demands excellence and won’t let his passer and pass catchers off the hook for mental errors.

"If it wasn’t for the drops, he would be above 80 percent," quarterbacks coach Harold Peralta said, referring to Brum’s completion rate of 54 percent.

But this is where Brum, the high school senior, understands the value of positive thinking.

"When we come to the sideline, I just kind of go up to ’em, ‘Hey man, that’s all right, next play, don’t worry about it. Just one play. Gotta go to the next one, gotta go get it,’ " he said.

Calm, unshakable composure. Even, in his own toned-down way, an air of funky humor.

"Off the field, he’s funny. He’s a real beach guy, every weekend," said Enrique Gruver, who played Pop Warner ball with Brum.

"We’re all friends," said Brum. "I’ve got the best receivers in the state, I feel. They catch the ball, break tackles and get plenty of yards."

Brandon Roberts, a baseball player who happens to be a brilliant receiver, has 615 yards and team highs of 13 touchdowns and 48 receptions.

Trevor Yamashita, who didn’t play football last year, returned after a strong track and field season. The senior is now a deep threat and has 45 grabs for 783 yards and eight touchdowns.

Blaise Manabe has 34 catches for 467 yards and five touchdowns. He’s only a sophomore.

"This kind of offense takes everybody. Quarterbacks, receivers playing together on the same page, and with blocking. A very young offensive line, so it’s all kind of coming together," Lee said. "(Brum) stays with the offense. He doesn’t try to do too much. He gets completions. He lets the guys run. His arm strength, his accuracy are definitely his strong points. This offense fits him really well."

It’s about chemistry. Ask any Falcon and it’s the same. There’s no offensive playbook. It’s about practice reps again and again. For all the gaudy statistics, it comes down to the power of the mind.

"The plays don’t really matter. It’s a matter of reading defenses. He does such a great job of doing that," Peralta said. "His mind is always on the move."