A day of drama ends with Faumui choosing Virginia

Even after the drama had ended, Dad wasn’t quite sure what to make of his son’s decision.

Aaron Faumui took it to the last possible day. He refused to wear any hat of his eventual college choice. Even his family wasn’t 100-percent sure what would happen after they arrived at the Sheraton Waikiki with him at 5:30 a.m. to sign his letter.

Less than two hours later, Faumui’s gut-wrenching decision to sign with Virginia over Hawaii was done. He was calm. He was smiling. No glee. Just satisfaction. He was one of more than 80 student-athletes who signed their letters of intent during the Education First signing ceremony early Wednesday morning.

“It was a family choice,” said Faumui, who was a Star-Advertiser All-State selection as a defensive tackle.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pound senior was also a standout on offense, a true iron man for the Hurricanes. His 3.48 grade-point average and 1,340 SAT score made him a major prospect with plenty of scholarship offers. Now he’ll be teaming up with another local player, Kahuku standout defensive end Samson Reed, as a Cavalier.

Faumui actually committed orally to Hawaii last week.

“They’re going to be mad at me,” Faumui said. “It was very stressful.”

The placard on his seat on stage, where the 80-plus future college athletes signed their names, still read “Hawaii” with the Warrior logo. But it was a matter of deep introspection and conversation for Faumui, his family and his church.

“They were praying and fasting,” Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said of Faumui’s church members.

His father, Kalo, was still a bit stumped.

“I still don’t know. Right now, I still don’t know who he signed with,” Kalo Faumui said as his son was swamped with media interviews. “It’s too much stress. A lot of pressure.”

In the end, Faumui enjoyed his trip to the UVA campus. Their coaches didn’t back away when Faumui committed to UH. Instead, they arrived on Oahu in droves over the weekend. Faumui doesn’t own a cell phone.

“There were several schools that made a wild push since he verbally (committed) last Wednesday,” Hernandez said. “It became a huge last-minute push. They’ve been calling me, blowing my phone up. They won’t take no for an answer.”

Faumui began high school at Radford, helping the Rams win the Division II state title as a sophomore. Then came a move to the mainland, and then he moved back home and enrolled at Kapolei.

In the process, Faumui had to say no to many schools, including Wisconsin and Florida. Hernandez made it clear that Hawaii has been everywhere on the recruiting map locally.

“UH has done a great job with recruiting this year. They’ve gone after local recruits in a great way,” said Hernandez, a former Hawaii player.

Two of them included Saint Louis wide receiver Jonah Panoke and quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. The All-State connection wasn’t fully present at the ceremony. Cordeiro signed his LOI back in December, while Panoke was on hand sitting near Faumui when he inked his paperwork.

“It’s just a relief. I’m starting a new chapter in my life,” Panoke said. “I kind of liked the ceremony. It’s only once in a lifetime.”

The pen he signed with went to his mother. So did the complimentary mini-calendar. Things get more serious from this point on. UH has high hopes for the state champions.

“It is what it is. It’s going to be fun being there with Chevan. They’re going back to the run and shoot. We already have a good idea of what we can run, our reads, everything like that,” Panoke said.

Punahou standout offensive lineman Alama Uluave donned a black-and-red San Diego State hat. He had it hidden in his mother’s purse.

“Two weeks ago, my stress level was definitely a 10,” he said. “Now it’s just a one.”

Uluave was intent on signing with Yale or Princeton, if not SDSU. He turned down offers from across the nation, including Texas Tech and Syracuse.

“Yale and Princeton are very elite. Yale is competitive, they won the Ivy League. I just thought, after college, what will my education do for me,” he said. “But I went on my official visit (to SDSU) and it felt like a second home, just like Hawaii. The coaches and players made it very comfortable for me. The Lakalaka brothers were there. I know I can play in any system.”

His brother, former Punahou standout Semisi, is playing at Cal.

“He told me to make the best decision for me. He knew what I had on my table, but his advice was to choose what’s best for me and I can’t go wrong,” Uluave said.

Kahuku running back Enoch Nawahine was one of the student guest speakers who made one of the most poignant speeches. Despite a prolific season, he was without a scholarship offer until Boise State came calling last month.

“I was kind of nervous, but I’ve had experience speaking at church,” Nawahine said. “The last couple of years the coaches have recruited more skill players out of Hawaii. Jonah Panoke, Chevan Cordeiro. Vae Malepeai, representing the islands well at USC.”

Nawahine spent two seasons at Punahou in a pass-heavy attack. He’s prepared to sharpen every aspect of his skill-set.

“I’ve gotten reps at slotback and running back. Being able to throw to me coming out of the backfield,” he said. “I’m working hard.”

Here is a complete list by sport of players who signed national letters of intent on Wednesday at the Sheraton Waikiki.

HAWAII HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES

Here is a complete list by sport of players who signed national letters of intent on Wednesday at the Sheraton Waikiki.

BASEBALL

Name, High School, College

Andrew Oasay, Moanalua, Pierce College

Cody Isa, Moanalua, Pierce College

BASKETBALL

Name, High School, College

Tanisha Elbourne, Punahou, Air Force Academy

FOOTBALL

Name, High School, College

Aaron Faumui, Kapolei, Virginia

Ahofitu Maka, Punahou, Kansas

Alama Uluave, Punahou, San Diego State

Conal Brady IV, Punahou, St. John’s (Minn.)

Dylan Naehu, Kapolei, New Mexico Military Institute

Dylan Toilolo, Kapolei, Utah

Enoch Nawahine, Kahuku, Boise State

Jonah Panoke, St. Louis, Hawaii

Michael Malepeai, St. Louis, Azusa Pacific

Michael Pritchard, Radford, New Mexico Military Inst.

Rocky Savea, Kapolei, Arizona Western

Siliato Tuia Jr., Kapolei, New Mexico Military Institute

Stormm Passi, St. Louis, North Park University

Tyson Shimabukuro, St. Francis, North Park University

SOCCER

Name, High School, College

Alexander Liu, ‘Iolani, Loyola Marymount

Brende Yoshizumi, Kamehameha, Hawaii Hilo

Brianna Binder, Kapaa, Williams College

Brittny Ihara, Pearl City, Hawaii Pacific

Brynn Yoshinaga, Punahou, Drake

Ceydrianne Whitfield, Campbell, Fresno Pacific

Chai Cortez, Maui, Oregon

Chandler Bass, Mid-Pacific, Idaho State

Chaylyn Navares, Mililani, Cal State Bakersfield

Cheyenne Anuhea Smith, Campbell, Hawaii Pacific

Ciana Rivera, Castle, Northern Arizona

Clay Ah Soon, Kamehameha, Chaminade

Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City, Hawaii

Danielle Chang, Castle, Columbia Basin College

Dayna Nishimura, Mililani, Chaminade

Daysha Ann Solidum, Kalani, Nevada

Emma Gusman, Punahou, Pacific University

Gabrielle Hackbarth, Mililani, Oregon State

Hailey Asato, Punahou, Concordia (Ore.)

Hannah Gamble, Mililani, University of Indianapolis

Hannah Cabral, Kalaheo, Western Oregon

Hevanilea Haunga, KS-Hawaii, UNLV

Hunter Malaki, Pearl City, Hawaii Pacific

Ilihia Keawekane, KS-Maui, Oregon State

Jacey Lyn Iwane, Moanalua, Hawaii Pacific

Jenna Ramirez Waipahu, Saint Martin’s University

Jodi Lillie, Mililani, Hawaii Hilo

Kaile Halvorsen, Kaiser, Santa Clara

Kaitlyn Hamilton Aiea, Highline College

Kaiya Denis Konawaena, Peninsula College

Karlee Manding, Waipahu, South Dakota State

Karlin Wurlitzer Mililani, Idaho State

Kayla Alcott Kapolei, Peninsula College

Kayla Kunihisa Maryknoll, Hawaii Hilo

Kendal Stovall, Kamehameha, UNLV

Kori Koverman, Kapolei, Menlo College

Kylie Minamishin, Kamehameha, UNLV

Layla Santos, Punahou, Puget Sound

Lono Kaialau, Damien, Chaminade

Motoki Sato, Kaiser, Humboldt State

Nalani Wall, Konawaena, Fresno Pacific

Noah Mokulehua, Kaiser, Chaminade

Piper Taylor Collado, Pearl City, Hawaii

Poliahu Aina, Kamehameha, Hawaii Pacific

Rachael Tagatauli, Kamehameha, Utah Valley

Rayna Santiago, Nanakuli, Highline College

Tatum Kauka, Kamehameha, Stony Brook

Tayzha Furuta, Mililani, Hawaii Pacific

Tehani Smith, Castle, Chaminade

Tehani Furuta, Mililani, Hawaii Pacific

SOFTBALL

Name, High School, College

Bailey Akimseu, Punahou, Menlo College

Chloe Domingo, Campbell, Hawaii Hilo

Janell Sato, Punahou, Bates College

Kapua Ku, Nanakuli, Eastern Arizona

Kelsey Wong, Punahou, Willamette University

Kennedy Ishii, Punahou, Bates College

VOLLEYBALL

Name, High School, College

Jessica Ostrov Mililani, New England College

Julia Ostrov, Mililani, New England College