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Saturday’s homecoming football game in Reno, Nev., will be an appropriate setting for a family reunion.
Hawaii’s Melquise Stovall and his younger brother, Nevada’s Melquan Stovall, will be on opposite sides for the nationally televised game.
“My mom wants my little brother to win,” Melquise said, smiling. “I think we’ll come out with the ‘W.’ ”
At 5 feet 9, Melquise, 21, is the bigger brother by an inch and three years. Both are inside receivers. Melquise, a fourth-year junior, also is an accomplished specialist, leading the Rainbow Warriors in kickoff returns (29.1 yards) and punt returns (4.7 yards). He also has seven catches and a jet-sweep carry. Melquan, a true freshman, has two receptions.
Melquise is the middle of seven children. “Our dad’s first name is Melvin,” Melquise said. “Five out of the seven of us have ‘Mel’ to start our names.”
Melquan is the next-to-youngest sibling.
They grew up in an active household. “Rowdy,” Melquise said, “very rowdy. There was a lot of us in the house. You can imagine there was a lot of playing throughout the house.”
When he was young, Melquise earned “Buddha” as a nickname. “I was a big kid growing up,” Melquise said. “I was a fat, bow-legged kid, really bow-legged. … I kind of slimmed down (after that).”
Melquan, who still answers to “Quan,” has a more subdued personality. “He’s a real mellow guy,” Melquise said. “He’s an older soul. He likes to chill and relax, so he’s not like the wild, younger brother. I’m a little more outgoing. He had his own set of friends. He tried to follow me around, but me being the older brother, I would tell him ‘no.’ ”
But both were united in their passion for football. Even after attending California for two years and a junior college for one, Melquise continued to offer tips to Melquan. Their hope of playing on the same team never materialized.
“Unfortunately, nobody really wanted us as a package deal,” Melquise said. “We’re pretty similar as far as what we do.”
Melquise said Nevada expressed interest “for a split second.” He committed to UH in December, and enrolled in January.
Melquise had to adjust to the Warriors’ run-and-shoot offense, which shares some elements of California’s Air Raid, and to Hawaii’s lifestyle. Last year, his younger sister, Melkyra, died in a car accident. “I’m still taking everything for what it is,” he said. “I’m still going with the process and the flow.”
For this weekend, as always, Melquise is wishing the best for Melquan.
“We kind of have high expectations for each other,” Melquise said. “We’re going to go out and compete. No matter what side he’s on, I always want him to succeed. Brotherly love.”
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