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The comparison is beginning to sharpen under the mighty lens of public observation.
Could Koali Nishigaya be the next Chad Owens, a.k.a. Mighty Mouse?
Saint Louis offensive coordinator Ron Lee, in his fifth decade of coaching, spent years coaching receivers at the University of Hawaii with brother Cal, who coached the linebackers back then. Nishigaya bears many similarities to an underrated high school prospect from Roosevelt who wound up starring at Hawaii and playing pro ball.
“I recruited Chad mainly because of his attitude. We went to Roosevelt mainly to recruit Chad Kapanui. His enthusiasm — he’s so gung-ho and did everything 100% — that’s how we noticed him. Chad (Owens) walked on. He wasn’t heavily recruited,” Lee said. “Koali knows more about the game, the coverages, the feel of getting open. He has football speed. Chad walked on and kind of learned the system. Coming out of high school, Koali knows way more than Chad. Chad did some fantastic things as he went along in college. I think Koali could play for a lot of colleges right now as a freshman.”
Three-time defending state champion Saint Louis is 8-0 with a No. 6 national ranking, riding a 34-game win streak, including a major victory over nationally ranked Bishop Gorman (Nev.) a month ago. Nishigaya has been as timely with big plays as he has been productive. The senior slotback has team highs of 47 receptions, 699 yards and seven touchdowns, making defenses suffer the consequences of covering talented wide receivers Roman Wilson (Michigan commit) and Matt Sykes (UCLA commit).
“I always liked him. Koali’s a hard worker,” Crusaders coach Cal Lee said. “He was always good, but he didn’t get the ball thrown to him as much as this year.”
FOCUS ON FOOTBALL
Long before the impact of success, there was the elbow dislocation. The knee injury. Nishigaya loved wrestling. Still does. But that day, getting surgery on his knee during freshman year, not quite so much. He rehabbed the elbow and knee, and returned to the mat as a sophomore, inclined to follow the success of brothers Keani and Kaua. Keani was a state champion at 189 in 2007 during the heyday of Saint Louis wrestling.
After defeating Vincent Terrell — yes, that Vincent Terrell, Punahou’s standout running back/kick returner — in the fifth-place match of the 138-pound weight class at states, Nishigaya hung up the wrestling gear.
“I knew I had to be an elite football player,” Nishigaya said. “I had to quit wrestling.”
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
His teammates at Saint Louis saw it coming — Sykes, quarterback Jayden de Laura, linebackers Jordan Botelho and Nate Herbig. In mid-summer, they all predicted that Nishigaya was about to have a huge year. To a man, they also said that he and safety Kamo‘i Latu are the funniest guys on the team.
“When I’m on the field, it’s all business,” Nishigaya said. “I told myself I want to be great. I had to work for it. The hard work is really paying off.”
In the showdown with Bishop Gorman, he caught 10 passes for 103 yards and a TD. Three weeks later, Saint Louis took on No. 2 Punahou with the ILH lead at stake. Nishigaya managed seven catches for 38 yards, but it was his move to running back late in the game that solidified a tough 25-19 come-from-behind win.
It was enough for national attention. Nishigaya was third in USA Today’s Super 25 Top Star voting.
The following week, Nishigaya scored on TDs of 75 and 64 yards against No. 3 Mililani. Nishigaya finished with five catches for 263 yards against one of the state’s best defensive units. This time, voters in the Top Star poll launched Nishigaya to No. 1. The least surprised of his fans? The QB, de Laura.
“We played a lot of flag football together. We played at Hawaii Dolphins together, then we went to Kalani Falcons (Pop Warner). Then we went to Florida and won the national flag football championship,” de Laura recalled.
Nishigaya can go deep down the hashmarks and sidelines, but he has also cashed in on de Laura’s perfectly placed passes that cover 5 to 15 yards in the air.
“Koali just has that mentality that he doesn’t care who you are or how big or how many stars you have. If you line up in front of him, he will try and destroy you. What helps him is his wrestling background. He has such great balance and control of his body,” de Laura said. “The way he can just stop on a dime and accelerate real fast.”
NO DAYS OFF
How does a solid slotback take that big leap? Nishigaya did it on the beach. Keani, a former Saint Louis running back and state wrestling champion, and Kaua, a recent ‘Iolani RB, worked with him on the sands of Waikiki and Ko Olina. Sometimes they ran the hills of their neighborhood in Waikele. Every day, all summer.
“We would work it around my schedule,” said Keani, who just turned 30 and has a family of his own. “Sometimes we’d be at the gym at 5 in the morning. Sometimes after I was done work. Koali really wants to play at the next level, and the only way is to train double as hard.”
Wide receivers coach Howard Peralta knew Nishigaya was dependable, but the added explosiveness and power were unexpected.
“His sophomore year, he started and was quick, wasn’t afraid to catch the ball across the middle. Right after his junior year, he was working out with his brothers. I saw a big change in him,” Peralta said. “Everything he does is within the system, but he took it to another level.”
“I feel like he would fit at UH really well,” de Laura added. “He is the best slot in the state and I have no doubt that he could go to any college and be the best slot there, too.”
Nishigaya doesn’t have time for distractions. He has a 3.63 cumulative grade-point average, and won’t stop working when the season ends.
“I’ve got to focus on the Polynesian Bowl,” he said of the all-star game, which invited him last week. “All I need is someone to believe in me.”
KOALI NISHIGAYA
Senior, Saint Louis
Q&A / FAVORITES:
>> Athlete: Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
>> Food at home: Ham “My mom (Kawohi) makes good ham. She cuts it up and puts sauce on it. She uses guava jam. She usually cooks it at Thanksgiving, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m always eating the leftovers.”
>> Hobby: Basketball “I like watching basketball and playing basketball. It’s fun. It’s competitive. I play pickup games with my friends, Jayden (de Laura) and all the boys.”
>> Video games: “I don’t play video games. Everybody doesn’t believe me, but I don’t play video games. I’m too busy working out. It’s a good break for people. But I haven’t actually played ‘Fortnite’.”
>> Music artist: Lil Mosey “Everybody’s probably going to hate on that, but I like him. I overplay his songs. My girlfriend is irritated by it. I like his flow. I like his song ‘Noticed.’ “
>> Bucket list: “I definitely want to get a scholarship for college. And get a degree. Those are on my bucket list. I want to travel the world. I want to go to Japan. New York City.”
>> Shoutout: “I’d credit all my success to my dad. He’s the one from a young age who really taught me everything. He trained me from a young age and always believed in me. Even ‘til this day. … And shoutout to everyone who voted for me (in the USA Today Super 25 Top Star). All the support. The second time, it was advertised more. Thank you. “
— Paul Honda, Star-Advertiser
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