When the pandemic began in early 2020, Liona Lefau and his family had already made a move to the mainland.

In 2018, the Lefau family moved to California, where Lefau played with Winners Circle Academy. A year later, he began high school at JSerra, but the voyage ended there. Lefau began his sophomore year back home, attending Kahuku.

There was no fall sports in ’20, a year Lefau spent largely in his family’s home gym. He cranked out a 255-pound bench press as a 205-pounder. By the time he returned from 7v7 tournaments in Utah and Nevada, Lefau had scholarship offers from Utah, then Wisconsin.

Exposure was crucial to Lefau, which is why the annual trips for camps and tournaments with Kahuku players and coaches proved to be useful. Between video footage and live action during the summer, all the reps and training began to manifest as scholarship offers.

The 2021 Star-Advertiser All-State Defensive Player of the Year committed early, on June 25, to Texas. Through the summer and fall, only one additional offer arrived, from Tennessee. The top-ranked Volunteers made their offer a week after Kahuku nearly upset national powerhouse Saint Frances (Md.).

With 27 offers and a firm commitment, distractions have been minimal. The state championships open next weekend, and No. 1 Kahuku, carrying a 9-2 record, will attempt to defend its Open Division crown.

“I felt like it was the right time. That’s when I felt it. Throughout the months and weeks sometimes you’ll question stuff here and there, but at the end of the day, I feel solid and comfortable where I committed to Texas,” Lefau said.

The concept of four, five or even six Kahuku standouts riding a caravan to Utah was a long shot to begin with — Lefau, Leonard Ah You, Kainoa Carvalho, Brock Cravens Fonoimoana, Stanley Raass all converging on Salt Lake City to become Utes. Lefau didn’t exactly break ranks when he committed to the Longhorns. He knew then that the timing would not work with some of his teammates opting to serve LDS missions for two years.

“Yes, sir, I plan to serve my mission,” said Ah You, a 6-3, 201-pound linebacker and sack machine.

The same is probable for Carvalho, the 2021 Star-Advertiser All-State Offensive Player of the Year, and Raass. Carvalho and Raass are at Utah on an official visit during this bye week. Carvalho has already committed to Utah, but Raass committed to BYU on March 7 — when he was still at Skyridge High School in Utah.

Fonoimoana, a 6-1, 185-pound defensive back, committed to Utah on Aug. 15. It came down to the Utes and Stanford.

Ah You, a fierce edge rusher, remains undecided. While Lefau plans to graduate early and enroll at Texas in January, Ah You plans to play his final season of basketball.

“My original plan was to commit before the season, but I decided to wait. I don’t have a top-five (list). I’m taking my time and going with the flow,” Ah You said.

The drive-through line at Laie McDonald’s was moving briskly during lunch hour on Friday. Ah You got a meal 4a, spicy chicken sandwich with no pickles and a Powerade.

“I don’t like vegetables,” he said. “At all.”

There’s no consensus on who the fastest eater on the team is.

“Clyde (Taulapapa) asks for everybody’s milk at lunch,” Ah You noted. “He drinks 10 (half-pint) cartons every day.”

Ah You is clear about his key factor in the recruiting process.

“Depth chart. I want a chance to compete and have a chance to start,” he said.

Fonoimoana has delivered from a multitude of positions. He has returned an interception for a touchdown. He has hauled in long TD passes from quarterback Waika Crawford. He has kicked the occasional extra point and kickoff. Returned a kick for a TD. His innate ability to read a QB comes from his own experience.

“I was a quarterback before high school. This is my third season playing safety,” he said.

Technically, Fonoimoana and another burner, Kaimana Carvalho, are Kahuku’s emergency QBs. Fonoimoana says he can throw the ball and ding a goalpost from the 40-yard line, roughly 50 yards. If Kahuku needs him at QB, that might not be the best sign during the state championships, but having two highly athletic playmakers as third-string field generals isn’t bad at all.

Here is a look at a few of the island gridiron standouts who have made their commitments, and one who is still playing the field.

Gavin Hunter, Mililani, CB

The 6-2, 190-pound senior committed to Arizona on June 8 and hasn’t thought twice about it. He emerged as a big playmaker at cornerback in the latter part of his junior season

This year, Mililani is back in the state tournament, relying less on Hunter as an offensive threat. Committing early cleared his calendar.

“I feel like everything is God’s timing. I trust his plan, really. Everything happens for a reason. One thing I would’ve done differently, not so much about committing, but more so not announce it as early as I did. I had official visits lined up, and when I committed, I didn’t go on those trips,” said Hunter, who didn’t take scheduled visits to Oregon State and San Diego State.

“It’s a business,” Hunter said.

Import power

Raass, the Kahuku defensive tackle, was born and raised in Utah but visited the North Shore every summer. He never expected to transfer to Kahuku, however.

“I feel like this is how God planned this for me. We have a house here. My dad (John) had a bunch of work in 2013ish and he started to build our own house here,” Raass said.

John Raass owns Raass Brothers Inc., a construction company. Stanley knows the ins and outs of work on site.

“I love it, but I hate it. It’s hard stuff. I study hard in school and try to make it in life so I don’t have to do that. Doing it every day for a profession, it’s hard work,” said Raass, who has a 3.5 grade-point average.

Since moving to the North Shore, Raass has received offers from Utah, Hawaii, San Diego State and Idaho. John Raass graduated from Idaho, but Stanley’s mother, Kailani, is a Castle graduate.

“My mom has a lot of friends in Kahuku and Laie. All of her cousins went to Kahuku,” he said.

Wildcat union

Hunter won’t be the only Hawaii export at Arizona this fall. Roosevelt linebacker/wide receiver Kamu Kaaihue committed to the Wildcats. So did Saint Louis defensive end Julian Savaiinaea, who is poised to graduate early and head to Tucson in two months.

“I’ll be up there by the first week of January,” he said. “Jonah did it, too.”

Older brother Jonah Savaiinaea was an All-State offensive lineman from Saint Louis before matriculating to the desert.

“Getting the head start, getting to know the program, getting familiar with the schemes. Getting used to the conditioning, too,” Savaiinaea said.

At 6-4, 230 pounds, he is agile enough to stay at DE, but could also develop into a force on the interior with more poundage.

“My parents are happy. They told me whatever college I want, they would support, but now they can go to one spot and see both of us,” Savaiinaea said. “I like the culture of the program, the atmosphere that coach (Jedd) Fisch has brought to the staff. My position coach, Jason Kaufusi, and the DC, Johnny (Nansen), they came down here and talked about what they want to accomplish. That’s something I want to be a part of.”

Opportunity knocks and the brothers open the door. They’ll also be knocking each other around at practice soon enough.

“Brother versus brother. He always had that weight advantage during one-on-ones. I always went up against him (at Saint Louis) because I felt he was the best O-lineman,” Savaiinaea said.

Younger brother Julian has already won one family competition. Jonah always had an excellent GPA, but Julian has a 4.1.

“It’s a little overwhelming, but our teachers gave us a lot of time. It’s really about time management,” he said. “I plan on coming back to Oahu to graduate with my class in May.”

Like Jonah, Julian plans to return in January to play in the Polynesian Bowl, then fly back up.

“I’m thinking of majoring in business,” he said.

Pack man

Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio didn’t get the exposure that standouts in the ILH and OIA do. The Konawaena senior has enjoyed a unique situation for the BIIF champions. At 6 feet and 210 pounds, his coaches deploy him as an untethered weapon. With no leash, he wreaks havoc from wherever he wants.

“Basically, I don’t have an assignment because we run a three-front. I literally have freedom,” said Anahu-Ambrosio, who had a 3.7 GPA. “I’ll play anywhere they want me to play. I’ve played outside linebacker, safety, slotback, wide receiver, running back.”

His favorite player is a throwback wrecking ball of a linebacker: Patrick Willis.

“I like outside linebacker. I like playing defense. I like hitting people,” he said.

Anahu-Ambrosio committed to Nevada after visiting Reno and UH. He also turned down BYU and Utah State, and had interest from Ivy League schools, including Harvard and Yale. The commitment to Nevada came before the season.

“I didn’t want to wait and risk getting hurt,” Anahu-Ambrosio said. “I really connected to the linebacker coaches. Coach (and co-defensive coordinator) Mike Bethea and also a guy from Hilo, (graduate assistant) coach Jordan (Loeffler).”

Konawaena has crushed every opponent in league play in an era when neighboring Kealakehe has struggled. Tradition is a big factor, leading former Wildcats to send their children to the smaller, tight-knit school up mauka.

“My dad (Hezekiah) played football and graduated from Konawaena in 2002. My mom (Tasha Delacruz) played softball and volleyball,” he said.

Anahu-Ambrosio grew up at Kawaihae Hawaiian Homes. His parents worked in Kona, where he attended elementary school and played for the Leeward Steelers. His family later moved to his grandparents’ home in Kona for the shorter commute.

Last year, Anahu-Ambrosio played at Timpview (Utah) rather than risk losing another football season. His younger brother, Zedekiah, also transferred. By the time they returned to the islands, Hezekiah had four offers.

“We moved back for our family,” he said.

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Hawaii high school football players offer list

Compiled by Billy Hull

Liona Lefau, Kahuku, LB, 6-1, 215: 27 offers. Committed to Texas, June 25.

Solomone Malafu, Kapaa, LB, 6-1, 225: 13 offers. Committed to UCLA, Oct. 29.

Leonard Ah You, Kahuku, LB, 6-3, 201: 11 offers. Undecided.

Brock Fonoimoana, Kahuku, S/WR , 6-1, 185: 10 offers. Committed to Utah, Aug. 15.

Iapani “Pancho” Laloulu, Farrington, OL, 6-2, 358: nine offers. Committed to Oregon, Oct. 24.

Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawaiauole, WR/DE, 6-5, 185: seven offers. Committed to San Jose State, Aug. 2.

Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho, Kahuku, WR, 5-7, 157: six offers. Committed to Utah, Aug. 2.

Kamuela Kaaihue, Roosevelt, LB, 6-3, 215: six offers. Committed to Arizona, June 8.

Stanley Raass, Kahuku, DL, 6-1, 290: six offers. Committed to BYU, March 7.

Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu, Campbell, LB, 6-2, 220: five offers. Committed to UNLV, July 1.

Gavin Hunter, Mililani, CB/WR, 6-2, 190: five offers. Committed to Arizona, June 8.

Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, Konawaena, LB/S/WR, 6-0, 210: four offers. Committed to Nevada.

Julian Savaiinaea, Saint Louis, DE, 6-3, 230: four offers. Committed to Arizona, June 15.

Josiah Timoteo, Waianae, OL, 6-4, 290: four offers. Undecided.

Iosefa Tapeni, Kapolei, OL/DL, 6-3, 270: three offers. Undecided.

Mason Muaau, Campbell, WR, 6-5, 200: two offers. Committed to Colorado State, June 29.

Lamana Tapusoa, Kahuku, RB/LB, 5-11, 208: two offers. Committed to Air Force, July 24.

Viliamu Toilolo, Kahuku, DB, 5-11, 165: two offers. Undecided.

Ha‘aheo Dela Cruz, ‘Iolani, DL, 6-1, 195. Committed to Hawaii, June 25.

Isaac Maugaleoo, Campbell, OL, 6-7, 310. Offer from San Diego State.

Chansen Nicodemus-Garcia, Kahuku, DB, 5-8, 162: Offer from Navy.

John-Keawe Sagapolutele, Punahou, QB, 6-2, 210. Committed to Hawaii, June 5.

Clyde Taulapapa, Kahuku, RB, 6-0, 195. Offer from Army.

See the recruiting page, including offer lists for players in the classes of 2024 and ’25, at hawaiiprepworld.com/football/recruiting/