CORVALLIS, Ore. » Once upon a time they pledged their youthful allegiance to the University of Hawaii, wearing its colors, attending its practices and games and rooting with passion for its football team.
One day, Isaac Seumalo and Blair Cavanaugh were certain, they, too, would play for the Rainbows.
Moreover, they would do it under the tutelage of their fathers, Joe Seumalo and Mike Cavanaugh, who were UH assistant coaches.
Come Saturday, they will play for the team coached by their fathers all right, but it will be Oregon State and it will mean lining up against UH here at Reser Stadium.
"Kinda weird, huh," said Blair, a redshirt freshman wide receiver for the Beavers.
They were 5 and 6 years old in 1999 and 2000, getting their first taste of college football up close while their fathers — Joe, a graduate assistant coach of the defensive ends and special teams, and Mike, offensive line coach — worked on June Jones’ coaching staff. Meanwhile, Karen Seumalo managed the Rainbowtique at the Stan Sheriff Center.
During the week they tossed a football around with the other kids at practice, played their own games, and mostly tried to stay out of the way. On home game Saturdays, they went to Aloha Stadium to watch the games.
"I remember us throwing the ball and running around in front of the stadium near the (box office)," Blair recalled.
"He tried to tackle Isaac, but even at 5 years old Isaac was big, like 95 pounds already, so I don’t think he got too far," Mike said.
On one occasion, Isaac ran over June Jones IV, the son of the head coach.
"I told him that wasn’t a good idea," Joe said.
These days, Isaac is 6 feet, 3 inches, 305 pounds and the Beavers’ No. 1 center, one of only two freshmen to start the whole season at the position in major college football in 2012. (UH’s Ben Clarke was the other).
Once, Joe recalled, "Isaac wandered off in the stadium and nobody knew where he was. When he was found, he was sitting in the end zone (seats) just watching the game."
Isaac moved to San Luis Obispo, Calif., in 2001 and then San Jose while Joe climbed the coaching ladder, ending up at Oregon State in 2006 as the defensive line coach.
There they found the Cavanaughs, who had come to Oregon State a year earlier and, once again, this curious pairing of families was rebonded, stronger than ever.
Isaac and Blair ended up together at Corvallis High, where they were team captains their senior year. Blair, a 5-foot, 8-inch 165-pounder, became an all-state selection and walked on at Oregon State.
Isaac was an Under Armour All-America pick who was widely wooed before turning down USC and several other Pac-12 schools to play at OSU. A big reason, his father said, "was Coach Cav. He grew up around Coach Cav, who was like a second father. I was the stern one and Coach Cav was like a big teddy bear to him. I think that’s why he became an offensive lineman, because of Cav. He also liked Coach (Mike) Riley at Oregon State. When he looked at other schools he was really seeking somebody like them. So I told him, ‘You’re looking for imposters. The real ones are right here.’ But it was his choice and he decided this was where it was at for him," Joe said.
Isaac said, "There’s nobody like Coach Cav. This is where the family was, and us Polynesians like to be around family."
