Island imports boost Pirates

OCC football’s hawaiian connection featureHawaiians, in increasing numbers, are drawn to OCC to pursue their football dreams.For a significant portion of the Orange Coast College football team, paradise wasn’t good enough.

With no community college football and an often inadequate recruiting pipeline to four-year schools, high school football players in Hawaii are often faced with a stark reality about their future in the sport.

“At home, it’s pretty much the University of Hawaii or nothing,” said Hoku Van Den Handle, one of 10 Hawaiian imports competing for the Pirates. “And even for the guys who want to play college football, there’s [an understanding] that staying on the Island is a dead end. Even if you go to UH after high school, they’re not going to play you until your senior year.”

So, in growing numbers, Hawaiian players are venturing to California community colleges, seeking not only the opportunity to compete, but to earn scholarships to four-year programs.

Kekoa Crowell, Tommy Crowley, Jerry Ha and Chris Assily all start for Coach Mike Taylor’s 5-3 squad. Four other players from Hawaii have started at various times this season.

Taylor credits word of mouth for the growing influx of Hawaiians, who, once on campus, quickly bond with an equally large contingent of California players of Polynesian decent.

It is a violation of California community college rules to make the first recruiting contact with players who live out of state.

“I heard about OCC from Hoku, who played at my high school,” Shane Pfeiffer said. “When I came, I thought it was only going to be me and [Van Den Handle]. But then I found out all these other [Polynesian] guys are here. We all like to hang out together, because it’s like being back in Hawaii.”

Recommendations from players to former high school teammates are one way to spread the recruiting net across the Pacific Ocean. But two individuals have been instrumental in suggesting the Costa Mesa campus as a football destination of choice.

Junior Tagaloa -- who set school career records with 119 receptions for 2,132 yards and 22 touchdowns in 1986-87, has become a mentor/advisor/surrogate father to some OCC players -- including a handful of Hawaiian imports.

Tagaloa, a former standout at Cal who coached receivers at OCC for four seasons, said he uses a network of coaches in Hawaii to spread the word about OCC.

Tagaloa has opened his Costa Mesa home to several OCC players, including University of Tennessee star defensive lineman Jesse Mahelona and Pirates Crowell and Kalakaua Harbottle.

“I wanted to give back to the Orange Coast program and I wanted to give kids something I was not privy to,” Tagaloa said. “I had to learn on my own about school, academics, financial aid, the whole works.

“I was born in California, but my wife [Wendy] was born in Hawaii. And I still know coaches there who tried to recruit me.”

Taylor and a few players also cited Gary Loo, whose son Keola Loo played at OCC in 2001-02 before moving on to Washington State, as a strong Pirates advocate in Hawaii.

Crowell, Gary Loo’s nephew, said his uncle directed him toward OCC. Crowell’s older brother, Robert, played at Saddleback College in 2003.

“I knew early in my high school career that I wanted to leave the Island,” Kekoa Crowell said. “So far, it has been wonderful. It kind of feels like home, because there are a lot of guys from Hawaii.”

Keola Asuega was born and raised in Costa Mesa. But, like former Costa Mesa High and current OCC teammates Luke Sapolu and Junior Epenesa, his ancestry traces back to American Samoa.

“I was born and raised here, but all my blood is Polynesian,” said Asuega, who along with Epenesa leads OCC players in a chanting, clapping routine with elements of a Samoan ritual to help get them motivated before games.

Asuega said the California-based Polynesians make it a point to help the Hawaiians feel at home.

“A lot of the [Hawaiian] kids have no family here, except us,” Asuega said. “We try to make sure they know we’re their family and friends.”

OCC’s HAWAIIAN CONNECTION

Player Hometown

Chris Assily Honolulu

Kekoa Crowell Lihue

Tommy Crowley Kailua

Jerry Ha Aiea

Kalakaia Harbottle Honolulu

Shane Pfeiffer Kaimuki

C.J. Santiago Honolulu

K-ar Sivas Aiea

Hoku

Van Den Handle Honolulu

Alex Mulu Aiea