# October 14, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu, Kahuku CDP
#-3. Kahuku High School
#-4. Football Field
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▷ GAME Kahuku 00 – 00 Leilehua
OIA Division 1. Also known as OIA BLUE.
Today is the first week of the OIA BLUE playoffs. Our opponent is Leilehua—the same team we faced in the season opener.
"Listen up! I want a better result than last time!" "LET'S GO—!!"
"Show these motherfuckers what happens when they mess with us on our home turf!! Red Raiders on three!! One, two, three!!" "RED RAIDERS!!"
The season opener ended 49-13. But today, we want more. Leilehua might have grown throughout the season, but we've improved beyond recognition.
Beeeeep—!
The game starts with Leilehua's kickoff. Elvis catches the ball and successfully sprints to the 50-yard line. That's a great start. Now, it's my turn.
"Alright, listen in. Let's keep it steady."
In football, you have four downs to advance 10 yards. Success means a FirstDown, which resets your four downs. That is the most basic goal of the offense. To achieve it, we use various strategies.
"Single back, right slot, left block, Y-stick." "Got it. Let's fuck 'em up smoothly."
"Damn right. Let's Go!!"
I can feel a strong wave of confidence spreading through the team. Even though we lost to Bishop Gorman, we went toe-to-toe with the best high school team in the nation. So today, we need to show our true strength and prove that we haven't let our guard down.
"Green- 80!! HUT!!"
Receiving the snap from the under-center position, I immediately turned and handed the ball to Harmon. He tore through the D-line with ease. Everyone executed their roles perfectly, just like the play called for.
We gained 13 yards on the first down. Closer to the end zone, we prepped the next move.
"Let's do another one just like that!"
"Let's roll—"
"Gotta roll like a motherfucker!"
Another rushing play. Today, we're keeping it simple rather than complex. No need to show our full hand yet—I can see St. Louis scouts in the stands.
"White! White!"
The "White Call" was to alert my blockers that the linebackers were stacking up. After checking the D-line one last time, I started the play.
"HUT!!"
Repeated rushes, repeated gains. Leilehua couldn't stop us.
"TOUCHDOWN—!!"
Two minutes into the game, we already had 6 points. Now, we go for the extra point. Usually, unless it's a late-game tie-breaker, you go for the kick (1 point) because the success rate is much higher than trying for another touchdown (2 points). For the record, a field goal without a touchdown is 3 points.
Back on the bench, Coach John Moss greeted me.
"Good job."
"Easy as pie, coach."
"Good. Take a breather."
"Yes, sir."
I sat down and put my helmet on the ground. The "Special Teams"—the lineup dedicated to kicking—took the field.
"Go, Kop!! Put it through smoothly!!"
Currently, Sekope handles the kicking duties. In places like Hawaii where the talent pool is small, it's common for players to double up.
Thump—
Sekope's kick sailed perfectly through the uprights. I stood up and raised a hand, then ran out to meet the guys returning from the field. A quarterback has to stay busy with these things; these small actions directly impact team morale.
"Nice job. Well done."
After taking an early 7-0 lead, the gap naturally widened.
1Q – 10:00: "Shotgun! X-block, Quick S."
A passing touchdown using Royce's route.
2Q – 09:00: "Troll! Delta Blue!"
A direct QB keeper sneak into the end zone.
90 seconds after that, Sioele forced a fumble from their quarterback. The third son of the Huamatu family scooped it up and ran 26 yards for a defensive touchdown. Before the first half even ended, the score was 41-0.
The head coach approached me immediately.
"Moi. Sit out the second half."
"Oorah."
A normal high schooler would've hated being pulled. It's a prime chance to pad stats. But I knew how to look further ahead.
"Alright, you punks. Follow my lead from now on."
"Heh. Look at you acting all big."
"Is it working?"
"Pfft! Whatever man."
In the second half, I traded my helmet for a headset and stood by the coach.
"Jay! Jay!!"
I directed Sol-Jay, who took over as QB, using hand signals to relay the tactics. My friend often struggled to understand the head coach's instructions, which usually led to him getting chewed out and losing confidence. I was acting as his translator.
"He's through!"
"Hell yeah—! Go, go, goooo!!"
Sol-Jay executed his mission perfectly, sprinting for 31 yards on a keeper. I was jumping up and down on the sideline, yelling:
"That's it, Jay!! Exactly like that!!"
It had only been a few days, but our extra study sessions were paying off. He understood every signal.
"Damn, Moi."
"Yes, sir."
"What the hell did you do to them this time?"
The coaches obviously knew what we were up to—staying in the weight room three times a week and studying playbooks just as often. I just shrugged.
"Just having a bit of fun, sir."
"Haha. If that's what you call fun, you're welcome to it anytime."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Stay by my side."
"Oorah."
We are simply enjoying football.
▷ GAME SET
Kahuku: 21 20 13 13 – 67
Leilehua: 00 00 00 00 – 00
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# October 16, 2016
#-3. Kahuku High School
As you know, I've done two other sports since I was a kid: Track and Baseball. They were ideal for learning how to run and throw properly. When I decided to attend Kahuku, their track and baseball teams reached out too. It's common for high schoolers to play two or three sports.
But I turned them down to focus on football. And I wanted to keep my grades up.
"I get that, but..."
"I'm sorry, Makanui. I really don't have the time."
"Then how about this?"
I sighed internally. Makanui Hookano, the captain of Kahuku's track team, was a persistent man.
"Just show up for the meets."
"Just the meets?"
"Yeah! There's no football in May anyway, right? Just stay on the roster and run the races."
"Is it that important?"
"Please. I'm begging you."
He was right; May is quiet. Just training and some scrimmages. That's usually when the coaches are busy recruiting.
"Just help us once. Our record is total trash." "You haven't won anything?"
"Not in 30 years. How about that? Impressive, right?"
In a small place like Hawaii, not having a winner in 30 years was actually kind of impressive in a bad way. I guess the talent is spread thin. Just as football talent clusters at Kahuku and St. Louis, track talent usually goes to schools like Seabury or Baldwin. Makanui looked desperate.
"Only for the meets? For real?"
"I promise."
"Phew—alright. I'll sign the papers tomorrow." "You're literally our savior!"
I used one hand to lightly push away Makanui as he tried to hug me in the middle of the hallway. He looked startled by my strength. Dude, if I'd actually pushed you, you'd be in the hospital.
"See you tomorrow then."
"Yeah! You're really joining, right?"
"I don't go back on my word."
I'll have to tell the football coach later. He might not like it. But honestly, I was curious—how fast can I run a 100m now? I looked it up on my phone; the Hawaii high school record was 10.80 seconds, set in 1999.
Slow. Very slow. It's proof that while Polynesians have explosive power, their endurance over 50m is often a weak point. That's why I did track first —I knew the pros and cons of this body type.
"You joined the track team?"
During afternoon practice, I mentioned it to Coach Benjamin Carter to gauge his reaction before telling the head coach. If the team was strictly against it, I'd have to back out. Football comes first, after all.
"That's wonderful."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yeah. Sounds like a good decision."
"Wow. Honestly, I thought you'd be against it."
Surprisingly, Coach Benjamin was very positive, even before I mentioned I'd only be doing meets. Turns out, there was a reason.
"Ahem. But, Moi."
"Yes, sir."
"You know the girls' track coach? Ms. Quiana Kekoa?"
"And...?"
"Ahem. It's just that, seeing her teach the kids... she seems very passionate and charming. Oh, don't misunderstand! I don't mean 'like' like, just charming."
Oh lord. He's so transparent. Was Coach Benjamin single? I checked his hand. No ring. Ah, I see. That's why he was so supportive.
"Coach."
"Y-yeah?"
"Want me to set you up?"
Coach Benjamin is a good man, and even if his hair is a bit thin, he's pretty handsome when he wears a hat. I just threw the offer out there, but he panicked. His face turned bright red instantly. One of the weaknesses of white guys—they can't hide a blush.
"No, no! That's not what I meant!"
"Come on—don't be like that. Be honest." "Sigh... sometimes talking to you feels like talking to a guy my own age. Like right now." "Haha. I guess growing up around adults did that to me."
"Your mom's restaurant, right?"
The story of me helping serve at my mom's restaurant since I was four was broadcast everywhere. Because the customers interviewed were all a bit rough around the edges, people assumed I matured naturally in that environment. In reality, they're all good people, and many are quiet types. But since it worked in my favor, I just let people think whatever they wanted.
"If it works out, you know?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'll buy you dinner. At Giovanni's."
"No take-backs."
"Heh. Deal."
Monday afternoon. We are preparing for the second round of the playoffs.
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▷ 2016.10.22. GAME SET
Kahuku: 07 21 16 07 – 51
Waianae: 00 00 00 00 – 00
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# October 25, 2016
#-4. Video Analysis Room
Football is an incredibly violent and masculine sport. But at the same time...
Click.
"If you look here..."
It's also one of the most difficult and sophisticated sports. That's why we have meetings. Very often. Mondays are for recovery and treating minor injuries. Tuesdays are for position drills. Wednesdays are when it gets real.
School. Meeting 1. Practice. Meeting 2. Every day, we spend over an hour in the analysis room or position rooms reviewing plays and memorizing team tactics. Today was no different; Meeting 2 just ended.
But even with all this, some guys are just "hard-headed." You can almost hear the clunk-clunk sound when they think. The guy in front of me was one of them.
"Damn, this is too hard."
"It's Max Protect. Don't you remember?"
"Ah. Max P was that?"
"What did you think it was?" "I thought it was something new or whatever."
"My god, Fred."
Fred Prescott, a sophomore offensive lineman, is on the verge of losing his spot next year. About half the roster gets cut or changed every year, and Fred, despite having a magnificent body, can't keep up mentally. If we had 60 players like last year instead of 50, he'd be gone already.
It was a pity. He's 6'4" (193cm) and 360 lbs (163kg). Under that massive belly that pokes out of his t-shirt is a powerhouse of muscle. He has the perfect physical build for a Guard, but Fred is a notorious troublemaker. He just won't study. He barely maintains a 2.5 GPA, and that's only through every shortcut imaginable.
"Fred, you're really gonna get cut at this rate." "Let 'em. I don't care."
"What? You shouldn't say that!"
"Why? Everyone already expects me to fail." "Please. You can change whenever you want." "Whatever. I'm going home."
"Fred! Fred!"
In moments like this, my coaching instincts twitch. If he just studied and tried a little harder, that body alone would guarantee a college scholarship. But I guess that's his choice, even if he regrets it later.
As Fred walked away, a voice called out behind me.
"Moi! See you in the weight room later?"
"Yup! What about dinner?"
"I brought a lunch box. You?"
"Gonna go buy something."
"Want me to come with?"
"Really?"
Harmon kindly offered to join. He's recently joined the ranks of the "muscle-heads."
THEMUSCLERS. That's what we call ourselves—the guys who lock themselves in the weight room three times a week.
After picking up some takeout, I sat on a large rock and ate with Harmon. It was quiet, with few people passing by. Perfect.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"The coaches are already busy."
"Recruiting?"
"Yeah. Because of you."
High school recruiting is different from the NCAA. Coaches have to find their own prospects for their specific positions.
Quarterbacks for Coach Moss, O-line for the Offensive Coordinator, and so on. But unlike the mainland, where all 50 states are fair game, Hawaii recruiting happens only within the islands. Nobody comes to Hawaii from the mainland just to play high school ball.
So we're always hungry for talent. And since we're a public school, we're at a disadvantage compared to St. Louis, a private school. They have better facilities, more funding, and fewer "problem kids."
"Honestly, I wonder why you didn't go to St. Louis."
Ah, that? Just because of the coach. Cal Lee, the St. Louis coach, is an undisputed legend in Hawaii, which means I wouldn't be able to do whatever I wanted. I heard he's a total "old-school" hardass. The things I'm doing here would be a dream there. Plus, I thought Kahuku's environment was perfect for starting my football journey in a new body. They recruited me very sincerely, and my family preferred it here.
"Moi? You listening?"
"Yeah."
I couldn't exactly say I came here to have my own way, so I looked at the sky, searching for a decent excuse. Then, something sincere came to mind.
"You see..."
"?"
"I felt like taking the easy path would be boring. But I didn't want a path that was too hard, either. I liked that this place was just right—a place where I could actually achieve something."
Back when I was the coach of the New York Jets, I didn't desperately cling to Free Agents. I tried to keep the key players, but I'd raised so many of them that it was impossible to keep them all with a limited salary cap. Naturally, I faced my "children" as enemies. They threatened us seriously. Sometimes I even cried after a Super Bowl loss.
But I wasn't disappointed. I used it as motivation. Back then, football was all I had, so I had to crush those challenges to prove my existence. The thrill of overcoming those hurdles... I guess it's carved into my DNA. It's not even emotional.
Besides...
"I just like red."
"Haha. What is that?"
"I'm serious. The St. Louis uniforms look like shit."
"Hehehe. True."
Actually, that wasn't what I meant. In my past life, I only had football. Now, I have much more. So football isn't my everything; it's just my number one. With many other things behind it.
"Harmon."
"Yeah?"
"Let's crush the playoff finals too."
"Damn right."
Right now, I am purely chasing a dream.
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▷ 2016.10.28. GAME SET
Kahuku: 03 17 21 14 – 54
Farrington: 03 03 00 00 – 06
[Kahuku Advances to Open Division - HHSAA]