When Lisa Faleafine was pregnant, carrying son Ghesiah, they broke three chairs.
When Ghesiah Faleafine-Auwae was in first grade, he was a tall, big boy who had a dream. At 110 pounds, he was over the limit when he asked his parents to allow him to play Pop Warner football.
“He was 6 years old. He had to cut 20 pounds to get to 90,” Lisa Faleafine said. “He would get up every morning, put on the garbage bag and run up and down Lahaina Road. Dinner, he would cut down on rice. My thing is, you hungry, you eat. He didn’t want to eat. He was really dedicated to make that team.”
A first grader with more self-control than most adults.
“Then he got to play and everything. On his seventh birthday, he had a game and they run him in for a touchdown,” Faleafine recalled. “That’s when I knew when he puts his mind to it, Ghesiah can do anything.”
Faleafine-Auwae is less complimentary about himself. He was a headstrong young fella.
“I got into arguments with my teammates. I was going hard against them. My dad was yelling at me, so I took it out on my teammate, but we were OK after that,” he said. “My parents were on me. I said, ‘I don’t want to play football anymore.’ “
Time, experience and maturity make a lot of difference. At the end of freshman year at Baldwin, Faleafine-Auwae had a decision to make.
Stay on Maui, where he played basketball and football at Baldwin. Or follow his sister Taimane’s footsteps to Maryknoll, where she was an All-State center for the Lady Spartans basketball team. He was 6 feet, 2 inches and 250 pounds at the time, a paddler for Napili Canoe Club. The schedule sometimes included a race in the morning, followed by football and basketball practices in the afternoon. His routine included conditioning workouts with coach Vernon Patao.
That all changed in the summer of ’23. Faleafine-Auwae followed his basketball passion in 2023, moving to Oahu to attend Maryknoll.
“Coming to Maryknoll was the best thing that happened,” said Faleafine-Auwae, who has a 3.5 grade-point average.
The first sport he played after the move, however, was football. While Maryknoll is a regular title contender in basketball — a two-time state champion under coach Kelly Grant — its football players are under the Pac-Five umbrella.
From Joe Onosai (University) and Garrett Gabriel (Maryknoll) to current Arizona State center Leif Faitanu (ULS), Pac-Five has sent stars to the collegiate level for decades. Faleafine-Auwae’s arrival boosted the momentum in Wolfpack coach Kena Heffernan’s program. He became another foundational piece in a talented offensive line.
“For any team, but especially for ours, we can do great things when they play for each other. When they’re playing as a unit, they’re always going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Heffernan said. “Not always pretty, but when it happens, it’s almost effortless.”
Pac-Five faced the reality of losing its once-forever home, the Mid-Pacific field and locker room, in ’23. For Pac-Five football, the grass is greener wherever they water it. That happens to be the grass at Manoa Valley District Park.
“It doesn’t matter if we have our own field or not. It just gives us more determination, more grit, as Coach says. More humbleness to make something out of ourselves,” Faleafine-Auwae said.
The Wolfpack lost their first two games of ’23 to ‘Iolani, 41-0, and Damien, 29-10. They won their next five games, including three over I-AA teams, another over Molokai, 14-13, and their opener in the Division II state tournament over Kaimuki, 32-7.
Pac-Five lost to eventual champion Kamehameha-Maui in the semifinal round, 31-10. The squad closed the season 5-3 overall, their first winning record under Heffernan.
It was an unforgettable season for Faleafine-Auwae. Before it began, one week after returning to Oahu for his first football season with Pac-Five, he got a phone call. The Lahaina fire was out of control, Aug. 8, 2023.
“I didn’t know until after practice. I was getting a ride home and I had a bunch of missed calls from my Papa,” Faleafine-Auwae said.
Grandfather Richard Auwae, formerly of Lahaina, had moved to Oregon. WiFi back home was a mess. There was no contact with anyone in Lahaina.
“We had fires before, services down. Now it’s the whole town. I was freaking out like crazy,” Faleafine-Auwae said. “That night, I didn’t sleep.”
By the morning after, his father, Iokepa Auwae, called.
“Then, my sister,” Faleafine-Auwae said.
Taimane Faleafine-Auwae had been home on summer break. Her family loves cycling and had an electric bike, which she escaped on.
“Taimane left on the electric bike. Mom said, ‘Get the hell out of here!’ She got to my cousin’s house,” Iokepa Auwae said.
Lisa Faleafine later escaped in the family truck. Auwae, a union plumber, was 2 miles away at work, unable to retrace his route back to the house. No way to know if his wife and daughter were safe.
Lisa and Taimane reached separate sites north of Lahaina, but had no way to communicate. It was a long night of anguish. Families were scattered at evacuation centers.
“Taimane went to my other cousin’s house in Napili. Mom went to Kaanapali. They were about 15 miles apart. One of my nephews had seen Taimane with the cousins, then she came back looking for mom. They cried their hearts out and I was stuck on the other side of the fire,” Auwae said. “The last communication I had with her was the day before. She said, ‘Uncle’s house is burning,’ which is three houses away. I almost got arrested trying to get through the town. I couldn’t get through. I sat there and watched Lahaina burn, basically.”
When the family finally got together, they realized it was fortunate that dad hadn’t been home when the fire, stoked by 60 mph winds, destroyed everything in its path. There is a fire hydrant in front of the family home on Aki Street.
“I have a big firehose. If I had been home, they know I would’ve tried to fight the fire,” Auwae said. “It was surreal to see it burn all the way to Front Street. Every year, there’s a fire. We lose a few houses on the edges here and there, but this time the wind was so bad. If we had every firefighter in Hawaii, there’s no way we could stop it.”
Ghesiah Faleafine-Auwae, distanced from the disaster, finally got some peace of mind at around 9 a.m.
“He was waiting. We actually got to talk to him. At the time, we didn’t know we specifically lost our house. I drove through the town the next morning,” Auwae said. “And realized it was gone with everything else in Lahaina.”
Taimane Faleafine-Auwae was supposed to fly back to college on the mainland the day after the fire. Her parents were flying with her, or that was the plan.
We got out my truck, my wife’s car. Taimane got out on the (electric bike). We literally had her bags packed for college so we had her bags and our bags,” Auwae said. “We were fortunate to have something. A lot of our friends were at work.”
Faleafine-Auwae lost his shoe collection. Dirt bikes.
“All kid stuff,” his father said. “Material things can be replaced. We’re going to rebuild our home.”
Football, and being in school on another island, may have been best for Faleafine-Auwae.
“It helps that he has all of this to keep him busy. He’s a very dedicated kid,” Auwae said. “We brought him home not long after the fire just to see it and let it set in. Being at Maryknoll and Pac-Five, every once in a while we tell him this is a better opportunity for you to be in a better light. Education is better than here. Sports-wise, it’s better for the future. We let him choose what school he wanted to go to. Maryknoll was kind of the fit for him.”
This fall, Pac-Five is off to its best start since 1988. In a 26-14 win over ‘Iolani on Friday, senior running back Seth Miller followed his trench men and rushed for 272 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries. With left guard Kage Fine (5-11, 235) filling in for injured Peytin Salavea (5-8, 205), the front five controlled the tempo and the line of scrimmage.
Faleafine-Auwae, now 6-3 and 300 pounds, lines up at left tackle, with Zion Samsonas (5-11, 205) at center, Jahshua Jerome (6-0, 195) at right guard and Ethan Kamahele-Tolbert (6-3, 260) at right tackle. Salavea is the lone senior. Faleafine-Auwae and Jerome are juniors. Kamahele-Tolbert, Samsonas and Fine are sophomores.
“They’re solid guys. They work side to side. They work together,” said Heffernan, who was a Punahou co-captain in 1992 with Nate Kia. “Ethan and Ghesiah are big boys. As a tailback, anything I did was because of my line.”
Basketball season was a new experience. Maryknoll contended for ILH and state titles while Faleafine-Auwae provided size, strength and hustle in the paint. For a hoopster who was used to roaming the floor, it was a transition.
“There’s been a transformation with him. There was a set way he did things when he was on Maui. We’ve tried to make some changes and things have turned out pretty good,” Spartans basketball coach Grant said. “He understands the way we do things at Maryknoll.”
This winter, Maryknoll will continue to rely on Faleafine-Auwae and another football-basketball player, Rome Lilio, to lead in the trenches. Faleafine-Auwae’s scoring and playmaking ability will be useful for a team that lost two All-State guards to graduation.
“He brings a different element to our team. He’s difficult to defend and on top of that, he’s left-handed,” said Grant, who was a left-handed sharpshooter at Maryknoll and Hawaii Pacific back in the day. “For Ghesiah, it’s about winning. Last year, he scored a few points here and there, but we gave him the goal during a game to cover Pupu (Sepulona of Saint Louis) or the big boy from Kamehameha (Kainoa Wade). It was all about winning.”
Maryknoll’s hoopsters traveled to Japan during the summer, not long after Faleafine-Auwae began physical therapy for a slightly torn PCL.
“His knee was a little bit sore and he didn’t play a lot, but he was walking around. On the final day, I felt sorry for the Japanese teams. They were flying all over, bouncing off him.”
Grant is a P.E. teacher at Maryknoll and gets an early start to the day. So does Faleafine-Auwae.
“He is in the weight room 6 o’clock in the morning, Monday through Thursday. We were successful in getting his work ethic changed in basketball,” Grant said. “He’s going to be open and we’re going to have to be able to pass the ball to him.”
The unthinkable happened over the past 16 months or so.
“I love football more now,” Faleafine-Auwae said.
It’s football, playing for Heffernan and his dedicated staff, making the most of minimal facilities, where Faleafine-Auwae relishes and cherishes the program’s Rocky Balboa, underdog identity.
“We don’t have the best athletes, but I think we’ve got the best coach, the best staff, the best bond, the right direction. I fit here because everybody’s from a different school and background,” Faleafine-Auwae said. “If I’d gone to Kahuku, everyone’s the same and you’re the outsider.”
That’s correct. Before moving from Maui to Oahu, his family considered sending him to Kahuku, where they have relatives.
“At Pac-Five, everybody’s at the bottom and has to work their way up. Pac-Five is always the bottom, always the underdog, the nothing compared to everyone else,” Faleafine-Auwae said. “We always have to prove ourselves and prove what we’re worth.”
Part of the blessing in having a public field to practice on is the responsibility.
“We were testing out a drone at Manoa Park to see if we left any trash. We always keep it clean. It’s our home,” Faleafine-Auwae said. “Paytin’s kind of the caretaker of the team. He stays back and makes sure everything is clean. We’re always the last ones there. I’ll be talking to everyone and he’s always cleaning.”
That is a win in the book of Heffernan, who is not one to compromise values. He was a sumo wrestler after his football days at Yale were done, representing the USA for international tournaments. He counts former yokozuna and legend Hakuho as a friend.
“We have total buy-in from the kids. I’m proud of them for that, first and foremost,” Heffernan said. “All the other things will take care of themselves. It’s a win-win situation.”
Heffernan credits offensive line coach Isaac “Ako” Manchester for guiding the crew. Heffernan is big on praise, much smaller on singling out any of his athletes.
“I don’t want to single out too many guys,” he said. “But here’s a funny story. Ghesiah showed up at summer running his first year. One of our coaches came up to me and said, ‘Did we hire somebody?’ I told him, no, he’s a sophomore,” Heffernan said.
At the time, Faleafine-Auwae still had his Wolfman Jack beard. School rules at Maryknoll do not allow facial hair, so he only grows the beard during winter and summer breaks. Heffernan has seen his O-line put in maximum work, knowing that two-way football is their path in life.
“I don’t think Ghesiah has had his best game yet. I don’t think he’s as good as he can be, and that says a lot because he’s a good player,” Heffernan said. “Ethan’s a fantastic player, too. I really don’t think Ghesiah is at his peak yet. As long as he remembers the hard work, it’s part of that grit system. We know nothing is given to us and we have to earn everything. I try to keep the kids humble as possible. Take care of the job, keep it simple.”
Lisa Faleafine has classic supermom standards. She demands much of herself and much of her children.
“We’re not quitters. There’s been times when he was little, ‘Mom, I don’t want to play.’ But you started it, you finish it,” she said. “That’s what we’ve instilled in them. Regardless of what’s going on, you finish it.”
“We’d like to thank Coach Kena and Coach Kelly for having Ghesiah be part of the Pac-Five and Maryknoll ohana,” Faleafine said.
GHESIAH FALEAFINE-AUWAE
Pac-Five football, Maryknoll basketball
Jr.
6-3, 300
What I learned from my sister (Taimane Faleafine-Auwae):
> “I learned that family’s all you got. My parents have to work on Maui and I’m over here with family. She’s at college. When she’s here, she watches me and my friends fishing. She taught me that family is everything.”
Top 3 movies/shows:
1. “Flash”
2. “Kingsman” movies
3. “Spenser Confidential”
“ ‘Spenser Confidential’ is always on Netflix. I’ve seen it 20 times. I used to love watching ‘Flash,’ the TV show.”
Top 3 foods/drinks:
1. Pork laulau
2. POG (passion orange guava drink)
3. Sprite
Top 3 homemade food:
1. Mom’s lasagna
“When I was back home she made it once every two weeks.”
2. Steak
“I make the steak at home. I don’t have a grill here, so I put it in the oven. I let the inside cook, and sear it on the pan with butter to get the crust.”
3. Mom’s spaghetti
“She’ll have hamburger, pepperoni sometimes. Meatballs.”
Favorite athlete/team: Kyrie Irving
“I’m not small like him. He can fit into tight gaps. I look at Kyrie as a smart IQ player. Everything is elegant, everything is in a flow. Like a wave just moving.”
Funniest teammate: “The whole team, we’re all jokesters. We all have fun before and after practice, or during water break just waiting around.”
Smartest teammate: Cici Barro.
“She’s always had straight A’s. She played a couple of games last year and got hurt this year. I’m close with her mom, the team mom, so they all help me out. Cici never has a B.”
GPA: 3.5
“I don’t do deadlines. Sometimes I have to get it done and it’s due the next day, but if there’s time I get it done. I’m never dead tired mentally after practice. So if I have to get it done then, I’ll do it. It’s a mixture of both.”
Favorite teacher/class: Mr. (Waylan) Chan (English)
“He’s my English teacher for this year and last year. I get along with him. He’s a jokester and serious at the same time. He’s very helpful, always there. During lunch last year, he would cook in class. He does the culinary club at our school. He’s also a chef at a restaurant. He would always cook for me.”
Favorite motto/scripture: If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.
“I saw this quote while I was in the bathroom. I think it was on Maui somewhere at a hotel. This is probably a year ago.”
Hidden talent: paddling.
In his first year of paddling, Ghesiah was part of a state-championship crew with Napili Canoe Club.
Bucket list: NFL
“I just want to be financially worry-free. Then I can do the stuff I want to go. I don’t really need to go to Tahiti if I’m already in paradise.”
Time machine: when and where would you travel?
“I would travel to 2021 so I could go ride my dirt bikes all day again. We’ll go cruise to my uncle’s house in Napili. We would build tracks in the mountains. Nobody would know and it would be hidden so nobody would trash it. I don’t hit the jumps anymore.”
Shout outs: “My team, all the coaches who helped me along the way, my parents, my school.”
