There are two sides to Michael Eletise.
For the celebrated 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior, there is groovy Mike. This is the fellow who wears a throwback, dark aloha-print, long-sleeved shirt to class. Then there’s all-business Mike, the scholar-athlete and offensive lineman who switches to a white, collared, long-sleeved sweatshirt for a more formal look.
The University of Arizona and roughly 40 other institutions went wild for both Mikes. So did the officials of the Under Armour All-American Bowl, who came to Kaiser High School last Wednesday to present Eletise with a game jersey during a ceremony at Ted Fukushima Athletic Complex.
The bowl game will be played Jan. 2 in the Orlando Citrus Bowl, featuring many of the top football players in the nation. A few more months down the road, Eletise will be on his way to Arizona.
“It’s going to be exciting. I’ve visited my school and I’ve got a lot of friends there,” Eletise said. “I just feel I can trust them and learn so much from them. I can further myself technical-wise, mentally wise when I get there. I had my official visit and my coaches will have their official home visit on the 12th. They remind me so much of my (high school) coaches. I know I can work with them.”
Despite a firm commitment to the Wildcats by Eletise, a number of schools in and out of the Pac-12 Conference have continued to pursue him. Eletise and his family take the attention in stride. His focus remains on faith — he serves in the children’s ministry at Kaimuki Christian Church, where his father, Pastor Nofo Eletise, and mother, Marie, also serve. There’s homework and there are workouts.
Vavae Malepeai has been working since the end of the high school season. Mililani High School hosted a ceremony on Monday morning, where the 6-foot, 210-pound senior was presented his jersey for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. That game will be played on Jan. 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Arguably the finest running back in state history, the Trojan rushed for 71 career touchdowns to break the mark held previously by Joe Igber of ‘Iolani. It was an emotional morning for Malepeai and his family, teammates and friends. The normally reserved senior thanked all his supporters as he choked up with tears.
“You don’t understand what it means to me that you’re here in the stands and at my games,” he said.
The Oregon commit finished his career with 4,549 rushing yards in three seasons at Mililani, which won the state crown in 2014.