High schools
Versatility the trademark of today's quarterbacks

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By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

'Aiea's Lole Laolagi will run over you when he's not throwing over you. Advertiser library photo

That famous fight song, "Mr. Touchdown," was composed in a different era — long before Michael Vick arrived on the scene.

Players equally adept at throwing the football and running with it have been adored by fans for generations. Guys like Herman Wedemeyer, Paul Hornung and Roger Staubach became folk heroes by dazzling fans with their artistry through the air and on the ground.

Those happy days are here again, especially in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association.

Quarterbacks such as Castle's Joel Botelho, Kahuku's Inoke Funaki, 'Aiea's Lole Laolagi and Kailua's Taleki Mailau are showing that the classic dropback passer may be, well, pass¶. It's not good enough anymore to just have an arm like Steve Young's; you have to have his legs, too.

"It's a wide-open game now, things have to be balanced," Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said. "It's more demanding on the quarterback, so a lot of times the best athlete is calling the shots back there."

And these guys are athletes. Castle coach Nelson Maeda said Botelho, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound senior, is one of the fastest players on his team.

"He runs a 4.6 (40-yard dash) on grass," Maeda said. "And people have a real hard time containing him in the open field. When we watch film, it's beautiful to see him run, the way he makes people miss."

'Aiea coach Wendell Say said Laolagi, like the other three quarterbacks, is not the type to run out of bounds or slide to avoid a tackle.

"He likes to dip his shoulder and try to get the extra yardage," Say said. "If he feels the pocket collapsing, he'll take off, and we have plays where we try to take advantage of his running ability."

Maeda said he does the same thing with Botelho.

"He's a great asset because he can turn a loss into a gain," he said. "We're pretty fortunate. With him, we can run some option and do different things to highlight his talent."

Castle's Joel Botelho runs a 4.6 40 to complement his accurate passing. Advertiser library photo

All-around talent surely is not being wasted these days. After three games, Botelho leads the OIA Red Conference in passing yards (738) and is second in rushing (321). Funaki is third in the Red in passing (445) and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Mailau is fourth in the Red in passing (410) and has rushed for 114 yards on 21 carries in two games.

Laolagi, meanwhile, is third in the OIA White in passing (705) and has already rushed for three touchdowns in three games.

Another multi-threat quarterback who deserves mention is Wai'anae's Kekoa Reyes, who was a first-team all-state defensive back last year. Reyes is fifth in the Red in passing (326 yards) and has rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns in three games.

"I give that kid a lot of credit," Livai said. "I heard some Division I (college) schools were looking at him as a defensive back, but he sacrificed himself this year to fill in where the team needed him most."

And Reyes is filling in at a position that has become more complicated and competitive in recent years. Quarterbacks always were looked upon as leaders, but their burden may be greater than ever.

"Before, a lot of them were counted on to just hand the ball off and let the running back do it," Mililani coach James Millwood said. "Now, they're much more involved in the offense. Even with our quarterback (Mana Au), we're asking more of him than we've asked of our quarterbacks in the past."

Passing interest

Part of the increase in responsibilities is due to a shift in offensive philosophy. As University of Hawai'i coach June Junes' run-and-shoot offense found early success in 1999, it caught the attention of many local high school coaches.

Jones and his staff later held clinics to help those on the prep level. As a result, even traditional run-oriented teams like Farrington and Kahuku started opening up the passing lanes.

Many quarterbacks have responded to the challenge, sharpening their passing skills and taking extra time in the offseason to grasp more sophisticated offenses.

"The quarterbacks now do seem better, and maybe that's because of today's emphasis on the passing game," Maeda said. "The quarterbacks are more refined in their techniques and their reads. It's a different breed."

And when these skills are taught to already gifted athletes, the result is a new and bigger challenge for defensive coordinators.

"Even from last year, whenever we got ready for an opponent, it seemed we were always talking about their quarterback," Millwood said. "They're more talented now. When we got ready for Castle this year, all we talked about was stopping Botelho, and when we were preparing for Kahuku, we knew we had to try and stop Funaki."

Defense dictates

Botelho said that is part of the reason the quarterbacks have developed their running ability.

"The defenses are throwing different looks at you, so you really have to know what to do," he said. "We watch a lot of film, and you have to figure out a way to counter their attack."

Sometimes, that means tucking in the ball and running with it. The results have been stunning.

In a victory over Wai'anae, Mailau passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 64 yards and one touchdown. Reyes passed for 165 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed 20 times for 141 yards in a loss to Castle. And in a victory over Kalani, Laolagi completed 16 of 21 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns and also scored on a 47-yard run.

But the year's most spectacular show so far belongs to Botelho, in the victory over Wai'anae. Playing at Aloha Stadium before an island-wide television audience, Botelho completed 16 of 27 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 15 times for 146 yards and one touchdown. He even punted three times for an average of 39 yards.

Botelho is so unpredictable, sometimes even he can't determine what he plans to do.

"I'd rather throw the ball and have the slotbacks or receivers catch it," Botelho said. "I like that feeling better than me running it. But I also like to make things happen any way I can. Sometimes, I'll watch film and see myself do something, and I didn't even know I did that."