Tommy Lee tapping Hawai'i pipeline

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

LEE

That's what Tommy Lee and University of Montana-Western did Saturday when the Bulldogs upset defending Northwest Conference co-champion Whitworth (Wash.), 31-28, in Dillon, Mont., to improve to 3-1.

Whitworth had gone 11-2 the past two years and was ranked 22nd in NCAA Division III in last week's American Football Coaches Association poll. The last time Montana-Western was ranked in the NAIA was when it won the Frontier Conference championship in 1995.

Lee, the eldest of Honolulu's football-coaching Lee brothers (Cal and Ron are his siblings), was hired in February 2001 to change things.

One of the first changes he made — as he has done everywhere he has coached (Willamette, Montana, Utah, etc.) — was to recruit players from his native state. Hawai'i hometowns on the Bulldog roster increased from three two years ago to 17 this season — more than 15 percent of the 102 players.

Eight players were coached by brother Cal at St. Louis School and several others were recommended by brother Ron, who coaches receivers at University of Hawai'i.

"We're happy with our Hawai'i kids," Tommy Lee said Monday. "They are playing well, with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement."

Fourteen of the 17 are freshmen and seven of them are redshirting this season. The only junior, Saffery Silva (Moanalua '00), a transfer from UH, starts at cornerback.

Both sophomores also start. They are cornerback Enoch McKeague and offensive guard Darrell Bryce, both 2001 St. Louis graduates.

McKeague ensured Saturday's victory after Whitworth scored with 22 seconds left in the game to close to 31-28 and attempted an on-side kickoff. "They made a great kick, but he jumped up and snared it," team spokesman Wally Feldt said.

"It felt really good because they were a good team," McKeague said.

McKeague's brother, Kama McKeague (St. Louis '02), plays about half-time at defensive tackle, Lee said. Chad Adviento (St. Louis '02, of Waimanalo) plays defensive back in passing situations.

Joel Botelho, who quarterbacked Castle into the state tournament last year, has been moved to receiver and is returning kickoffs to utilize his speed, Lee said.

Abraham Apilado (Waimea '02, of Kekaha), a 6-foot-3, 325-pound offensive guard, is No. 2 on the depth chart and Kawai Curnan (St. Louis '02, of Kane'ohe) is the backup middle linebacker.

Ka'ua Adolpho (Kahuku '02, of La'ie) and Ikaika Cabral (Waimea '02, of Hanapepe) play on special teams and are backup defensive ends.

The rest of the freshmen, who all are expected to redshirt, are:

Defensive backs Timmy Chang Wo (Waimea, of Kalaheo) and Josh Goraaina (Wai'anae); running backs Brandon Malama (Waimea) and Prince Brown (St. Louis, of Kapolei), who may be moved to linebacker; linebacker Nicholas Salanoa (St. Louis) and wide receivers Kamoi Rafamonte (Kaua'i), who was a high-school quarterback, and Keahua Bowman (St. Louis).

Three football victories in a row are starting to generate excitement among Montana-Western's 1,100 students and Dillon's 4,000 residents, Feldt says, but the Bulldogs still get second-billing to the high school games at the local stadium. Rodeo remains the college's strongest and most popular sport, and the women's volleyball team has won nine in a row.

Dillon, in far southwestern Montana, is a long way from anywhere most of the Hawai'i players ever heard of before they showed up for football practice in August. Butte, Mont., (pop. 33,000) is 66 miles north and Idaho Falls (pop. 44,000) is 145 miles south on I-15.

Lewis and Clark passed this way en route to Oregon.

The fish-rich Beaverhead River flows by the town. "The Hawai'i kids have been going home with the local kids when they have a free day," Lee said. "Most of them — especially the kids from Kaua'i — are enjoying fly fishing."

Cabral told Feldt he is looking forward to deer season. "All we get to hunt on Kaua'i is pigs," Cabral said.

They also can hike the Continental Divide National Trail and camp in nearby 3.32-million-acre (that's bigger than the Big Island) Beaverhead National Forest.

But most of all, they are enjoying being part of building a successful football program.