Kaeo Akana and grandfather Aike Grace
Dad cooks the steaks.
Kaeo Akana and his siblings devour.
The COVID-19 lockdown has kept the Akana ohana secluded, but dad — former St. Francis football and baseball coach Kip Akana — has kept his keiki well fed and busy. Then came good news in the midst of the lull on Thursday when Hawaii offered Kaeo Akana a football scholarship.
The COVID-19 lockdown has kept the Akana ohana secluded, but dad — former St. Francis football and baseball coach Kip Akana — has kept his keiki well fed and busy. Then came good news in the midst of the lull on Thursday when Hawaii offered Kaeo Akana a football scholarship.
Akana is a sophomore who was 6 feet, 2.5 inches and 195 pounds last fall when Roosevelt competed for the OIA and state Division II titles. He is now 6-3 1/2 and 205 pounds with plenty more room to grow. Akana accumulated a whopping 23 sacks for the Rough Riders, who will move up to OIA D-I this fall, current COVID-19 circumstances permitting.
“I owe a lot of credit to my coaches that helped me. Coach Jon Kahooilihala and Coach Kui (Kahooilihala) (of Roosevelt), Coach Vince (Mene) of Rep 50, Coach Whitley (Fehoko) and the TrenchDawgz, and Coach Fia (Mafua). Coach Fia was the first guy who believed in me. He was the D-line coach at St. Francis when I was in ninth grade,” Akana said.
Hawaii had been aware of Akana and a few of his older teammates during the previous Warrior regime. Since Todd Graham took over at UH, he reached out to the new coaching staff.
“I sent their coaches my highlights,” Akana said.
The daily routine of online school assignments came to a halt on Thursday.
“I was just surprised,” he said of the scholarship offer. “I wasn’t really ready. I was doing my homework before I called. It’s all like a dream come true.”
The lockdown means there may be no summer camps on the mainland. Akana also played basketball and baseball — older brother Bubba plays for Hawaii’s baseball team — at St. Francis.
“I was there from fourth to ninth grade, and then the school closed,” he said.
When he’s not eating steaks, Akana and his brother work out.
“We’ve got weights in the back of our house. A squat rack and a bench. Me and my brother, and my friend Jackie Johnson. We lift four times and we punch the (boxing) mitts on the off days. My dad got us into that. Combinations. I don’t have too much stress, actually, it’s good for timing,” Akana said. “Jumping rope.”
Johnson also played baseball at St. Francis under Akana’s father, Kip. He’s a 5-10, 220-pound catcher for Roosevelt now, and a defensive tackle on the gridiron. His max on the bench press, Akana said, is 295 pounds.
The weight training is a huge plus for Akana. Most student-athletes are missing out with on-campus weight rooms locked. Akana’s max on the bench press is 265 pounds, and he can rep six times at 225. His max on the squat is 365.
“Our DL coach, Jon Kahooilihala, stayed on us every day. We lifted every day and he’d work out with us at the beach on the weekends. I owe a lot to him. He’s always with us, making us better,” Akana said.
When the Akana brothers hit the road next to home, it’s a steady burn.
“We run up the hills. There’s a long road that goes uphill. We’re in top shape. We run every day. Maybe we take one day off a week,” he said.
Roosevelt’s move to a higher division comes as several key seniors graduate. Akana is optimistic about the returnees and newcomers from the JV team. The defensive unit will have middle linebacker Kalua Nahale and a handful of key contributors back.
“It’s exciting. Another chance to get better any way possible,” Akana said.
Prior to the lockdown, roughly 30 players were regulars in the weight room. The Rough Riders will need that and more to compete for a title in a tough OIA D-I division.
“I’m excited. All I know is I’ll be ready to go,” Akana said.
Lockdown staples
Top 3 TV shows/movies
1. Wicked Tuna (Nat Geo)
2. Chicago Fire (NBC)
3. Chicago PD (NBC)
Top 3 food/snacks
1. Hot Cheeto Puffs.
2. Steak (medium rare). “My dad makes it with butter. Mushrooms. Corn. I can cook rice well. Spam, eggs, rice. Popcorn. But not steak.”
3. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. “I keep it in the fridge. Me, my dad and brothers eat them.”
4. Ice cream. “Neapolitan. Meadow Gold. I guess we have to look for another one. Haagen Dazs.”
Top 3 Video Games
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. “I play with Jackie, my brother, Bubba, and my other friend, Jordan Champhara.”
2. NBA2K. “I play random people from all over online. I’m still like a low, overall. I’m working on it.”
3. Rocket League. “It’s a soccer game with cars. I don’t play Fortnite. I retired from that.”
Comments