Christopher Paige with mom, Traci, and dad, James.
Every morning, Christopher Paige grinds.
The Punahou football/track student-athlete works on technique, the kind of detailed precision that sprinters care about.
“I’m just trying to kick it into extra gear,” said Paige, who received a football scholarship offer from Valparaiso over the weekend.
The FCS program plays in the Pioneer Football League, which was won by the University of San Diego last fall. Valparaiso has made a huge leap in the islands, becoming a presence in the recruiting wars. The Crusaders now have offers to Zion Ah You (Kahuku), Paliku Kamaka (Kamehameha), and Paige’s teammates — Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen and Alema Moeava.
“I looked into them. They have an awesome engineering program and they have a really nice campus. That was my first FCS offer so that’s always a good thing,” Paige said.
Paige has a 3.6 grade-point average and has offers from Air Force, Army and Navy.
“I’m looking to major in something STEM related, computer science or engineering,” he said.
Paige has gained nearly 10 pounds since football season and is at 180 on his 6-foot-2 frame.
As a sophomore in the spring of 2019, he was fourth statewide in the 300- and 110-meter hurdles.
Valparaiso, in Indiana, plays in a league the stretches from San Diego to Florida. The Crusaders were 3-9 overall last season, finishing last in its conference.
“I haven’t really looked too much into the offense. Coach (RJ Ghilarducci) said they haven’t had a deep threat for awhile and they like to have that option in their offense,” Paige said.
He had 23 receptions for 347 yards and four touchdowns last year. Paige returns as one of the top playmakers on a Punahou team that went 10-2 last year with losses only to nationally-ranked Saint Louis. The potential is on radar even if his sheer numbers might not be. Yale is the only other school showing interest right now.
“I’m still taking the same approach, everybody’s the same level. I’m focusing on myself more so for the upcoming season and see where that takes me. I’m still appreciative for every offer I’ve gotten. I’m not placing anyone higher or lower yet,” he said. “I’ve been talking to Yale a little heavier now. Hopefully I can get something, if not now maybe later. I really don’t know. I like Yale just because of their Ivy League reputation, but the academies have the same high standard.”
By 6 a.m., Paige was back at work.
“Regular speed and quickness training. normally we go to the beach or the park at (the top of) Wilhelmina Rise. Today, we were at Kapaolono Park,” he said.
Lockdown staples
Top 3 shows/movies
1. Shark Tank. “I’ve been watching a lot of Shark Tank for some reason. I just watched the highlights on YouTube.’
2. Riverdale. “I just finished up Riverdale. They just put out a new season.”
3. Avatar: The Next Airbender. “I’ve been reliving my entire childhood. It’s funny, you watch stuff like Spongebob when you’re older and you realize the deeper context.”
Top 3 food/drinks
1. Zippy’s spaghetti and fried chicken. I get extra chicken.
2. Shoyu poke bowl from Foodland.
3. Raising Cane’s. “They just opened near my house, so I’ve going pretty frequently. The King Combo. Six chicken strips and two toasts and fries.”
New skills
Paige: “I had to patch up a couple of walls, but that’s not a real skill.”
Video games
Paige: “I’ve been playing a lot of video games (during the COVID-19 lockdown). Call of Duty: War Zone and Destiny. Sometimes I play with the football boys. Other times, my other friends. I think one day I played for at least 12 hours straight. Normally, it’s a three hours on an average day.”
Time Machine
Paige: “I guess I would go maybe 20 or 30 years in the future and see how everything’s going, if I’m taking the right path, what mistakes I can avoid.”
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