HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	327
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

recognizING and congratulatING the members of the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM on winning the 2007 Division I Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Football Championship.

     WHEREAS, school athletics has provided Hawaii's youth with a countless array of rewarding, challenging, and enjoyable opportunities that allow students to continually test their physical and mental skills in active competition; and

     WHEREAS, the close-knit community of Wahiawa began the 2007 football season with the belief that the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM -- consisting of: head coach Nolan Tokuda; assistant coaches Jon Acohido, Jake Kawamata, Pat San Nicholas, Esmond Kilaulani, Tui Alailima, Antonio Brown, Ed Kama, Mark Kurisu, Darrin Matsumiya, Jon Morikawa, Len Nakasone, Burt Souza, Richard Townsend, Al Viloria, and Joe Watts; athletic trainers Michelle Harrington, Lenny Baum, Lauren Maeda, and Brittany Kaleo-Castillo; team physicians Joan Delto, Maxine Karimoto, Kris Lindshield, and Kazu Hernandez; managers Tiff Honda, Jodene Miram, Kiana Surell, Jeon Santos, Taylor Souza, Joy Wong, and Shy Billedo; equipment managers Mathew Smithe, Kevin Tosaka, and Wesley Ohori; statisticians Sheryl Higa, Kristie Sasamura, Pam Dumlao, and Ronya Honda; ball boys Jarrin Morikawa, Angelito Sambrano, and Albert Talaroc; video crew Duriza Capps, Ferdinand Navarro, Krystina Navarro, Jennine Tosaka, and Deena Yoneda; principal Aloha Coleman; former principal Norman Minehira; vice principals Malaea Wetzel, Garett Yukumoto, and Bob Davis; athletic director James Toyota; assistant athletic director Nate Higa; dean of students Brian Fukuda; players Robert Siavii, Hoku Kama, Garrison Garma, Micah Cruz, Allan Macam, Zaire Macapagal, Andrew Manley, Edieson Dumlao, Kaipo DeRego, Kaipo Kea, Marcus Breakfield, Chase Acohido, Bronson Pausa, Peter DeSaulniers, Sean Kenigton, Rico Newman, Garett Maki, Joedee Taua, Ire Macapagal, Allan DeGuzman-Pacheco, Brendan Mahuka, Art Laurel, Rick Jones, Josh Cruz, Jaydon Cuesta, Christian Collado, Keala Pascua, Brad Iaulualo, Greg Tialavea, Stanford Salavea, Maunaloa Aitaoto, Kawika Fuga, Alii Tuitoelau, Kalua Ellis, Chris Atualevao, Gerald O'Reilly, Melchor Moises, Kyle Ontiveros, Genesis Ponce, Raymond Cartwright, Haani Aitaoto, Josh Quinn, Bronson Smithe, Tavana Alailima, Ryan DeSaulniers, Jordan Jenks, Charles Robinson, Noel Cabato, Blaine Edra, Nate Hall, Elijah Manaea, Ronald Santos, Joe Ruane, Jermaine Schuster, Kaumu Delos Santos, Sione Sami, Jeremy Suguitan, Kamana Akagi, Nate Schuster, Alex Ruiz, and Jiniki Timoteo -- could match the accomplishments of the legendary 1984 Leilehua football team that became Prep Bowl champions; and

     WHEREAS, despite not knowing what to expect during the 2007 season, the sixty-one young men who joined the varsity team worked extremely hard under the expert tutelage of their coaching staff to pursue a common objective -- to become champions -- and together they persevered by exemplifying hard work, dedication, sacrifice, humility, and teamwork to achieve their goal; and

     WHEREAS, "BELIEVING" was paramount to the success of the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM during the 2007 season; and

     WHEREAS, after defeating Kailua by the score of 6-3, and Radford by the score of 41-0 in their first two season games, the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM fell on hard times in which the team suffered loses to Punahou by the score of 19-28 and Mililani by the score of 14-16; and

     WHEREAS, it became a rollercoaster of a season for the next few weeks as the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM secured a win over Wai'anae by the score of 8-0, followed by a loss to Kapolei by the score of 0-20; and

     WHEREAS, the Kapolei game was followed by a win over Aiea by the score of 21-6, and a loss to Campbell by the score of 21-22; and

     WHEREAS, the loss to Campbell would be the last loss of the season for the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM, as the team finished off the regular season by defeating Castle by the score of 36-13, and Mililani by the score of 27-21, to finish off the regular season with a record of 6-4; and

     WHEREAS, momentum from winning their last two regular season games propelled the team through the playoffs as they prevailed in three straight playoff victories against Farrington by the score of 7-3, Wai'anae by the score of 12-3, and Baldwin by the score of 41-34 leading the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM to the State championship game; and

     WHEREAS, on November 30, 2007, the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM demonstrated the essence of Carpe Diem by putting all of their hopes and aspirations into the final, heart-pounding 6 minutes and 13 seconds of regulation in the State championship game to come from behind and dethrone perennial Interscholastic League of Honolulu powerhouse Saint Louis Crusaders by the score of 20-16, to win the 2007 Division I Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Football Championship; and

     WHEREAS, the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM has demonstrated that any dream, any goal, no matter how big, no matter how difficult, can be obtained through hard work, discipline, sacrifice, humility, and the steadfast belief in oneself and ones teammates; and

     WHEREAS, the heroic efforts of the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM to overcome adversity with courage and humility, despite the limitations that existed have made the team a source of great pride not only for the Wahiawa community but for the entire State of Hawaii; now therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that this body hereby recognizes and congratulates the outstanding members of the LEILEHUA HIGH SCHOOL MULES VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM on winning the 2007 Division I Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Football Championship, applauds their commitment and enthusiasm, and extends to each member its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors.

OFFERED BY:

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