LIHU‘E — Last season’s Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Defensive Player of the Year is heading to the mainland to play for the Western Oregon Wolves. Teila Huni, of Kaua‘i High School, made his decision after careful consideration and will head to
LIHU‘E — Last season’s Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Defensive Player of
the Year is heading to the mainland to play for the Western Oregon Wolves. Teila Huni, of Kaua‘i High School, made his decision after careful consideration and will head to Monmouth, Ore. on Aug. 11.
He had been considering other schools that made him offers, including Portland State and Brigham Young University, but Western Oregon gave him a better financial offer to join its program.
Huni was also an honorable mention All-State linebacker last season, and a key component to the success and ultimate championship run that KHS put together.
Teila, a four-year player for both the Red Raiders’ football and basketball squads, credits his dad for the toughness he displayed as the leader of Kaua‘i’s staunch linebacking corpe. His father, Talisiu, was a rugby player growing up in Tonga.
“But I think he got his smartness from his mom,” said Talisiu.
Teila said his mom, Kaydee, is always there for him and will be sad to see him go. However, this is a dream that he has been working towards since the moment he first put pads on.
“Ever since Pop Warner, I felt like this was my way to get off the island,” he said.
The highly-touted linebacker said that his new team and coaching staff has instructed him to add some weight in order to compete with the typically bigger college athletes he will soon be lined up against. He took their advice seriously and has bulked up from about 195 lbs. at the end of basketball season to 222 lbs. now. He hopes to play at about 225.
Coach Arne Ferguson, who has been at Western Oregon as a player and coach since 1985, is entering his fifth year as head football coach.
After speaking to football people around the island, Ferguson commented that Teila’s name was the one that continued to come up in conversation. He was then able to get some film and was struck by his ability and productivity.
“We saw how physical he is,” said Coach Ferguson. “He also runs phenomenally well. He still has size potential, too.”
The plan is not to mess with Teila’s tendencies and to leave the ex-Raider at inside linebacker.
“He’s exactly what we’re looking at that spot.”
Coach Ferguson added that Western Oregon is trying to grow its base in Hawai‘i and expects to continue to add players from the islands in the near future. He noted that the great group of Hawaiian recruits entering the program this season should make about 16-18 Hawaiians on the roster.
What Teila leaves behind is a special group of players that led the Raiders to four of the school’s six straight KIF crowns.
“We’ve been together since Pop Warner,” he said. “We’ve been winning a long time and have grown up together.”
Now heading to a new school and new environment, Teila knows that the speed of the game and the size of the players will be the biggest obstacle initially.
“I know I have to put more dedication and commit more to getting better,” he said.
Academically, he is planning on majoring in Business.
Talisiu said that he and his entire family are very proud of Teila.
“We’ve seen him grow from being a little boy to a young man,” he said. “He always makes good choices, so I know he’ll be alright.”
Teila wishes Coach Borrero and his alma mater good luck in their upcoming season. He is also hopeful that Daylin, his little brother and Kaua‘i defensive tackle, can “follow in my footsteps.”
Teila thanks his coaches, all the way back to Pop Warner, for making him the player he has become. He also thanks his mom and dad, his brother, his sister Shaylee, grandma and grandpa, and Uncle Milton for opening up the weight room for him.
