Pristine, clear and eternal the water is.
Fisiikaho Valikoula could’ve had that clarity every day. A short walk to the beach. Sitting in the water to decompress. Waves splashing peace into his soul. A 6-foot-3, 310-pound surfer catching waves.
“I have a 12-footer. I used to use it as my paddleboard. It’s at least five years old, pretty banged up,” he said. “We cover the holes with some sealant.
Joy shared is twice the joy. Diving with his brother and cousins at their favorite spots is always a peak memory. Using the three-prong spear. Bringing home fresh food.
“I like it when Kaho brings home kala and uhu,” said his father, Ofakimoana.
In Kaho’s blood, and his father’s, is a yearning to play rugby. His father played for the Tongan national team before moving to Hawaii at 20. Kaho began playing at the U10 level. Older brother Tevita played and had a tryout with the national team. Older sister Salote (“Lala”) recently returned from the U20 national team’s trip to South Africa.
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“I guess it’s in my genes,” their soft-spoken dad said.
American football? It was a relatively late start for Kaho. He began playing in the Big Boyz league, a 13-year-old among varsity-aged players. He lacked technical knowledge but understood balance and leverage to a good extent. Work ethic is part of that familial mentality. When Kaho isn’t in the yard flipping an 840-pound tire, he is on the road with his father, doing construction work and building walls across Oahu.
“I work with them on that,” Ofakimoana said. “It doesn’t come. I put them to work.”
When it comes to the tire work, ‘them’ includes younger brother Kipeni, 13. Kaho says their tire has been there his entire life.
“I grew up with that thing there. Dad got it from a monster truck. I would try and flip it my sophomore year. It was always working out with my lifting, my squat,” he said. “It took me a month to flip it consistently.”
His record for tire flips without stopping is 10.
“Our yard from one side to the other would take five flips. Then I flip it back five more times. One of my older cousins who plays at a JUCO came to visit. We were working out and he saw the tire. ‘What do you do with that tire?’ He could get it up only a quarter of the way.”
Kaho Valikoula is now a senior left tackle. Kahuku’s offensive line was a work in progress in preseason but has developed under the watchful eyes of a veteran coaching staff. Longtime O-line guru Brian Derby has enjoyed witnessing the development of Valikoula, an inexperienced freshman, into a seasoned leader of Kahuku’s trench men.
In Kahuku’s win over Campbell, the offense finished with 341 yards of total offense against one of the state’s top defensive units. Twenty-seven pass attempts, 29 rushing attempts. Of all the contenders for Open Division league and state titles, Kahuku’s upside and balance offensively is right there with the best. It starts with the offensive line, from Valikoula at left tackle to Keawe Tupou and Joseph Hernandez-Avea alternating at LG, Brandon Tailele at center, Kaisia Ueni at RG and Zion Aupa‘au at RT.
“We have a pretty good group. Sometimes we miscommunicate on plays or misread the bands. I try to keep us dominant. Be aggressive up front so that the guys in the back and the skill guys can do their job,” Valikoula said. “I think we have a chance to make it to states. I hope the rest of the team sees it that way, too. We keep practicing hard and I try my best to keep the up-front solid. Give Lucky (Suguturaga) time. Make holes for the running backs like Blazyn (-Brave Nunuha). I think we can do pretty good.”
For decades, Derby has run a tight ship when it comes to the intricate details of fundamental technique and mechanics of line warfare. As an assistant coach, the daily grind is like oxygen for him.
“Our offensive line is young in experience. They have grown tremendously and have played well a better part of the season thus far. They work hard in practice every day and push each other,” Derby said. “I love my O-line. They are characters that have me laughing and yelling every day.”
Derby’s summer camps for O-linemen are iconic, drawing beginners and heavily recruited prospects, and he treats everyone the same.
There are no superstars on Derby’s watch. There are only correct or incorrect hands and feet. When Derby arrived at Kahuku as an assistant coach, Valikoula was a freshman. The following summer, he made the trek to Derby’s weekly camp.
“He’ll find the littlest thing. He’ll teach you how to do it step by step the first time. The second time, he’ll do it again. You should have an idea how to do it by then,” Valikoula said. “After that, he’ll still tell you what you’re doing wrong, but each time after that he gets more angry.”
It’s simple, yet complex. Repetition is everything. Repetition builds muscle memory, confidence.
“One thing that really stuck to me was ‘fast hands.’ Your hands-by-your-feet time. Mostly, it’s for pass pro. When you set, they’re coming at you. You shoot your hands on them fast and early. It buys your feet time to move with them instead of them getting into your space and then spinning,” he said
Derby has coached big and small linemen, refining their trench skills. Occasionally, the length and strength show up in a player like Valikoula.
“I told him, you have the longest arms in the world. That first punch is the key,” Derby said. “If I had those arms, nobody would get around me.”
During his sophomore year on JV, varsity coaches wanted him.
“That was a proud moment when they pulled him up to start in the state championship game,” Valikoula’s father said.
When the JV season ended, they pulled him up. He played in the state tournament, thrown right into the fire.
Kahuku is coming off a 24-21 win over defending state champion Campbell. Now ranked No. 3 in the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10, Kahuku is preparing to battle Kailua. A Kahuku win on Saturday would create a tie with Campbell for the third seed in the OIA Open Division. Kahuku has that head-to-head tiebreaker.
David Stant was offensive coordinator before becoming head coach this season. Stant sees room for improvement in every way for Kahuku’s offense, but the progress of the offensive line in a multi-dimensional attack has been notable.
“Kaho is our gentle giant. He hardly gets mad, but when he does, there is a big reason. Guys are not doing what they’re supposed to,” Stant said. “He’s just blowing guys up — not just in the games, but in practice. He has raw strength from the way his dad makes him work construction. He’s almost effortless. Great heart. Gentle. He can pound guys.”
UH is the one college program to make an offer so far. Others like Utah Tech and BYU are interested.
“Kaho’s got long arms, a long span,” Derby said. “I tell him, you get that from carrying 200-pound rocks. What a great kid. I wish I had more of them. He can play tackle, guard, center. If I had tackles, Kaho would be inside for me. Last year he was a guard and played Tomtom (Tomuhini Topui) from Mater Dei. This is the battle of the poko, and Kaho took it to him.”
Topui is now a defensive lineman at USC. Kahuku’s O-linemen are not in a box.
“We pull our center, guards and tackles. I like my guys to be well-rounded,” Derby said. “Kaho is still young to football, He has the ability.”
Derby believes Valikoula has the frame, the work ethic and the resilience to find success at the next level, and perhaps the one after that.
“He reminds me of Shawn Lauvao,” Derby said.
Lauvao was a scholar-athlete at Farrington who developed at Arizona State into a bonafide NFL prospect. At 6-3 and 308 pounds, he went on to play four seasons in Cleveland and five in Washington before retiring in 2019. He is now a certified NFLPA contract adviser with AMDG Sports.
“Kaho is the same kind of kid. Same demeanor. Same kind of body type. In high school, Shawn was good, but nothing where he stands out. In college, he worked his butt off. Not an Adonis body, but big, and as he kept working hard, his body changed. That’s how Kaho will be. Once you get to college, it’s a business.”
The highs of success on the gridiron are never a given. Family time at their favorite beach (Kekela’s, a.k.a. Kokololio Beach Park) on a Sunday is priceless. Dad set the tone with his love for diving and rugby. It’s the reverent warrior aspect of his children that goes deeper.
“The first thing I’m proud of most is how humble Kaho is. I know the coaches always want him to pump up the kids, but Kaho, he’s to himself. He’ll only come out when he wants to say something. He and the rest of our kids have respect for the elders, the uncles and aunties. That’s important in our household,” he said. “I’m proud of his accomplishment in the classroom.”
For now, Sela (Lutu) Valikoula is enjoying what remains of her middle son’s high school years.
“If you get a word out of him, you’re lucky. Ask him how he is, he does a thumbs up. He doesn’t put himself higher than anybody. He includes his friends and takes care of the people he loves. He concentrates on getting things done,” she said. “Without his coaches, Kaho wouldn’t know anything about football. They’ve put so much attention into him.”
Before graduation, he might go back to the discus and shot put in track and field. He might play rugby with his younger brother, Kipeni. Either way, there will always be the blessing of his neighborhood. The walk to the beach is quick. When the body is aching, Valikoula goes to his sanctuary.
“Sometimes in the middle of the week when we have our most contact (at practice), my body is all banged up,” he said. “If I’m really sore, I go swim after practice for 30 minutes or more, just to relax. Or I just sit in the water.”
Derby sees the toll that schoolwork, football and construction work have on Valikoula. It is the way.
“Sometimes, it’s practice at 6 o’clock and he’s got cement on him (after working). It is what it is. You have to help take care of your family. I understand that. At least I know he’s doing something, not playing video games. He’s busting his butt,” Derby said. “He’s such a good kid, and he’s tough because of his work with his dad.”
| Fisiikaho Vaikoula | |
|---|---|
| Kahuku football (left tackle), track and field • 6-3, 310 pounds • Senior | |
| Favorite hobbies | surfing, diving |
| Top surf spots |
“Waikiki when it gets big.” |
| Favorite athlete |
Trent Williams, OT, San Francisco 49ers “I just like his physicality, his mindset; how fast he can move at his size. Aggressive.” |
| Top 3 movies |
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| Favorite homemade food |
“She adds brown sugar, hot dogs to her pork and beans. She doesn’t make it that often, but she’ll make it on my birthday. My dad makes shoyu sipi with lamb. I can make the shoyu steak and shoyu sipi.” |
| Favorite food/drinks (eating out) |
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| Top 3 music artists |
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| Favorite rugby athlete | Haumole Olakau‘atu, rugby player (Manly-Warringha Sea Eagles, Tonga national team) |
| Favorite team | Mate Ma‘a Tonga (national rugby team) |
| Funniest teammate |
Brandon Tailele “He’s the most out of pocket person on the team. He’s so random, so funny.” |
| Smartest teammate |
Keawe Tupou “When we pulled him from the D-line, he was having a pretty hard time, but after a week or two, he got the plays down pretty fast. School-wise he’s pretty smart. He has a 4.3 GPA. He takes college courses.” |
| GPA (cumulative) | 3.0 |
| Favorite teacher | Mr. (Michael) Lau, speech and debate |
| Favorite motto | Comfort is the enemy of progress. |
| Youth sports |
rugby “Rugby’s pretty fun. Everybody has a chance to shine. To touch the ball and try and make things happen. Everybody plays offense and defense, playing nonstop. I was seventh grade, the (Kahuku) U18 team needed some players, so my dad made me go with them. They didn’t really tell me until game day. Kahuku Rugby Academy we all practiced together regardless of age. Our trip to Cali that’s when they told me. I was shocked. All these guys were super big. I went on three trips. Sometimes we would go to Big Island. One was to Montana. We went to Utah for NAI 7s.” |
| New life skill |
time management “To me, it’s important because with a schedule, I can get a lot done.” |
| What percentage of life is random? | “The number of life that’s random I would say is 50%. The other 50% is how you react to that randomness. All these coincidences, you never know what’s going to happen within the next moment, the next 10 minutes. When I was in 14U for football, I was planning to play in a game on Saturday, but during practice I broke my hand. I was playing D-line. I got double-teamed and one of the O-line stepped on my hand and it broke. I blacked out. When I woke up everyone was standing above me. I was just starting, just put my head down and try to ram guys. From that point on, I told myself I can’t be soft like that anymore. I’ve been working to be stronger and faster.” |
| Time machine | “I would go back to the beach days I had with all my family especially with my grandpa (Kipeni Lutu). He passed in 2021. I miss his jokes at the family barbecue. He was always cracking jokes about everybody.” |
| What would you tell your younger self? | “Don’t make excuses and just work hard.” |
| Shoutouts | “I just want to shout out to all my family, especially my parents and siblings, for being there for me and supporting me through thick and thin. I will be forever grateful for all of you guys. Thank you to all the coaches that have coached me. Thank you guys for keeping me in check and being hard on me when I need it and for believing in me. Love all you guys.” |