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La‘akea Kaho‘o­hanohano-Davis, a 2016 Baldwin Excessive Faculty graduate, recorded 57 tackles and 7 sacks in Southern Utah College’s six-game 2021 spring season, incomes first-team FCS All-American honors. SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS photographs

Simply when La’akea Kaho’o­hanohano-Davis had established himself on the school soccer panorama, one other in an extended record of setbacks hit him not too long ago.

After battling accidents that value him 4 of 5 seasons from 2014-18, the Southern Utah College linebacker was named a Soccer Championship Subdivision All-American within the 2021 spring season that was delayed by COVID-19.

“It’s positively been an extended journey, not a simple one for positive, however it’s been enjoyable,” stated Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, a 2016 graduate of Baldwin Excessive Faculty. “I met lots of cool individuals alongside the best way, lifetime mates I’d say. When you had requested me in 2016, I’d not assume I’d be right here proper now, actually.

“It feels nice although to simply be the place I’m at. I don’t know, it’s simply superior, man. I can’t clarify it.”

He suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments in his proper knee — the primary within the second recreation of the 2016 season after which once more on the primary day of fall camp in 2017. He tore his meniscus in 2019, however rebounded shortly to play in 5 video games, recording 10 tackles.

Devon Sa-Chisolm, a former Lahainaluna standout who performed his senior highschool season in Utah, has joined La‘akea Kaho‘o­hanohano-Davis on the Thunderbirds roster this season.

Kaho’ohanohano-Davis’ first massive damage got here when he broke his elbow as a junior at Baldwin within the opener and missed the rest of the season.

It was final spring the place he lastly was capable of present the athleticism that allowed him to attain 12 touchdowns and win 4 state titles in monitor as a Baldwin senior, together with state-record and nationally ranked marks within the lengthy leap and triple leap.

Within the six-game 2021 spring season for the Thunderbirds, he recorded 57 tackles and 7 sacks to earn first-team FCS All-American honors.

“He’s a freakish athlete. We at all times know that La’a was actually good, however the issue was he simply battled accidents when he first got here to us,” SUU linebackers coach Solomona Tapasa stated. “He’s had two knee surgical procedures since he’s been right here, in order that’s why you guys didn’t see him an entire lot.

“Final 12 months, he lastly received wholesome and everyone noticed what he may do. The NFL has already come via and talked to us about him. They will see the athleticism and all the pieces else. So, yeah, the NFL has already began coming via. He’s on the NFL’s radar proper now.”

Lastly wholesome, La‘akea Kaho‘o­hanohano-Davis is attracting consideration from the NFL. “They will see the athleticism and all the pieces else,” Southern Utah linebackers coach Solomona Tapasa stated.

Kaho’ohanohano-Davis was joined on the Thunderbirds roster this fall by Devon Sa-Chisolm, a large receiver who gained three Division II state titles with Lahainaluna earlier than transfering and successful a 5A state crown with Orem Excessive Faculty in Utah in 2020.

“I like faculty soccer, it’s actual enjoyable, it’s actually time-consuming, however it’s what I like to do,” Sa-Chisolm stated. “I’m loving it up right here.”

Kaho’ohanohano-Davis has been round Cedar Metropolis, Utah, lengthy sufficient to point out Sa-Chisolm the ropes.

“I see him day-after-day, so I talked to him right here and there and I’m simply getting nearer with him, similar to all of my teammates … I see him fairly a bit,” Sa-Chisolm stated. “It’s actually cool as a result of I bear in mind after I was within the eighth grade — when La’a was at school — watching all these individuals play and for him to be a rival to my old skool was fairly good. Simply watching what us Hawaii individuals will be, what we’re able to, it’s wonderful.”

SUU huge receivers coach Brady Measom likes what he sees in Sa-Chisolm early on.

“He’s been superior,” Measom stated. “One factor I like is he’s simply soft-spoken and actually respectful and simply able to go to work. I’ve been tremendous impressed together with his mentality of how he got here in as a real freshman.”

Measom was a senior huge receiver on the SUU group when Kaho’ohanohano-Davis arrived within the fall of 2016.

“That was type of cool, type of attending to see from each methods,” Measom stated of Kaho’ohanohano-Davis. “Man, he’s clearly received all of the athletic skills, however simply so far as his soccer data and type of having a really feel for the sport, having the ability to play a number of positions, simply flying across the subject — I’m glad he’s on our group and we don’t need to play in opposition to him.”

Then, whereas Kaho’ohano­hano-Davis was on the Large Sky Convention media day in Spokane, Wash., on July 24, he was introduced with one other severe problem.

He received a name from his girlfriend, SUU ladies’s basketball participant Pyper Thornberry. Their condo was flooded after a deluge of rain in Cedar Metropolis.

“I used to be supposed to come back house that day and she or he simply known as me and stated our condo was beneath water,” Kaho’ohanohano-Davis stated. “I used to be simply pondering, ‘OK, possibly it’s similar to knee-deep or one thing,’ however no. She despatched me a (image) and it was to the ceiling, like 8-feet deep. It was loopy.

“I misplaced all the pieces I had that was in my home.”

The most recent setback doesn’t look like as daunting because the accidents Kaho’ohanohano-Davis has overcome to get to the purpose the place he’s contemplating leaving SUU for the NFL draft with a season of eligibility left.

“It was actually dangerous right here in Cedar, the climate was loopy,” he stated. “That occurred, the condo filling up, that occurred in like an hour.”

The Cedar Metropolis airport was shut down from the climate, delaying Kaho’ohanohano-Davis’ arrival house, however when he received there the love abounded.

“We needed to take care of all the pieces the subsequent day, however my teammates, the group, everyone right here is simply unbelievable,” he stated. “Once I wasn’t right here, all my teammates, everyone, all of them helped my girlfriend and stuff, seize all the pieces out. Even my neighbors, too, they actually got here collectively and helped.”

Final week, the Thunderbirds group gathered to assist a group outdoors of Cedar Metropolis the place SUU defensive position coach Ryan Hunt lives. Extra rain had compounded the issues the world was nonetheless coping with because of the flooding a pair weeks earlier.

“He wanted assist as a result of his home received flooded, so we went with sandbags and after we have been going out to see if anyone locally wanted assist,” Kaho’ohanohano-Davis stated. “Everyone was simply getting of their vans and going and serving to the entire day, from 8 to love 6 within the afternoon.

“The thunder and the storms have been loopy over right here. Folks in Cedar have stated they’ve by no means seen something like this.”

Stated Tapasa: “He was on the market together with his teammates serving to everyone else locally earlier than he even helped himself. After which the information (reporters) needed to come back speak to him, the lieutenant governor tried to come back speak to him, however he stated, ‘Nah, I’m with my teammates.’ That’s how humble he’s, it’s at all times about his teammates with him. Humble child.”

Kaho’ohanohano-Davis stated he discovered the spirit of giving again from the place he grew up.

“That is what we are you aware, from residing in Hawaii, the aloha spirit, we give aloha,” Kaho’ohanohano-Davis stated. “I like serving to individuals. Though, I misplaced all my materials issues, however so long as everyone’s OK, no lives misplaced, everybody is sweet, I’m superb. I simply love spreading aloha.”

Among the many irreplaceable gadgets he misplaced within the flood was his nice grandmother’s prayer guide and all of his garments. A GoFundMe account raised greater than $4,000 for Kaho’ohanohano-Davis.

“Everyone was displaying all of their help, simply serving to out a lot, I simply thank them from the underside of my coronary heart,” Kaho’ohanohano-Davis stated. “I can’t thank everyone sufficient, everyone again house and everybody right here.”

* Robert Collias is at [email protected].