Al Sermeno/KLC fotos
Hawaiian natives Stanley Saole-McKenzie, LeBron Williams, Aiden Manutai and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele are back on the islands for the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve.
HONOLULU - There is only one other place Cal true freshman All-American
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would rather be during the holidays than his native Hawai'i.
"The best scenario for us would be to win the ACC Championship and be preparing for the College Football Playoff," Sagapolutele said.
Sagapolutele intends to lead the Golden Bears to his most desired holiday location in the seasons ahead, but for 2025 he will have to be content with being home for the holidays for the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.
"I'm happy that I get to come home and play in front of family and friends," Sagapolutele said. "It's really a blessing."
Sagapolutele is not the only Hawaiian native on this year's Cal roster playing in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, with defensive back
Aiden Manutai and defensive linemen
Stanley Saole-McKenzie and
LeBron Williams also back on the islands to face the hometown Hawai'i squad.
And this game against a Rainbow Warriors team with lots of homegrown talent is serious.
"I know all of the Hawaiian boys are trying to put on for our family and the last name on our jerseys, while also representing Cal in the best way possible," Saole-McKenzie said. "Once we heard Hawai'i was a possibility, we prayed on it every day. Then, when we first got the news that we were actually coming over here, we all immediately called our families and started telling them to go buy their tickets, knowing that the Hawai'i stadium is not that big and will sell out fast."
The 15,000-seat Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex is the temporary host for Hawaii's home games and the likely sold-out Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. All players normally receive four tickets to each of their games and then can work with teammates throughout the season to trade tickets depending upon their needs for specific games.
Saole-McKenzie said he has been trying to come up with more than 60 tickets but didn't think it would be that big of an issue with only four players from Hawai'i on the team. But Manutai thought his teammate's needs assessment was conservative and his task at hand bigger.
"He's probably in the triple digits," Manutai said with a laugh. "He just doesn't know it."
There have already been multiple opportunities during the Bears' visit for the four natives to show off their home. Cal has practiced at all of their high schools. The Bears put in about a three-hour round trip on their first day on O'ahu to get from their Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort hotel to the home of Manutai and Williams at Kahuku on the North Shore before a short trip to McKenzie's Saint Louis the following day. On Monday, they finally journeyed to the stadium of Sagapolutele's recently crowned 2025 state champion Campbell in Ewa Beach on the Southwestern coast of O'ahu.
"You can come to Waikiki and kind of get stuck between the Pacific and Ala Wai (Canal), and that's kind of your experience in Hawai'i," said interim head coach Nick Rolovich, who played and coached collegiately at Hawai'i. "By going out to their schools we saw so much of the island and its beauty. Yes, we want to win the game, but there is an experience that I believe enriches each person as a player in the Hawai'i Bowl by seeing as much as you can of the island."
The Bears' practices have certainly been important but not the only items on an itinerary that has been chock-full of activities, including a team BBQ hosted by Saole-McKenzie'ss family at Ala Moana Regional Park, a Hawaiian luau, a trip to Wet 'n' Wild water park, visits to a homeless shelter and hospital, a visit to Pearl Harbor and ample free time for team-bonding and exploring.
One of Saole-McKenzie's main priorities for free time was making sure he took some of his teammates to his favorite restaurant, Zippy's.
"Stan and LeBron have been making sure the D-line eats well," defensive lineman
Derek Wilkins said. "Whether it's Stan's family at the BBQ, or tips ordering from Zippy's, it's been amazing to have them helping us truly understand the beauty of the island. Being able to be out here in Hawai'i with the guys has been great. Getting to see LeBron and Stanley's high schools, meeting some of the people that helped them become the players they are has been super cool. And I've also been super appreciative of how welcoming everyone has been."
Manutai pointed out there is so much they haven't even had time to do.
"I wish we were able to make our own schedule," Manutai said with a laugh before reciting a sizable list of activities he would be doing that includes "safely jumping off something."
The good news is that all four have a head start on their winter breaks and will be able to enjoy the holidays, time with families and friends, and some of their hometown activities before returning to Berkeley next month to help lift Cal football to new heights.
