Kaua‘i High School senior Kekoa Crowell is one of two neighbor island football players to be honored as an outstanding scholar-athlete for the 2004-2005 academic year. “It’s a very prestigious honor, I believe it’s the first one for a Kaua‘i
Kaua‘i High School senior Kekoa Crowell is one of two neighbor island football players to be honored as an outstanding scholar-athlete for the 2004-2005 academic year.
“It’s a very prestigious honor, I believe it’s the first one for a Kaua‘i player, but it’s not everyday you get that kind of award,” Kaua‘i head football coach Keli‘i Morgado said.
The Kaua‘i football boss will be making the trip to support Crowell.
The Red Raider quarterback is one of 12 Hawai‘i High School seniors who will be honored at a ceremony on Sunday.
Each of the players will get a $1,000 scholarship provided by friends of football in the community.
In addition to the scholarship, one player will be chosen to represent Hawai‘i in the national scholar-athlete recognition program of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Heisman Trophy winner Richard Kazmaier of Princeton (1951) will handle the keynote speech.
“Kekoa will be going the junior college route and then enter the combine in the spring for a chance at the division one level,” Morgado said.
Crowell was chosen through an application process which included certain criteria like grades, athleticism, teamwork, leadership, extracurricular activities, and involvement in the community.
“He was involved with buying into our system and turning this program around, so he was involved in change and making it work and thats a pretty tremendous thing,” Morgado said.
The other end to the potent one-two Kaua‘i football punch, wide receiver Kevin Cadiente, who was a big reason for the resurgence of Kaua‘i football, will be heading off to Eastern Washington University as a walk-on.
“It was special for the past two years and it truly is a reflection of our senior class and what they did to turn around the program,” Morgado said. Teammates Brian Rodriguez, Ivan Kuapahi, Pat Kua, along with Kapa‘a’s Stetson Thronas will be playing for a junior college in Santa Maria, Calif.
