Waimea’s Parongao headed to Moorpark

LIHU‘E— Barry Sanders.

Any football fan who hears that name immediately thinks of excitement, greatness and unique abilities.

So when Coach Kauhi Miner said that Waimea’s Cole Parongao runs like the great Detroit Lions running back, one can’t help but be impressed. Even the subject, himself.

“Wow! That’s an incredible honor to be compared to the great Barry Sanders,” said Parongao after hearing about Miner’s comments. “He was my idol when I first started playing football and he still is now; he is a great role model.”

Coach Miner, a defensive line coach for Moorpark College in Moorpark, Calif., spotted Cole when he received a DVD of his highlights from the Pacific Islander Athletic Alliance. Miner, a native of Lahaina, Maui, does the scouting of the Hawaiian Islands for Moorpark and head coach Jim Bittner.

Though his family moved to California, now his home since 1962, Miner always enjoys his recruting trips back to the islands.

“I always feel so much at home,” he said. “I love Kaua‘i.”

Coach Miner did not get to see Cole in person when he scouted the islands, but called up his father, Vaughn, after seeing the DVD.

Vaughn told him that the family was taking a trip to California in April and that they could visit the school to check it out. Cole and his parents were choosing between a number of schools and had it narrowed down to Moorpark and Santa Barbara City College at the time of his visit. Cole was leaning towards SBCC when he was able to meet with both schools’ coaching staffs.

“I felt comfortable with Moorpark’s coaching staff,” he said. “You could see and sense the closeness among them.”

He said that when Coaches Bittner and Miner gave he and his family a tour of the facilities, they impressed him enough to make his decision a little bit easier.

The visit didn’t involve much on-field action, just a 15-20 minute session where the coaches ran him through a few drills. It wasn’t exactly the way Coach Miner likes to play the game.

“I hate practicing and drilling without pads,” said the old-school coach.

Though not a running backs coach, the gregarious Miner seems taken by Cole’s rare mix of toughness and finesse that few offensive players usually possess.

“We think we’ve found a real diamond in the rough with Cole,” he said.

The team had to assess Cole using mostly intuition, due to his limited time on the field for Waimea. During his two seasons, one junior varsity and one varsity, Cole twice suffered a broken collar bone and had a severely sprained ankle. Even through these injuries, he saw at least some time at running back, quarterback, safety, cornerback and holder, as well as returning punts and kick-offs.

Coach Miner feels that Cole is more suited to making defenders miss, rather than just simply running away from them.

“He’s better in confined space than he is in the open field,” he said. “He looks like he has a big smile on his face in confined space. I think he’s just bored in the open field.”

They expect to use Cole in a variety of ways in both the backfield and on special teams. Miner says that he has “great hands” and will be “devastating” as part of the return game.

“He’s the kind of player who makes a defensive line coach have ulcers,” said Miner. “You don’t get tired of watching him.”

Besides his on-field ambitions, Cole intends on working hard in the classroom in order to eventually move on to a college where he’d like to pursue a degree in natural sciences.

It’s his off-the-field personality that also impressed his new coaches.

“When you are looking at what is special about Cole, it’s not magic — the kid is smart,” said Coach Miner. “He’s not cocky or arrogant, either. I’m very happy for the family and for his brother, Chase, to have such a role model.”

Miner stressed the importance of family in many of the successful athletes he has seen throughout the years.

“It’s really important to have the parents involved,” he said. “It truly increases the chances of success. I’ve seen parents come down to watch kids on cold Friday nights” to provide that important support system.

Coach Miner just knew that everything about Cole would translate into a big part of their future. His talents are evident to those who know what to look for.

“He’s like a Missouri transplant — he’s a real ‘show-me player,’ ” he said.

Coach Miner intends to make annual trips to Kaua‘i to speak to eligible seniors, parents and coaches to let them know that there are opportunities after high school. He is somewhat baffled that college recruiters usually don’t go beyond O‘ahu.

The addition of Cole will make six Hawaiian players on next year’s Moorpark roster, providing a local tie to a team that has put together an impressive resume in the recent years. The Raiders — which could be a strange new logo for a Waimea player — have won at least nine games three times since 2002, as well as two conference championships. They have also won six of the last seven Citrus Cups against their nearby rival, Ventura College.

The 2009 season kicks off at Griffin Stadium, Moorpark’s home turf, on Sept. 5 against LA Pierce College.

Cole expects to head out to California around July 26 to begin practice and get settled into his new environment.

“I am thankful to be given the opportunity to continue playing football,” he said.