Keli‘i Montibon will turn 18 years old on May 26, 2016, and it’s a day he’ll never forget because that’s the date of the Kamehameha Schools Tri-campus Services on Oahu.
Seniors from all three campuses (Kapalama, Hawaii and Maui) congregate for a day of togetherness and in appreciation of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the founder of Kamehameha Schools.
Then two days later, Montibon will graduate with the rest of his Kamehameha senior class and pack his bags for Riverside (Calif.) College, where the offensive lineman signed to play ball.
“The best thing I got out of Kamehameha is I created a lot of friendships,” Montibon said. “The whole senior class is close.”
Yet, life is about choices, and graduates go their own way and often chase their own dreams.
Montibon’s dream is to play at the Division I level, but happy endings don’t happen for everyone, at least not immediately.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound left tackle/guard played in the Life Champion Senior Bowl in December and the Polynesian All-American Bowl in January in Oceanside, Calif., and drew more than a half-dozen scholarship offers.
However, none were from a Division I college. So Montibon turned down offers from Division I-AA (now called Football Championship Subdivision), Division II and other JC feelers.
“My dream college has always been Oregon,” he said. “But now it’s pretty much any Division I school that offers me an opportunity.
“Since I was a small kid, I always wanted to go to a Division I college. I took the JC route, and it’ll open up more opportunities for myself.”
Playing ball in the BIIF and at Riverside is a night and day difference as far as college scouting goes.
It’s not like college coaches, on any level, can hop in a car and check out prospects. That works on the mainland, but not when you’re 2,400 miles away by sea.
On the other hand, Riverside is a hotbed for developing college prospects.
Need a defensive tackle, offensive lineman, linebacker, running back or quarterback? The Riverside Tigers are a one-stop shopping grocery store for all.
In December, a whopping 10 Tigers signed midyear national letters of intent to play at a higher level, including Isi Holani (Hilo, 2014) to Kansas, and Abraham Reinhardt, who’s from Maui, to UH-Manoa.
Life is also about building connections.
It always helps to have friends. When friends help friends or even strangers, in Hawaii that’s called the Aloha spirit.
“I drew a connection to Riverside,” Montibon said. “I talked to Isi. He said it’s a good area, good place, and a lot of coaches go there. I took his word that it’s a good program, and that it’s a Division I factory.”
California Jucos don’t offer athletic scholarships but can hand out financial aid packages, something that Montibon got.
Last season, Riverside (8-3) lost to Saddleback in a Southern California regional semifinal.
Montibon has a 3.0 grade-point average and will figure out a major when he eventually transfers.
“I’ve got to work, work now and work harder when I get there,” said Montibon, who flies out June 17. “They told me they want me on the left side of the ball at left guard. I played left tackle my whole high school career.
“They told me anybody has a chance and opportunity. It doesn’t matter who’s coming back if it’s a sophomore or a returnee. It’s whoever wants it. The main thing is to work, work, work.”