Konawaena football players Hezekiah “Kiah” Anahu-Ambrosio and younger brother Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio were recently offered scholarships by Brigham Young, the Division I FBS school that has former Wildcat defensive end Alex Muti on its roster.
Kiah is an incoming junior safety/linebacker and stands 5 feet 11 and weighs 205 pounds. Zedekiah is an incoming freshman slotback/running back, who is 5-9 and 150 pounds.
Zedekiah is believed to be the first BIIF player to be offered a Division I scholarship as an incoming freshman, though he’s not the youngest in the state.
In 2017, then-Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich offered a scholarship to quarterback Titan Lacaden, from Kapolei, Oahu, who was 11 years old at the time and in the 5th grade.
The Anahu-Ambrosio brothers made a name for themselves in Pop Warner playing for the Leeward Steelers but were heavily scouted in Utah, where BYU first learned of Zedekiah and invited him to its summer camp, held June 7-9.
Zedekiah had been attending showcases in Utah, and when the Cougars learned that he had an older brother they invited Kiah, too.
Out of the 300-plus campers, the brothers earned MVP awards for their positions and were offered scholarships on the last day of the camp, according to their dad, Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, who coaches the Steelers.
“Everybody knows football in Hawaii. But they think Kahuku, Saint Louis and Mililani,” he said. “The Big Island is small and secluded. But there is talent on the Big Island. The boys did the Big Island proud.”
The boys inherited their athletic genes from their dad and mom, Tasha Dela Cruz, who played softball and volleyball at Konawaena.
Anahu-Ambrosio credited coaches Sergio Mamone, Maurice Silva and Kaeo Drummondo for helping his sons in Hilo, and Elite Hawaii Athletics trainer Aisea Tremaine for training his boys in Kona.
“It takes an island to raise a kid, and they all had a hand with my kids,” he said. “We couldn’t believe they got offered. It shows that you’re never too young. The younger one has the drive and determination. He wants to be like his older brother. They want to be like (Hilo High grad) Kilohana Haasenritter (at Hawaii) and Alex Muti and show they can compete.”
Konawaena coach Brad Uemoto wasn’t the least bit surprised, because he saw Kiah’s talent as a freshman in 2019.
“Kiah started for us on both sides of the ball, played special teams, safety, running back, wide receiver and scored a touchdown against Mission Viejo in his first game,” he said. “We knew he was talented and diverse. When Division I school recruit players, they want to know do they love football? They’ve put in the work, getting better in the weight room, getting exposure.
“For Zed to be offered in the 8th grade, that’s rare to offer kids that early. He may not have taken a high school snap, but he’s been competing on the mainland with varsity players. That’s what caught the eye of BYU. The coaches feel he’s the next John Ursua, with his route running and playing style.”
The plan now is to get both more scholarship offers, especially from UH, where the brothers took an unofficial visit last weekend.
“UH needs more film to pull the trigger,” Uemoto said. “It’s important to get an offer from your hometown school because that’s the first thing recruiters ask, ‘Did he get an offer from his hometown school?’ If not, that draws red flags. UH has not offered yet, but it’ll be sooner rather than later.”
Uemoto sat down with UH coach Todd Graham, who explained the benefit of playing on statewide TV in front of family, friends and potential employers.
“Coach Graham said that’s Chevan Cordeiro’s thinking. He knows that’s the best way to get his name out there because he wants to set himself up for life,” Uemoto said. “They’re very good kids, extremely coachable and good team players. Coach Graham is a straight-up guy. He said whoever comes in has to work hard. He’s old-fashioned. He said it won’t be easy and you have to compete.
“We always tell the players if they feel secluded and think nobody is watching, if you’re talented they’ll find you. The No. 1 thing coaches ask is are they academically eligible? That’s the No. 1 thing we preach, academics. We have a good setup at the school with college counselors, so we’re lucky at the school. What we preach is you’re there for the players behind you, the younger players, the next generation.”
One of the things Uemoto knows is it’s important to find a comfortable fit, meaning it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to go to a big-name school like Alabama or USC if you’ll sit on the bench for three years waiting for your turn.
“I’m still in contact with Fresno State, San Diego State, Washington State with Craig Stutzmann, and I’ll call Sam Papalii, who has a lot of great contacts from his time at Utah,” Uemoto said. “I’ll keep sending out film to get more offers for them. The hardest part is getting the first one, and they did that.”
