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I’ve been meaning to post this for a while and I thought I’d do it before the fun starts in tomorrow’s opening game.

Kona Schwenke
A little while ago there was a report about a possible BYU recruit from Hawaii named Kona Schwenke. I looked at the picture and didn’t recognize the face. Although, when I saw the name I realized I knew Kona quite well. I was his scout leader for a year.

Like most scout programs all of the boys would head to the gym for a little basketball at the end of scouts. When I looked at the teams I saw this towering boy that was at least a foot taller than many of my deacons. I asked one of the other leaders who he was and why he wasn’t at scouts. I was then told that his name was Kona and that he was only 11. Yes, this boy was blessed with big genes.

I must admit that I was a bit surprised by the article on Kona. When I knew him as an 11 and 12 year old he was very skinny and not really built for football. Shows you how much a few years in the weight room and eating spam, eggs and rice can do. I’ll be happy if Kona goes to BYU where I can watch him develop. His dad is really great too. He was the Varsity Scout leader and he basically ran a rugby camp for scouts. It was pretty entertaining to watch.

J.T. Mapu
My next Hawaiian surprise was an article about Tennessee Vol J.T. Mapu. We were in J.T. Mapu’s home ward in Hawaii while he was on his mission. We got to know his parents quite well and always enjoyed seeing his brother Daniel at church. They are some of the most caring and kind people you’ll ever meet. One time my wife and I were asked to be the witness couple for ward temple night. After the session as we were leaving, J.T. Mapu’s dad came up to me and in a very sincere manner said, “Thanks for taking care of all the up and down work.”

While I still hope that Tennessee loses tomorrow against Cal, I hope that J.T Mapu plays excellent. It’s absolutely the best game tomorrow (outside BYU) and so it would be great to see a Mapu in the spotlight.

Here’s a great video for every BYU fan that hates the Yewts(sorry didn’t want to be redundant). I think last night’s Utah game against Oregon State will be in the next version of the video.