4-star Washington-bound lineman Paki Finau, Pou Tatofi all about family at Oak Hills

Right side of Bulldogs' offensive line brought together by tragedy, culture and a 'making it work,' outlook

Oak Hills High School sits in a corner of the Mojave Desert north of the Cajon Pass, southwest of Hesperia, and east of Phelan.

Jack rabbits, quail, and rattlesnakes used to rule here, but now it’s the domain of the Oak Hills High football team. It’s a team skillfully coached by Robert Metzger that is blessed with impressive size and talent.

Oak Hills (4-0), ranked 25th in the Southern Section, is at St. Bonaventure of Ventura (2-2) at 7 p.m. Friday.

“Are you ready?” an assistant coach rhetorically asks players in black and red practice gear at the start of a drill. “All right. This is a full-speed drill. Break down right before. Get under him and block him. Let’s go. Set, go! Set, go!”

Pads pop. Players grunt. Whistles blow.

“The transition here was very smooth,” said Tupou "Pou" Tatofi, a thickly built offensive lineman of Tongan descent. “The culture here – I don’t think any school I’ve been to can compare. St. Louis High (in Hawaii, where Pou transferred from) has a good brotherhood and they claim that proudly, but the community here is just very tight knit. The Polynesian community here is close because there’s not a lot of us.”

That community includes Pou, his nephew, teammate and 4-star recruit Paki Finau, Paki’s parents Sione and Si’i, his aunt and uncle and assorted children who live — 19 people in all — in a three-bedroom Oak Hills house.

“Polynesians are always helping out whenever we can, so we have my first cousins that I grew up with living with us,” said Paki, an offensive lineman who is committed to Washington. “It’s good that we have the whole family together. There are a small number of Polynesians at this school, so I think it’s good we come together.”

Pou Tatofi (left) and Paki Finau are connected on the Oak Hills offensive line and by blood. Photo: John Murphy

Tragedy, garage space and making it work

The circumstances that brought Pou to live with Paki’s family are unfortunate.

“Pou’s dad passed away about 6-7 years ago,” said Si’I Finau. “His sister (Linda) has raised him. His mom died before that. It’s been a long time and I’m not sure about all the facts because Polynesians don’t usually discuss illnesses.”

The living arrangements aren’t ideal, but the families make it work.

“It’s worked out great,” Si’I said. “Pou is calm and big and authoritative, so he’s been a good addition. He and Paki have been sharing the garage. Paki is a strong, religious boy who takes care of his grandmother who has dementia. If he’s not playing football, he and his brothers are helping to watch her.”

Pou (6-foot-1, 325 pounds) and Paki (6-5, 260) are seniors who start next to each on the Bulldog offensive line. They impress offensive line coach Rich Mitsuda, who came to Oak Hills from Serra of Gardena and helps fill the void of the absent coach Nick Monica, who has medical issues.

“He’s pretty solid,” Mitsuda said of Pou. “We got him last year. We had to work on some technique but he’s a great student (of the game). He picks things up very quickly.”

And Paki, who has 26 college offers and rated the No. 14 offensive tackle in the country?

“Nothing more needs to be said about him," Mitsuda said. "He is a Top 300 by ESPN for a reason. Besides his football IQ, his athleticism is really off the charts. Some of the stuff he can do — he can almost read and block two guys at the same time.”

Teammates literally and figuratively look up to 6-foot-5, 260-pound Paki Fanau (right). Photo: John Murphy

Filling the gaps

Pou didn’t have immediate family around him for his first four months at Oak Hills. But then his older sister and legal guardian Linda and his brother Alfred moved to Moreno Valley, about 70 minutes from the High Desert.

“Family is really big for the Polynesian culture,” Pou said. “With the passing of my parents, including my dad seven years ago, there’s so much family to fill the gaps. We do miss them, but there’s not a lot we can do but move forward. And our family has really helped with that. We have family here in California, Hawaii, Tonga, everywhere.”

Si’i Finau has the daunting task of keeping the boys and the rest of the brood fed.

“We go through about 15 pounds of chicken a day,” Si’i said. “We make sure dinner is ready when they walk in after practice. And they just inhale whatever is there. Rice, chicken, pasta, garlic bread. We use huge pots and aluminum trays. It’s like a big buffet. We take turns and each cook about three days a week. And then Sunday is usually a free day and so we often eat out.”

Pou and Paki like Alberto’s, a fast-food Mexican restaurant. They love burritos and carne asada fries.

Paki Fanau (left) and Pou Tatofi (at center) during practice. Photo: John Murphy

Emotions, incentives, pushing forward

Oak Hills travels down the hill on Friday, Sept. 8 to meet Citrus Valley of Redlands. The Blackhawks are a perennial Citrus Belt League contender coached by Kurt Bruich, arguably one of the state’s best coaches. Bruich guided nearby Redlands East Valley High and star Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins) to a state title in 2014.

Oak Hills has extra incentive on this night as coach Monica – who had a troublesome big toe amputated in August – makes a surprise appearance.

Oak Hills kicks a field goal to lead 3-0. But the lead changes hands four times. Finally, the Bulldogs take control when Shaylon Young bursts into the end zone behind blocks from Paki and Pou to put Oak Hills ahead by 11 points en route to a 24-19 victory, the team's fourth in four tries. 

Finau celebrates with a light headbutt of Young and the 325-pound Pou skips around the end zone like a loon, clapping his hands and making a "T" sign for Tonga.

“It was really just to keep pushing,” Pou says about the key to victory. “We came out here knowing this was going to be a tough game.”

Soon siblings Linda and Alfred drift over.

Linda is asked what it’s like to be her brother’s legal guardian.

“It’s weird because it’s kind of a balance between sister and mother,” she says. “But he’s a good kid. He makes it easy on me.”

Asked what it’s like to watch her brother play, Linda doesn’t hesitate.

“It’s emotional,” she says, her tears glistening in the Friday night lights. “Definitely emotional. I’d like to have our parents here, but we’re here, so that’s all that matters.”

John Murphy is the sports editor of the Century Group Media of Southern California. Follow him at @PrepDawg2. 

All photos below by John Murphy: 

Tupou "Pou" Tatofi (middle) with his sister Linda (left) and brother Alfred.  

Paki Finau (right) and his mom Si’i (middle) after another big win. 

Pou Tatofi (left) and Paki Finau account for almost 600 pounds of offensive line play

Oak Hills offensive line coach Nick Monica chatting it up with Paki Finau (53)

Paki Finau (left) battles with a teammate at practice

Pou Tatofi (57) waiting for the snap

Paki Finau listening for instruction

Paki Finau (left) taking on a defender at practice

More 'search and destroy" for Paki Finau at practice

At 6-1, 325, Pou Tatofi is a force at center.  

Oak Hills' players listen in on what coach Rick Mitsuda has to say. 

Pou Tatofi isn't always so serious, though football is always quite urgent for the senior at Oak Hills.