“Coach (Mike) Denbrock stopped by our school on Friday,” said Ane. “I know the kids were pretty excited that he was here and it was nice to see him out here.
“He stopped out to check in on defensive ends Luke Kaumatule and DeForest Buckner, but we also talked about offensive lineman Matt Sparks and our sophomore linebacker Isaac Savaiinaea. I know he’s very interested in them all, so we gave him all their grades and whatever else he needed. I think everything went really well, and I know all the kids are interested in Notre Dame.”
The last time Irish Sports Daily spoke with Coach Ane, both Kaumatule and Buckner only had a few offers. What a difference a few months can make in recruiting.
“I believe just about everyone in the Pac-12 has offered Luke and DeForest, as well as BYU and San Diego State,” said Coach Ane. “Tennessee is starting to send a lot of information and so is LSU. Notre Dame definitely showed their interest level, and with all these options becoming available, it’s helped the kids to focus on their academics.”
They’re also growing a bit too.
“The boys needed to put on weight because they were 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-6, and very skinny,” said Ane. “Luke is now 265 pounds and Deforest is 240. They are definitely getting stronger and bigger.”
The Punahou head coach was also excited to share his views with Denbrock on a super sophomore on his roster, just in case the Irish might be interested in the future.
“Isaac Savaiinaea is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, and plays inside and outside linebacker for us,” said Ane. “He’s just a sophomore, so he hasn’t gotten any offers yet, but when schools come in and see him, they say they will be back to see him. I expect him to have a lot of offers very soon.”
With Notre Dame's recent visit behind Ane and his players, they have set their eyes upon their upcoming season and are ready to start working towards their goal, a state championship.
“We get to start a week of spring ball today,” said Punuhoa’s head coach. “We’ll get to go five days in t-shirts and shorts, no pads allowed. It’s very low key, but it gets the kids transitioning through the summer and looking ahead for what awaits us.”
