The Honolulu Advertiser asked each coach in today’s championship games to select a player to write about how he sees his team’s chances in the Division I and II title games. The writers are Kahuku running back Malosi Te‘o, Punahou offensive guard Ed Pallett, Iolani defensive lineman Chris St. Sure and Radford receiver Joe Brundidge.

Senior receiver Joe Brundidge is Radford's student body president. The Rams fell one game short of a state tournament berth the past two seasons.

The one thing this team has not been able to do the last two years is finish what we started. Two years in a row we had come so close to the OIA championship game, but fell one game short. Last year we watched on the sidelines as someone else played in the state tournament on our field.

Lifting began in January, along with study hall and conditioning. Coach Fred (Salanoa) told the team, "Let no man OUT-TRAIN, OUT-PRACTICE, OUT-PERFORM" us, and with this attitude we lifted, we ran and we trained. We even did some karate to work on our balance and breathing techniques.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster ... the dedication in the weight room and conditioning paid off. By spring ball I could see in everyone's eyes the desire for nothing less than a championship.

We knew what we are capable of and if it wasn't evident then, it most certainly is now. Coach said that we have a championship team, and it was up to us to keep it that way.

The lifting, learning and running is an endless cycle. It is the price we are all willing to pay so that we can play in December. Coach stressed that we should be responsible for our actions and told us not do anything selfish that could hurt the team as a whole.

Waking up at 5 a.m. to run a mile before the sun comes up has to be one of my fondest memories of (fall) camp. The three practices a day, the extra hitting drills and conditioning all pushed us to our limit, but at the same time brought us closer together as a team. The team consisted almost purely of veteran players, so strong senior leadership made the team's chemistry that much better.

Game by game, we tried to improve some aspect of our performance. As the season went on, coaches stressed "focus."

The (OIA) championship pitted us against our favorite team from across town, Moanalua. It was the first time in Aloha Stadium for most of us and an experience I will never forget.

We won, 9-7. We finished. We set this goal almost six months ago and now we had achieved it. We had our weekend to celebrate, but we now set our eyes on another championship.

After we beat Kamehameha-Maui in the state semifinals, 37-27, the realization hit that we are going to play for a state championship. The hard work, dedication and commitment had paid off. Now we have the opportunity to win a state title, something our school hasn't had in almost 25 years.

Coach let us know that the championship would probably be the final football game for 90 percent of the seniors on the team. It is up to us to leave our legacy.

The long practices, the sweat, the blood, the tears, all done to get to this point. And now we have an opportunity to be remembered forever.