BIIF feature: Kamehameha’s Montibon leads a block party

Offensive linemen do all the grunt work, basically, blocking to generate scoring drives, and are rarely recognized, but Kamehameha left tackle Russel “Keli‘i” Montibon is an exception.

The 6-foot-2, 278-pound senior was a big factor in the Warriors’ 45-0 victory over Hawaii Prep in a BIIF football game on Saturday that showcased Montibon’s wide range of blocking skills.

Montibon was easy to spot as a lead drive blocker on ground attacks, often pushing oneor two Ka Makani defenders backward, or as the blind-side protection for quarterback DallasJ Duarte on pass plays, closing any gap with his strength-and-mobility package.

“He’s very strong, very quick and as opposed to offensive linemen who are big and strong, he’s big, strong and athletic,” Kamehameha coach Dan Lyons said. “Technique-wise he’s very, very good. He’ll play well at the next level. He’s very well-liked by his teammates. He’s a quiet leader, and leads by action and example.”

O-linemen don’t have any stats attached to their names, but can take pride in the accomplishment of others. Montibon and the rest of his linemates had good reason to smile because running back Kaeo Batacan rushed for 142 yards on 17 carries, and quarterback DallasJ Duarte went 19 of 31 for 307 yards with three touchdowns.

Montibon is the only Warrior with a scholarship offer on the table. He’s got one from Army. He holds a 2.9 grade-point average and plans to major in either architecture or engineering.

In the glow of the Senior night celebration at Paiea Stadium, Montibon shined the spotlight on Batacan, whose footwork and cutback ability are helped by his time with the school’s basketball team.

“He gives us (O-line) a lot of credit, but most of the time it’s just him,” Montibon said. “He’s got good eyes and he’s shifty. His eyes get him everywhere.”

Montibon makes it a point to follow the technical lessons from assistant coach Manly Kanoa, a three-year Hawaii starter at left guard under the June Jones reign.

Kanoa’s position coach during his days from 1998 to 2001, when the Warriors competed for postseason bowl games, was the influential Mike Cavanaugh, who’s now at Nebraska after 10 years at Oregon State.

“On run blocking, I put my first step down, make my hits and pump my legs,” Montibon said. “On pass blocking, I do a power set. If you imagine a line, I have to stay parallel (to the defender). I have to keep a wide base, and keep my feet chopping. That’s what coach Manly tells us.”

It’s a much tougher deal to block on the run. It’s easy to forget proper technique, such as staying square to the defender, and anchoring with footwork to not get bowled over.

One play in the second quarter summed up Montibon’s good form.

He angle-blocked two Ka Makani attackers, each with the same blueprint. That allowed Batacan to gain eight yards down to the HPA 7-yard line. But his favorite block of the game was a later zone-block that led to another big gain.

It helps that the Warriors have good team chemistry on the O-line. Montibon and center Joyden Madriaga are three-year senior starters. Intended blocking targets are routinely hit because everyone knows the other’s pickup details.

“The center will first initiate the blocking call,” Montibon said. “But whenever someone sees something, we’ll make a call at the pre-snap. The team chemistry helps because everyone is in the right place and we connect and work as one.”

An offensive lineman has never been awarded the Tribune-Herald’s Athlete of the Week, but Montibon is a strong candidate. He’s got his own campaign manager in Lyons, who endorsed the All-BIIF first-team pick from a year ago.

“He’d be a great Athlete of the Week,” Lyons said. “He’s everything you want in a high school student-athlete. He’s got great work ethic. He’s humble. He’s one of the best athletes on our team. He’s got great leadership and he’s a very, very good athlete.”