Saturday afternoon will be a special one for the 1-0 University of Hawaii football team, as they host UCLA on national television in Manoa.
The game will also serve as a reunion for an ‘Ewa Beach family, as brothers Tamatoa and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, both wide receivers, are set to start for their respective teams—Tamatoa, a senior for UH and Titus, a junior for UCLA.
For their parents, Tammie Mokiao-Atimalala and Robert Atimalala, seeing their sons face off at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex will be a moment of immense pride.
"Super special. So blessed, so honored. Only God can do that," Tammie said.
Robert added, "I mean, to have your two boys play each other at home, in the 808, couldn't ask for anything more than that."
This game marks the first time the brothers will be opponents on the field, having been teammates from youth football all the way through high school, first at Kapolei and then at Campbell. The family’s strategy for managing split allegiances is creative.
"We made shirts—one side is Hawai‘i, and if you turn it inside out, it's UCLA. Reversible shirts," Robert said with a big smile. "I already told my boys I'll be wearing UCLA in the first quarter, and the next three quarters will be Hawai‘i because it's Tamatoa's senior year. Let's go!"
As for the nerves that come with watching both sons play on opposing offenses, Tammie admits the butterflies will be more like moths.
"Yeah, moths for sure," she said. "It's nerve-wracking, but they've worked so hard, and they deserve this. Just being able to be there and watch it is an honor for us. It really is."
It’s estimated that more than 100 family members and friends will be in attendance on Saturday afternoon.
Kickoff between the 'Bows and the Bruins is set for 1:30 pm. Limited tickets are still available and the game will be televised on CBS.