Early building provides Servite's foundation

ANAHEIM - Kirifi Taula quickly turns to his favorite passage and begins to read.

"When you get what you want in your struggle for self and the world makes you king for the day, just go to a mirror and look at yourself, and see what that man has to say ..."

Servite's massive defensive tackle isn't reading from the playbook. But for the CIF Pac-5 Division champion Friars (13-1), this book is considered to be more important – even going into Saturday's CIF State Division II bowl game against Rocklin (14-0) at Home Depot Center.

Entitled "Kia Kaha," the 112-page book is a collection of inspiring stories, poems and quotes. The book also serves as a weekly journal for each player and coach at Servite.

The story behind the book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Friars' breakthrough season, which began to build strength in the team's four-day camp before fall practice.

Servite coach Troy Thomas created the book by picking stories and quotes that he believed relate to the pillars of the school's formation program: primacy of faith, mastery of self, necessity of others and centrality of Christ.

Players and coaches received the books on the first day of camp. The title, "Kia Kaha," is used by the Maori people of New Zealand and means "forever strong."

"It's a crazy book," the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Taula said. "This book really brought us close."

BUILDING BEGINS

Thomas said football wasn't the biggest part of the Friars' camp. The focus was building team chemistry.

The players slept in the gym. They attended early-morning Mass.

One of the daily movies was, naturally, "Forever Strong." The film spotlights the legendary Highland High rugby team in Utah and its coach, Larry Gelwix.

And for the first time, camp featured the distribution of "Kia Kaha."

Players read from the book and then shared what the stories or poems meant to them.

Taula said the poem "The Man in the Glass" challenged him to give his best.

"When I read it, it hit me hard," he said. "That just showed me, always give your hardest and if you can't look yourself in the eye after a game ... you didn't fulfill what you needed to do."

The book also features pictures of disabled sportsmen such as professional fisherman Clay Dyer, who was born without arms or legs. "There are a lot of lessons in that book," Thomas said.

MANY CHALLENGES

Servite has faced its own obstacles.

Thomas set arguably the toughest nonleague schedule in the state. There was an opener against two-time defending Pac-5 Division champion Long Beach Poly. Clovis West, Crespi, Edison and Chaparral followed. Taula said the Friars heard some early skepticism.

"Everyone thought we were going to be 0-5 going into league," he said.

The team also was hit early with injuries and defections. Thomas had switched to the 3-4 defense in the offseason but by the season opener, the Friars were down three projected starters at linebacker.

Top tackle Matt Jakubiec also was sidelined with an injury and never played for the Friars.

But thanks in part to the bond formed during camp, Servite not only stuck together, the Friars got better throughout the season.

Led by Thomas and a staff that included nine new assistant coaches, the Friars went 4-1 in nonleague games. They beat Mater Dei for the first time since 1988 and became the first undefeated Trinity League champion.

And the Friars did it despite even more injuries. Taula, who is planning recruiting trips to Washington, Oregon State and Arizona, suffered a broken arm and missed five games before returning in the semifinals. Defensive end/tight end Troy Niklas was lost for the season because of concussions.

But in the Pac-5 final, the Friars avenged their only loss – to Edison – to claim their first CIF title since 1983.

"We've just said, 'Hey, the next guy has to step up,'" Thomas said. "A lot of it is the leadership of the seniors and the staff being on the same page."

GROWING TOGETHER

On the final day of summer practice, Thomas pulled Taula aside to make him a special offer.

The coach asked the American Samoa-born Taula if he would learn the Haka, a traditional dance of the Maori.

Thomas wanted Taula to be able to teach the dance to teammates but didn't tell him why. He just made the offer, which was accepted.

In camp, Taula and Servite soon realized the reason. In the movie "Forever Strong," Highland is influenced by New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team, whose emotional performance of the Haka has drawn attention from around the world. The dance also is prominently featured in the new movie "Invictus." (Click here to see a video of the Haka.)

Servite also was going to do the Haka in 2009 – under the leadership of Taula.

It was a special honor for Taula, who has matured since days of having behavior issues as a freshman at Orange Lutheran.

"God works in mysterious ways," said Taula, also one of the team's senior leaders known as Curia.

The Friars have performed the Haka before each game but far away from the spotlight or opponents.

They perform the dance in their locker room.

"It's been awesome to see the power of it," Thomas said. "Why do you do it? We talk about it. We're going to give our best tonight because we're try to be worthy for this opponent we're playing."

So by the time Servite broke camp, the Kia Kaha book was being absorbed. The Haka had been implemented. And the team's chemistry was reaching the right mix.

"When we walked out of camp this year, I said, 'Something special is going to happen this year,'" Thomas said.

The Friars became kings for a day, and then some.