Photo By Jim Cayer

Lakewood football practice was different on Wednesday.

It wasn’t difficult to notice the lack of noise.  There wasn’t as much whooping and hollering that usually reverberates off the metal stands of John Ford Stadium.  But it was easily explained when coach Thadd MacNeal and defensive lineman Justin Utupo stopped to talk after the post-practice break.

“What’s up with you today?” asked a concerned coach.

“Nothing,” replied the team’s emotional leader.  “(assistant coach) told me not to say anything today to see if other guys stepped up.”

“Alright,” responded MacNeal with a pat on the butt.  “Right back to it tomorrow though, huh?”

Utupo shook his head and grinned like a dog let off the leash.  As the senior puts it, “I was going crazy yesterday during practice…I get the guys excited, it’s my job to inspire the team and I love that.”  After the graduation of defensive leaders Trevor Erno and Talia Crichton this summer, the normally soft-spoken 6’3” 250lb Utupo stepped into the leadership role without having to be asked.

“The kid’s all energy,” says MacNeal.  “He’s not just a great player, he’s our emotional leader out there.”

For Utupo, one of five children, shedding his shy exterior on the field because of team needs is a selfless act befitting of a guy who starts his list of priorities with “family.”

As a nine-year-old, Utupo got involved with a local flag football league and took to the game immediately.  Outweighing and towering above his classmates the young stud could have chosen any Long Beach school to attend.  But the decision was simple, “because my sisters were at Lakewood, it wasn’t even a decision… from the first time I stepped on campus it felt like home.”

Along with fellow freshman like Jesse Scroggins and Dion Bailey, Utupo got used to high school by spending all his time on the football field.  That year the Lakewood freshman team won the Moore League title, and according to Utupo, “we told ourselves that if we won freshman year, we would have to win senior year… we stuck together as a family for four years, and we did it.”

They did indeed, dethroning the Poly Jackrabbits and taking sole possession of the Moore League for the first time in decades.  Even though the 2009 Lancers have an offense that can score at the drop of a hat, a lot of credit has to be given to the Utupo-led defense that has only allowed 77 points this season, a Pac-5 best.

Utupo has racked up 52 tackles this year from his defensive end position and has eight sacks, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.  Those stats and his obvious physical prowess had schools like UCLA, University of Washington and Notre Dame knocking on his door this summer.  So, how did he make his decision?  WIth family in mind, of course.

“When we went on my recruiting visit to Notre Dame all I could think was wow… I was thinking about that movie Rudy and all the tradition… the fact that I could say ‘I got a football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame’ not a lot of people can say that… then we got there, and it was amazing.  They are all about the family out there and I really like that.  In the Samoan culture that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what I really liked about their football program.”

Before Utupo makes his way to South Bend, he and the Lancers have one thing on their mind: a CIF Championship.  That road starts Friday night at home against Newport Harbor, but really, it starts at Thursday’s practice where Utupo says he will be back to his vivacious self.

“I guess that’s just what I do,” says Utupo with a grin.  Yeah, that and terrorize offenses.