Hawaiian Pride

Growing up with a brother a couple of years older than you is never easy. He always has the upper hand and just when you think you're big enough to hang he knocks you down a notch. For Mac and Gimo Grace the relationship as siblings is one they don't take lightly and Mac pushes his little brother to be the best football player he can. For Gimo it means his older brother constantly pushes him to limits he's never experienced before on and off the football field. Gimo, only a sophomore, will have to play his final two years of high school without his older brother's presence. "It's great to have my older brother pushing me. I got to play last year, but this year is different," Gimo said. "It's easy for me because he has great abilities, he's a good football player and I just try to lead by example," said Mac. Mac and Gimo are proud of their Hawaiian heritage and spirit. Being from Hawaii is something they carry with them onto the football field, but when the helmets are on its just football. "Its part of who we are and we always know our culture and where we are from," said Mac. That spirit is obvious when you see them play. Assistant coach Kevin Gordon explains, "Mac is a leader and they are two tough kids. Mac plays linebacker like a kid 6-foot-5 and never stops and his brother Gimo is a tremendous athlete in his own right." Football isn't the only sport this combo can play, both are very good baseball players and grew up playing competitively in some big games. Mac could go to college as a catcher. In elementary school Gimo was too big to play football so he turned to baseball. It wasn't until the sixth grade, when the weight limits were lifted, that Gimo had his chance to step onto the football field as a player. "When its football season I like football and when its baseball season I like baseball. I'm good at both," said Gimo. Playing for coach Travis Hill is one of the highlights for both brothers. "Coach Hill is a great man, a great coach. You can't say much more than that," said Mac. And playing for coach Hill has been one of the reasons these two brothers have been successful. "It would mean a lot for us to win it this year. It would prove that not only are we physically better than everyone, but that our mental game is better than every," said Mac. Next season Mac will be gone and Gimo will walk on to the field without his brother for the first time in many years. Mac has a plan for the next two seasons, "I'll be there, getting on his back, yelling and screaming making sure he's doing things right. I'll be there. I'll be his biggest fan. We're brothers and I'll always be there for him."