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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Feeling right at home

Lesuma’s last WSU game in front of family, friends

Lesuma (The Spokesman-Review)

PULLMAN – Vaughn Lesuma was introduced to football in Hawaii.

Washington State’s starting left tackle used to attend games in Aloha Stadium as a youth. That was before his family moved to Fiji, where Lesuma attended high school.

Still, his love of the game was nurtured in Hawaii. The Lesumas moved back to the state after Vaughn’s high school days were finished.

“(Reed) got to play in high school,” Lesuma said, referring to his younger brother, a WSU junior and a reserve offensive lineman. “I was so jealous of him. I would go to his practices and sit in the car … and watch for hours, thinking how lucky he was.”

And interestingly enough, his football career, a career that began only in junior college following the completion of his LDS mission, may come full circle, finishing in Hawaii.

“It’s a dream come true, to be honest with you,” Lesuma said of playing at Aloha Stadium. “Growing up as a kid, we go watch the teams play there. And always, after every game, the players would come to the side – the stands are up high, about 6, 7 feet above the field – and families in Hawaii would bring food … and leis after the game. I would think, ‘that is so cool.’ ”

If this is the 26-year-old Lesuma’s last game, it not only will be in front of his brother, but at least 20 other family members and friends.

Blocking the Pac-10’s speed rushers is not nearly as difficult as rounding up enough tickets for the game. Each football player is allocated four home and two away game tickets.

“I’ve been trading games all year,” Lesuma said.

So after Saturday, Lesuma will be met by family, friends and his mother, who will be toting the post-game food he’s requested.

“Football, again, if it stops here, I’m completely fine with it,” said Lesuma, who has been looking at agents and is hoping to play in an all-star game, though the recently defunct Hula Bowl – in Hawaii – had been his No. 1 choice.

When Lesuma first walked onto the WSU campus last year, then-coach Bill Doba hailed him as the answer to the Cougars’ left-tackle question and a possible NFL player.

Lesuma (6-foot-5, 323 pounds) started all 12 games last season, seemingly fulfilling the first part of the role Doba carved out for him.

But this year was different, with a different coaching staff and different expectations.

“No doubt,” offensive line coach Harold Etheridge answered when asked if Lesuma had suffered through an up-and-down year. “Since the Arizona game he’s started to come on. Last week (in the Apple Cup), he probably played his best game of the year.”

Lesuma has started each of the 10 games he’s been healthy, but one of those starts came at guard as Etheridge and head coach Paul Wulff looked to strengthen the crucial left tackle spot.

But it turns out their answer was starting there all the time.

“Vaughn’s been playing better football the last three weeks, he’s really focused in on the things he has to do well,” Wulff said, explaining that for much of the year Lesuma tried to hard to help others on the offensive line and his performance suffered as a result.

As Lesuma and the Cougars prepare to end their season, hoping to improve on their 2-10 record, the offensive line’s only senior starter is playing his best football of the year.

“He’s preparing better, studying it,” Etheridge explained. “He’s had a major mindset change. He’s going out and producing. He’s just not making the mental errors he had been earlier in the season.

“He’s become more consistent as the year’s gone on and I think he has a little more faith and belief in himself.”

Whatever the reason, the always-loquacious Lesuma believes he received what he wanted from playing the last two years for the Cougars.

“I play football, it’s what I do, it’s not who I am,” he said, “but this degree I’m going to get in December, that’s what I’m about.”