ATHERTON — The pipeline between Atherton and Seattle just got even stronger.
Two Menlo-Atherton football stars are headed to Washington, following in the footsteps of Ben Burr-Kirven, a linebacker from neighboring Sacred Heart Prep who starred for the Huskies over the last four years.
Defensive lineman Noa Ngalu had been committed since April, and he was joined on Wednesday by inside linebacker Daniel Heimuli, the top player at his position in Northern California. Heimuli, who was also considering Oregon and Alabama, made his decision at a signing ceremony inside Menlo-Atherton’s gym, where he was accompanied by Ngalu and nine other M-A student-athletes who will be playing at the collegiate level.
Heimuli’s decision was one of the most anticipated of the day in the Bay Area, and it concluded what had been an extremely competitive and intense recruiting process.
“It feels like I lost a hundred pounds,” Heimuli said after officially committing, ending a process that included tons of pestering on social media, especially from Washington and Oregon’s fans.
Over the course of his career at M-A, which included two PAL Bay titles, two CCS Open Division I titles, two Northern California titles and one state championship, Heimuli amassed 270 tackles, including 47.5 for a loss, among which were 15.5 sacks. A fearsome pass rusher, he managed to pull in two interceptions, both as a senior. One of those came in the Bears’ state championship win over Lincoln-San Diego.
Those accolades helped make him one of the most-desired players in the state, and it gave him an early taste of the Washington-Oregon rivalry.
“I could see it wearing on him,” said head coach Adhir Ravipati. “At the Polynesian Bowl, you had all the Oregon recruits and all the Washington recruits fighting for him.”
Oregon made a strong push for Heimuli, with former St. Francis star Cyrus Habibi-Likio hosting him during his visit to Eugene, but ultimately, Heimuli said that, “Washington felt like home.”
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Ngalu, one of his best friends on and off the field, alongside him, along with a few other friends in a Husky recruiting class with a strong Polynesian presence. Laiatu Latu from Jesuit and Seattle-area native Alphonzo Tuputala were among Heimuli’s strongest influences to convince him to head to Washington, where he plans to major in business.
With his decision last Wednesday and official announcement a week later, Heimuli’s smile shone through as he had waded through all of the pressure that came with such a high-profile position.
“You had random people coming at him on Twitter saying how Washington’s going to ruin your life, or if you go to Oregon, you’re a bad person, or if you go to Alabama, you’re a sellout,” Ravipati said. “It’s a taste of big-time college football, but it’s a lot for any teenage kid. I thought he handled it really well, but I think we’re all glad it’s over. He can focus on school and getting ready, since he’s going to have an opportunity to play right away.”
For the next few months, Heimuli will be able to focus on finishing his time at Menlo-Atherton with a senior class whose accomplishments aren’t just limited to the gridiron. Other signees at Monday’s ceremony played in a variety of other sports, including cross-country, golf, lacrosse and volleyball. Heimuli himself has played baseball at M-A, batting .377 in 21 games as a junior and .269 in 20 games as a sophomore.
When he arrives at Washington, his first collegiate game will be on August 31 against Eastern Washington. A week later, the Huskies will host Cal to open Pac-12 play. The much-anticipated rivalry with Oregon, in which the Huskies will look to avenge last season’s overtime loss, is on October 19 in Seattle.
