Perhaps it is the ever-present smile on Dion Kahiwa Augustiro’s face that gives him away. The Molokai High School senior simply loves to compete.

He is the choice of the Maui Interscholastic League coaches as The Maui News MIL Player of the Year in eight-player football.

He is currently in his first year of high school wrestling for the Farmers and is set to compete in college rodeo on scholarship at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, Neb., next year.

“It’s pretty cool, playing football is good fun,” Augustiro said after being told of his POY nod as he spoke in between matches at MIL wrestling meet No. 2 on Saturday at Jon Garcia Gym on the Baldwin campus. “I got to spend plenty times with my friends and they made me better at practice and helped me out a lot. And I just was having fun playing football.”

Indeed, 11 of his teammates are among the first-team offense and defense selections.

Augustiro, a do-everything weapon at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, is joined on the first-team offense by Molokai teammates Kynan Cariaga-Abafo (quarterback), Kahakoi Lopez (wide receiver), Nakoa Orlando (wide receiver), Dominic Lee-Weeks (offensive line) and Kian Toledo (offensive line); Lanai’s Diesel Del Rosario (running back) and Shawn Abraham (offensive line); Seabury Hall’s Leo McKuin (wide receiver); and Hana’s Kui Park-Jeremiah (utility).

The first-team defense includes Molokai’s Jonah Sahagun (defensive back), John Qunitua-Salavea (defensive back), Clarence Ekolu Horner (linebacker), Kalawaia Horner (linebacker), Hoolei Arce (defensive line) and David Kalilikane (utility); Seabury Hall’s Cody Frampton (defensive back) and Ethan Palmer (utility); Lanai’s Aiden Hough (defensive back); and Hana’s Ho’ola’i Fillazar (defensive line).

The Farmers have won six straight MIL eight-player crowns after their unbeaten run in 2022 — there were no eight-player seasons in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.

Chevy Augustiro, Kahiwa’s older brother, was a co-MIL Player of the Year in 2018 for the co-champion Farmers. Kahiwa Augustiro had yet to speak to his brother about winning the same award Saturday, but was looking forward to the conversation.

“I think it’s going to go pretty good,” Kahiwa Augustiro said. “He would be happy for me to get something like this. He knows that I work hard at everything that I do.”

Of following in his brother’s footsteps, Augustiro said: “It is very important. He made me become an unselfish person and for push hard in everything you do. And always having fun.”

Augustiro will compete in bull riding, steer wrestling and team roping at Mid-Plains, where the rodeo team is coached by Aukai Kaai, who is from Waimanalo, Oahu.

“I was just doing football to stay in shape for ride bulls,” Augustiro said. “And it’s very important to be in shape because bulls are super strong and they are hard to handle.”

Augustiro has been competing in rodeo since the sixth grade.

“Every year I have made it to nationals and the best I have done up at nationals is 12th in the nation in bull riding,” Augustiro said. “My confidence is very high, me, I have a strong and positive mindset that I’m always going to go out there and give my best and try to dominate the events I do.”

Augustiro was an easy pick for Molokai coach Mike Kahale as MIL Player of the Year.

“He came out as a freshman and we saw a lot of potential in him, but then COVID hit,” Kahale said. “And then we lost a couple of years. So, we knew he was a gamer, he was a competitor. So, when he came out as a senior he was going to start no matter what position we put him in, whether it was quarterback, running back, linebacker, DB, whatever, he’s just an athlete.

“So, we started him at quarterback and we transitioned him to running back and that was a better fit for him. He just lit it up for us.”

Kahale saw similarities between the Augustiro brothers right away.

“He’s a cowboy and a bull rider, and his brother Chevy was the Player of the Year back when he was a senior, so similar, but different,” Kahale said. “They have that grit about them, right? When the stakes are high, that’s when they perform at their best.”

Kahale is the MIL Coach of the Year and he knows he wouldn’t have gotten there without a special group. The Farmers had 18 seniors on the roster.

“It was really special, I mean, our kids missed out on so much the past two years,” Kahale said. “They had just missed that one year to COVID and then our season basically got canceled last year. I only had 10 returning seniors, maybe eight, but I ended up with 18 seniors. … They wanted an opportunity to play. … I was happy, we welcomed them out and had fun.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

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Honorable Mention

Hana–Kawika Helekahi, Isaac Kristiansen; Lanai–Ryan Noble, Reece Etrata; Molokai–Jalen Lani, Jona Dudoit, Kilakila Orlando, R.J. Kaili-Kalua; Seabury Hall–Patricio Santiago.