He’s known to his friends and family simply as Tonka. To his Molokai High School football teammates, David Kalilikane is also known as their leader.

To the rest of the Maui Interscholastic League, he comes across as Tonka tough.

“I got my nickname from my childhood,” Kalilikane said last week after he was named The Maui News MIL eight-player football Player of the Year in balloting by the league’s coaches. “My name is actually David Kalilikane, but during my childhood I would always be playing with Tonka trucks and I was just influenced from my dad being in construction. Every kid wouldn’t know my first name, and just see me playing with Tonka trucks, so they would just call me ‘Tonka boy.’

“I’m pretty sure it’s going to stick. People nowadays don’t even know David is my real name. People find that out and they think of me as an impostor.”

After injuries to the Farmers’ top two quarterbacks, Kalilikane became the starter and guided the team to a 6-0 record in eight-player games and its seventh straight MIL eight-player title.

In December, Molokai declared that it is moving to the 11-player ranks in the MIL in 2024.

In a 75-32 win over Lanai to wrap up the season, Kalilikane threw for six touchdowns, also scored on a 14-yard rush and caught a 30-yard TD pass from Kahakoi Lopez to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Kalilikane carries a 3.5 grade-point average and has competed in football, wrestling, basketball and volleyball in his Molokai athletic career.

“There’s a ton of pride being one athlete here,” Kalilikane said of representing the only high school on his home island. “First and foremost, I’m just giving all I got for my senior year.”

Kalilikane is joined on the offense first team by Molokai teammates Christian Nip (running back), Kahakoi Lopez (wide receiver), Clarence Tanabe (wide receiver) and Kian Toledo (offensive line); Hana’s Jacob Pu (wide receiver) and Laumana Helekahi-Matsuda (offensive line); Lanai’s Ervin Badillo (offensive line); and Seabury Hall’s Elima Dagan (utility).

The defensive first team includes Lanai’s Jake Ropa (defensive line); Seabury Hall’s Jake Brocklehurst (defensive line), Cody Frampton (defensive back) and Patricio Santiago (utility); Molokai’s Kinohi Kaupu (defensive line), Chauncey Adolpho (inebacker) and Jona Dudoit (defensive back); and Hana’s Elau Hoopai-Waikoloa (linebacker) and Julian Paman-Manrique (defensive back).

Kalilikane said he will miss playing football in Farmers green and white “with really my senior group. We’ve been together since COVID, that’s why. It was special to finish it off this way, at least being able to play.”

He said he can’t wait to see his team play traditional football full schedule for the first time since the early 1960s next year.

“Yessir, I’m really excited for that,” Kalilikane said. “I can’t wait for next year.”

Molokai head coach Mike Kahale is The Maui News MIL eight-player Coach of the Year. He was fortunate to have a little-known senior waiting in the wings when his top two quarterbacks were injured early in the season.

“Our starting quarterback, Kobra Cariaga-Abafo, who also plays baseball, he got a major leg injury in our first Lanai game, so he was out,” Kahale said. “Then our backup, Heath Lopez, a basketball guy who also plays football, too, fractured his hand. So, our two starting quarterbacks got injured and Tonka was just next man up.

“He’s an athlete and he had to just learn on the fly, but more than willing and ready to step up for the team. So, we put him in a position to be successful and now he’s player of the year.”

Kahale said Kalilikane did it all for his team.

“He’s a utility guy for us, I mean offensively, defensively, kick returner, all those things,” Kahale said. “Wherever we put him he’s going to be successful, but his true position was not quarterback.”

Kalilikane had told Kahale recently that now he wants to continue playing football into college.

“So, we’re trying to put some things together and get him some opportunities,” Kahale said. “He’s overcome a lot of adversity and we’re extremely proud of him. He’s a quiet, humble guy. Smart kid, too.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollial@mauinews.com.