As the University of Hawai‘i football team prepares for Saturday’s season opener against Stanford, team leadership for the 2025 season has taken shape.
Fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang announced that senior safeties Peter Manuma, of Ewa Beach, and Zhen Sotelo, of Wai‘anae, will serve as captains for the Rainbow Warriors this fall. They will be joined by three additional game-day captains who will rotate throughout the season.
Both Manuma and Sotelo will wear the “K” patch, short for kapena, which translates to “captain” in Hawaiian, an honor both players said comes with pride and responsibility.
“It’s just a surreal feeling,” Manuma said. “I was a captain last season and I don’t feel I fulfilled that role to my fullest. Going back, seeing what I could have done better, making those adjustments this season and trying to lead the team way better than I did last year, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Sotelo echoed the sentiment, calling the role both an honor and a duty.
“There’s a lot of great people that came before me, and it’s just an honor to be named captain of this team,” Sotelo said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re all in the same mindset as we go into Week Zero. It’s a big role, and I’m super grateful for it.”
Manuma said he was excited to share the title with his fellow senior.
“When I heard me and Zhen’s name get called out for captains, I was stoked,” he said. “He doesn’t really do a lot of talking, but when it’s time, he’ll do it. He’s more about action, and that’s what we need in our leaders.”
Sotelo, who takes pride in representing his home state, said the captaincy is about more than the title.
“I’m a firm believer in born in Hawai‘i, raised in Hawai‘i, play for Hawai‘i,” he said. “It’s just surreal that two Hawai‘i boys are leading this team into the season. Our emphasis is to start fast, stay disciplined and be dominant.”
Hawai‘i will kick off its season Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Stanford at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
The game will be televised nationally on CBS and carried on radio via ESPN Honolulu.