Call him the consummate team player. 

When it comes to Marquez Mellor, it should come as no surprise that he is a coach's son. Mellor, a junior running back on the Kailua football team, exudes all of the traits and characteristics that veteran coach Hauoli Wong desires out of his players. 

"I think the most intriguing part of Marquez is he's unselfish," said Wong, now in his 12th season as head coach of his alma mater. 

"It doesn't matter if he has to block on run or block on pass, he's going to give you 100 percent and when you give him the ball, he's going to go above and beyond; it's just his character, his effort and just flat out being a team player and that's what we preach about: next man up, it's about we not me and that's it, he's that guy, man," Wong said. 

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Mellor has made a seamless transition re-acclimating with teammates since transferring from Saint Louis over the summer. 

"He's a community kid. He played with the boys when they were Windward Tigers and then he went to Saint Louis but it wasn't working out for him there and he came back home. He finished out the school year at Saint Louis and came home to Kailua, but he grew up playing with all the kids all the way until high school," Wong said. 

To be sure, Mellor was welcomed back with open arms. 

"We talk to them from when they're in the youth level and let them know that wherever they go, we want the best for them, but we're always gonna be here. We're not trying to knock anybody from going anywhere — a lot of these kids go to Saint Louis, Punahou or maybe even Kamehameha — but we also want them to know this is home and home will always take care of home, so we're fortunate and blessed that a lot of the kids do come back home," Wong added. 

Mellor's father, Chris, was head coach at Kalaheo from 2006 to 2011 and compiled a 27-29 record there. He took the Mustangs to the postseason in four of his six seasons there, including a runner-up finish in the OIA White Division in 2010, when they qualified for the Division II state tournament. 

Wong said that in the case of the Marquez, the apple did not fall far from the tree. 

"He's a great kid. He's strong in his faith and he's family oriented. It's great when you have a coach's son that plays for you because they're just a little different in what they do because dad speaks the same language to him. He gives him tips, they go over film together and that's a big part of who Marquez is because of the extra time he puts in watching film with his dad; that's a big part of who he is," Wong described. 

Marquez Mellor is a blend of strength and speed. He was a standout sprinter while at Saint Louis, where he clocked personal best times of 11.07 seconds, 22.98 seconds and 49.62 seconds in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter events. 

"He's one of the fastest in the state, up there with the top five in the state," Wong noted. 

His top-end speed, plus his nearly 200-pound frame, translates to a rare combination on the gridiron. 

"He's one of those downhill runners but he's a very elusive downhill runner. You're not going to get a clean shot on him because he's so shifty as well and he's a bigger back so it makes it harder because usually the elusive shifty ones are the smaller scatbacks," Wong said. 

Mellor's physical prowess is coupled with both stellar vision and patience. 

"When I was watching film, he goes one way and he's still running downhill and his legs are still moving and he cuts across the grain. His vision is superb and you can see him using his blocks and setting up his blocks, which is key because you can't just hit the hole, you have to be patient when you run the football, so his vision and his explosiveness when he sees the hole to cut it makes him dangerous," Wong said. 

Wong likens Mellor to former Ohio State and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

"He's got the power and the swiftness and elusiveness of that kind of guy. If you could picture Ezekiel Elliott as a high school player and that skillset, that's Marquez," Wong said. 

Mellor's ability and work ethic have translated to success on the field this fall. He made his debut in Kailua's fourth game of the year, a 50-3 thumping of Kaiser in the team's regular season opener back on Sept. 6. Mellor amassed 133 yards and a touchdown on only 10 carries to help the Surfriders rack up 523 yards of total offense. 

The following week Mellor carried 21 times for 81 yards and a touchdown in a 15-7 loss at Waianae, but in last Friday's 42-0 rout of Aiea, he carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns. 

"He's one of those guys that buys into the program and again, as a coach's son, he does all the right things, so I'm really happy for him. At the same time — and he'll tell you this himself — that his teammates and the guys blocking for him are very key into his success," Wong said. 

Much of the credit belongs to Mellor's offensive line — left tackle Isaiah Wong (6-5, 290, Sr.), left guard Uluaki Tatafu (6-6, 290, Sr.), center Paul "PJ" Tavares (6-0, 290, Sr.), right guard Packs Ahovelo (6-6, 320, Sr.), right tackle Randolph Santiago Jr. (6-5, 250, Jr.) and sixth man Keonaona Mehio-Sesma (6-0, 240, So.). Behind the behemoths up front, Mellor is averaging a gaudy 7.7 yards per rush. 

"Everything the kid says is spot on to what we preach. In his interview after the game, Marquez said how it wasn't about him and it was about his team, his offensive line, the school, the work they put in at practice — he deferred everything away from himself and made it about the team," Wong stated. 

To show his appreciation for the unit, Mellor, with the help of his family, prepared a hearty meal for the linemen on Monday. 

"That's what you do, you take care of your offensive line and they take care of you and the best way to their hearts and minds is through food and I thought that was awesome," said Wong, a former offensive linemen himself. "That's just his appreciation for the boys that block for him, so it's just amazing the way that it works with our players. It's like he was there from ninth grade, just the way he interacts with his teammates; they're a tight group of kids."

Also an integral part of Mellor's success has been the play of fellow running back Keegan Dunn (5-11, 200, Sr.), who is averaging 6.4 yards per rush. 

"They both block for each other. Keegan is another tremendous blocker and a runner and he's a main guy in that factor because basically he's either a tight end or a blocking back, but they both block for each other," Wong said. 

Not only did Kailua get the job done offensively against Na Alii, its defense posted its first shutout of the year. Aiea entered the game averaging more than 35 points per game and has one of the state's most dynamic playmakers in senior receiver/defensive back Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo, who has accounted for 15 touchdowns between his work on offense, defense and special teams. 

"Aiea is no slouch, they're a good team, a very dangerous team and they can hurt you in different ways, especially with Hiki, but I knew if we played our game and paid attention to details that we'd be okay and they did awesome. It's a testament to the work that they and their coaches put in, watching a lot of film, playing together and communicating with one another, how they fly to the football. We're led by a bunch of seniors on defense and they buy into the system, they work hard and they did a tremendous job against Hiki and that offense," Wong said. 

It was the first time Aiea was held scoreless in a game this season. 

With a 2-1 league record, Kailua sits in third place in the OIA's Division I standings, one game behind both Waianae and Waipahu. 

Mellor and the Surfriders return to action Saturday, when they host Nanakuli at Alex Kane Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. 

FOOTBALL

Jordan Carbonell, Baldwin — Ran nine times for 115 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 10-of-12 passing without an interception in a win over Lahainaluna

Trustin Gomes, Keaau — Threw for 452 yards and nine touchdowns on 20-of-26 passing without an interception in a win over Hawaii Prep 

Brennan Kapaa, Leilehua — Caught four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Radford 

Kiakahi Lindsey, Honokaa — Scored on a 32-yard interception return for touchdown in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Lucas Rosa, Leilehua — Made seven tackles, forced a fumble and scored on a 15-yard fumble return for touchdown in a win over Radford 

Bennett Strobel, Leilehua — Threw for 177 yards and four touchdowns on 8-of-8 passing without an interception in a win over Radford 

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Taimane Ainuu, Iolani — Had 17 kills, six digs, four set assists, two aces and one block assist in a three-set win over Kamehameha 

Hiilei Alo, Kamehameha-Maui — Had 27 set assists, eight digs, five aces and one kill in a three-set win over Maui 

Tatum Frias, Kalani — Had 15 digs, five set assists and two aces in a three-set loss to Kalaheo 

Poema Kalama-Kingma, Iolani — Had 15 kills, eight digs and one ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha 

Destiny Keomaka-Wood, Seabury Hall — Had 20 set assists, three digs, two aces and one kill in a three-set win over Kulanihakoi and had 35 set assists and two block assists in a four-set win over Maui Prep 

Zsiare Lakalo, Campbell — Had 29 set assists, six digs, four aces and three kills in a three-set win over Nanakuli 

Georgie Lee, Iolani — Had 17 digs and seven kills in a three-set win over Kamehameha 

Kacie Miyahira, Kapolei — Had 33 digs, four aces and one set assist in a four-set win over Mililani 

Ravina Mokiao-Loa, Nanakuli — Had 18 digs, 12 kills, six aces and one block assist in a five-set win over Pearl City 

Ekekela Nahulu, Nanakuli — Had 20 digs, six kills, two aces and one block assist in a five-set win over Pearl City 

Bailey Nakanelua, Iolani — Had 33 set assists, eight digs, three block assists, two kills and one ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha 

Brianna Namulauti, Nanakuli — Had 18 kills, four digs, four block assists, two solo blocks and one ace in a five-set win over Pearl City 

Milaniakai Padilla, Seabury Hall — Had 25 kills, 18 digs and two aces in a four-set win over Maui Prep 

Asa Parks, Kapolei — Had 15 kills, six digs, one solo block and an ace in a four-set win over Mililani 

Anny Scott, Kapolei — Had 30 set assists, seven kills, seven digs and one ace in a four-set win over Mililani and had 24 set assists, eight digs, two aces and one kill in a three-set win over Waialua 

Kealananea Stephens, Mililani — Had 35 set assists, seven digs and three aces in a three-set win over Pearl City 

Ivy Taylor, Mililani — Had 15 kills, two block assists and one dig in a three-set win over Pearl City 

Saydee Veracruz, Pearl City — Had 17 digs in a three-set loss to Mililani

Chandy-Lee Westbrook, Nanakuli — Had 42 set assists, 12 digs, two kills, two aces and one block assist in a five-set win over Pearl City