\u201cI know he is fired up,\u201d said first-year WSU coach Kirby Moore, who cracked a smile thinking about the potential encounter. \u201cJirah loves competing, and I know he is looking forward to competing against family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Will Jonah Leaupepetele play against Washington State?<\/p>\n
That is, if Jonah Leaupepetele suits up. He has missed the past few games since going down with an injury in the season opener against USC.<\/p>\n
For the sake of storytelling, let\u2019s assume the younger Leaupepetele returns to the lineup. Jirah Leaupepetele plans on taking no prisoners.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is my best friend right there. You know, I love him to death,\u201d Jirah Leaupepete said. \u201cBut when we step on that field, and he is across the line \u2026 and is wearing a different-colored jersey, that is as tough of a time as it gets.\u201d<\/p>\n
An offseason transfer from EWU, Jirah Leaupepetele, is coming off his best game in a WSU uniform – four tackles and his first career sack for the Cougars.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing my job,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But the matchup circumstances Saturday are rather unique.<\/p>\n
The Leaupepetele brothers haven’t shared a field since high school<\/p>\n
Jirah Leaupepetele hasn\u2019t shared a football field with his brother since 2022, when the two were teammates for one season at Apple Valley High School in California\u2019s San Bernardino County, when the team was the Division III CIF Southern Section runner-up.<\/p>\n
After that, Jirah Leaupepetele went off to EWU where he played in 24 games over three seasons.<\/p>\n
When he decided to leave the FCS program and join Moore at WSU, the two brothers knew they would be playing in the same conference. They immediately checked the schedule to see when the teams played.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is when the smack-talk started,\u201d Jirah Leaupepetele said.<\/p>\n
The sibling trash talk has already started<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Jirah Leaupepetele called to check in on how his younger brother was feeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked him \u2026 how he feels about the game plan, trying to get some stuff out of him,\u201d Jirah Leaupepetele said. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t really trying to tell me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
As far as how Jonah Leaupepetele goes about his business along the offensive line – or even in other endeavors – Jirah Leaupepetele couldn\u2019t be more complimentary.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is very hard-working – and very stubborn,\u201d Jirah Leaupepetele said. \u201cWhen he has something he wants to do, he does it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In any case, all of the Leaupepeteles will be in Pullman on Saturday to witness the family one-on-one trench war, including Washington and Rhonda Leaupepetele, their parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is exciting to put our last name out there \u2026 and represent our family,\u201d Jirah Leaupepetele said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd at the end of the day, he is still my little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
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