Fonoti family somber but resolute after Charger loss

By: SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Sunday, December 26, 2004 8:08 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE---- All was quiet on the Fonoti front. The overtime field goal by Mike Vanderjagt that sealed the Indianapolis Colts' 34-31 come-from-behind victory over the Chargers on Sunday afternoon at the RCA Dome muzzled a previously proud and boisterous Oceanside clan of Chargers faithful.

The reaction was minimal at first. Blank stares and shock-induced silence fell upon the 20 people huddled around television sets throughout the Fonoti household. After a few moments brows furrowed and words of frustration were muttered, bringing a depressing end to an otherwise festive gathering.

The outward reaction was probably similar at other football-watching parties throughout the North County when the Chargers officially fell, but the family of Chargers' left guard Toniu Fonoti took the loss to heart.

"There's definitely a somber tone around here now," Toniu's wife, U'ilani Fonoti, said after the game. "We're all very involved in each other's lives, so when one person has something bad happen, we all feel it. I get just as upset, just as depressed as Toniu does after a loss."

U'ilani's sentiment extends throughout Fonoti's tight-knit family, which gathers at his Oceanside home to watch each road game. Aunts, uncles and cousins come adorned in blue and gold to watch their most famous family member play football.

Each person claps and yells when Fonoti is on television; the loudest is his 22-month-old daughter Fetogi. The little girl wears a miniature version of her father's jersey and whenever her father comes on screen, she claps and screams.

The adults barbecued traditional fare while the kids played around the house.

When football was on, however, all eyes were locked on the TV.

"Everyone in this family is very close," said Vialepa Taumua, Toniu's aunt and an Oceanside resident.

"Toniu is generally a shy person, but he really opens up around us. We miss him when he's not around, but we're always with him in spirit."

They've been there to share the highs and the lows this season, including Sunday's heartbreaking defeat. They share in Fonoti's euphoria after victories and have sympathy pains after a tough loss.

That family bond is what prompted the Fonoti's move from Alpine to Oceanside in November. Fonoti, a Samoan who grew up in Hawaii, has more than familial ties to North County. He went to El Camino High for a semester and played football for the Wildcats. He went on to play football at the University of Nebraska before being drafted by the Chargers in 2002.

That brought him closer to a big portion of his family. The high level of familial involvement and support makes every Chargers game a holiday at the Fonoti house, win or lose.

"Football is a big part of his life so it's a big part of all of our lives," U'ilani Fonoti said. "We all support him in good times and bad, just as he does for us."

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.