Ritsumeikan Football: Sakai Seikawa & Student Sports | 4 Years

The first division of the Kansai Student League in American Football will have four games, the fourth round, on September 27th and 28th. The Ritsumeikan University Panthers, which took the top spot in Japan for the first time in nine years last year, will face Kinki University on the 28th with their three consecutive wins in a row. One of the vice captains, office lady (offensive line), Sakai Seikawa (4th year, Otemon Gakuin), is raging with a proud body of 184cm tall and weighing 121kg, while looking over the entire team, he has been the best in Japan for the second year in a row.

“The strongest man who protects QB’s blind spots”

The third round on September 20th will be against Kyoto University. The Panthers wanted to widen the gap and give the members of the “second and third” experience, but after Kyoto University’s struggles, they didn’t go as planned. Still, they were able to win three consecutive games in a row, 31-17. Sakai, who is number 79, said this after the match. “I knew in the spring matchup that Kyoto University’s front desk and LB were strong, so I think I was overly conscious. Preparation should be pessimistic, but when I did it, I should have done it optimistic and not insane. That’s what I’m so sorry about now.”

Last year, when he became the best in Japan, he was the second left guard (G) out of the five office ladies lined up side by side. He was on a left field this spring, but from autumn he will be playing the left tackle (T). For a team with a right-handed ace QB, he is positioned as the strongest man who can protect the blind spots of QBs. Sakai says. “The scenery between guard and tackle is quite different, so I feel like I’m studying. But since I’ve been entrusted with it, I’d like to do it well and conclude my last year of student.”

Last year, there were three powerful fourth-year students, Awahara Ryo (now SEKISUI) at the centre (C) for the office worker, Kizaka Taichi at the right G, and Morimoto Keisho (both current Fujitsu) at the left G. Sakai supported the Japan’s number one spot as a left-handed G, sandwiched between Morimoto and Awahara. “Awahara-san was the same as me since high school, and we’ve been relying on him, and both Morimoto-san and Kizaka-san were outstanding in terms of power, so it was very reliable,” he recalls. Morimoto has been said to be the best office lady in the student, but she has been playing baseball until high school. There is a difference in understanding of football with Sakai, who has been playing American football since he was fourth grader, and he confesses, “I’ve always said, ‘The opponent seems like this next time, so (Morimoto) Keisho should move like this,’ which is a shame, but I did it like operating a radio-controlled car.”

Since kindergarten, he has been in a big state and is “no tag”

Sakai was born and raised in Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture. One day in my fourth grade, I went to see my cousin’s ballet recital. Then there was a person involved with the touch football team, Senri Fighting Bee, at the venue. In between ballet, the person called out to Sakai and his older brother two years older than me, “I’m not good at American football.” Shortly afterwards, they both started playing football at the same time. By chance, there’s a limit.

When I think about it, Sakai was by far the biggest ever since kindergarten. The teacher said, “It’s dangerous if you bump into someone, so Hoshikawa-kun should not be tagged.” “I remember when I stepped on my feet a little. Now that I think about it, I think the teacher should say that,” Sakai laughed.

When I went to high school, I was unsure whether to go to Otemon Gakuin or Minoh Jiyu Gakuen. The deciding factor was the ground. While the ground at Otemon was just the time when it was from soil to artificial turf, Minoh Jiyu Gakuen was soil. So I chose Otemon. Otemon Gakuin became the best in Japan in the Christmas Bowl for the first time last year, but when Sakai was there he was unable to win. In the fall of his third year of high school, he lost in the third place match in the Osaka Prefecture qualifying round, and ended up not being able to advance to the national tournament.

I originally wanted to go to Ritsumeikan in university. “I thought it would be fun because it was played with players in a lot of freedom. Kwansei Gaku-san has some good points, but I didn’t think it suited me.” When I spoke with Panthers coach Furuhashi Yuichiro and Hasegawa Masayoshi in my third year of high school, I was asked, “Which would like to play as an office lady or a downloadable student?”, and although I was both offensive and defensive, the main role I was in was an office lady, so I replied, “I’ll be an office lady.” The two laughed, “I thought so.”

Last fall, the first play against Kobe University

Given the presence of the past two years, it looks like it’s a late bloomer. It was the spring of my third year that I started appearing as a starter. “I was practicing thinking about what was wrong.” However, given the opportunity to perform well, he continued to rampage at the forefront of the Panthers offense, with a strong and mobility-like playing style. His first play against Kobe University in last fall’s league match was memorable. QB Takeda Tsuyoshi (currently 4th year, Daisan University accompany) gave him a screen pass to RB Yamazaki Daio (currently Fujitsu) and even got a touchdown, but Sakai blocked the opponent LB to his back on his play. He also said he was able to push himself surprisingly well in this spring against X-League Elecom Kobe, giving him confidence.

My recent trend is to go to a hot spring facility near the training center in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture on the day off. “I’ll be there all day, or just five hours,” says Sakai. The day before the Kyoto University War, I went with RB Minobe Yuno (3rd year, Kosei Gakuen) and Yokoi Takahiro (2nd year, Kamakura Gakuen). The day before the match is to eat at a restaurant called Glovertei. “I’ll eat champon or fried rice and fried rice. This fried rice is really the best, so I hope you’ll go there. It’s definitely delicious.”

My usual legs are HONDA’s “Cross Cubs.” “It was so cool, I wanted to ride it.” If you weigh over 120kg, your speed doesn’t come out as you would expect, but he calmly said, “There’s also legal speed.”

Keyman supporting the Panthers’ second consecutive victory

Coach Takahashi Kentaro, who has been in office for the second year, said of Sakai, “He’s such a reliable man.” “I’m very passionate about my team, but I’m very calm and calm looking at the team. I’m very passionate about exploring football, but when I share that knowledge with my peers, I also share it with laughter. I feel that this good balance is what attracts my friends around me. Even though I’m an office lady, I run meetings with the kicking leader, and I also watch video to give advice on part-time defense practice. I wonder how far I’m looking at, but I think that attitude has changed my team.”

Sakai himself says of his strengths, “I think he has a high level of understanding of play and his ability to handle what his opponent has done.” What kind of backing will the key players who support the Panthers’ second consecutive victory be able to show their teammates from here on? We went to a hot spring, ate exquisite fried rice, and went to the climax of the final season of university.