Coach Donald Shepherd and Coach Clayton Tang will join five Kaua‘i teams in a rare 14 Under girls basketball tournament that kicks off Thursday afternoon starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. Shepherd is the coach for the
Coach Donald Shepherd and Coach Clayton Tang will join five Kaua‘i teams in a rare 14 Under girls basketball tournament that kicks off Thursday afternoon starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Shepherd is the coach for the Kalama Hills team hailing from Maui while Tang pilots the Ikaika Basketball squad from O‘ahu.
Karen Matsumoto, head of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, said the girls have always clamoured for their own tournament resulting in her trying to recruit off-island teams to come and participate.
Additionally, the Piopio Bears of Hilo who appeared here in a goodwill tournament during the July 4th weekend, promised to bring their girl teams on their next trip here.
Kaua‘i teams involved in the seven-player field include the Kilauea Hui, the 14 Under champions, coached by Roswell “Mits” Yokotake, the Westside Hornets coached by Maynard Shea, Wailua with coach Talbert Tacbian, the Kaumakani Supersonics coached by Christine and Lorraine Lagoc and Ashley Mier, and the Kaua‘i Fire Raiders coached by Brian Inouye.
The Supersonics, comprised mostly of 12 Under players, were serious contenders in the KYBA 14 Under program, but were earlier withdrawn from the tournament after one of their coaches, Fernando Constantino received orders involving his deployment to Iraq.
However, student coaches stepped forward and the team was reinstated to the tournament.
Matsumoto said that due to a medical emergency at home, the second Maui team scheduled to be in the tournament was forced to withdraw.
Thursday night’s opening schedule will have the Supersonics against the Kaua‘i Fire Raiders starting at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Kilauea Hui hosting Ikaika at 6:30 p.m. The final game of the evening will have Wailua hosting Kalama Hills starting at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s schedule will have the first of three games tipping off at 6:30 p.m. as semi-finals take the court, with the finals taking place on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and the championship game tipping off at noon.
