Already shorthanded, the Waimea football squad will head into tonight’s game against Kapa’a with a host of injured players, who might not suit up in the KIF football opener. Junior receiver/defensive back Marc Oroc (hand injury), junior tailback/linebacker Adam Dizol
Already shorthanded, the Waimea football squad will head into tonight’s game against Kapa’a with a host of injured players, who might not suit up in the KIF football opener.
Junior receiver/defensive back Marc Oroc (hand injury), junior tailback/linebacker Adam Dizol (sprained ACL), senior lineman KC Kaiakapu (sprained ankle), junior runningback/line-backer Regal Carveiro, and senior tight end/linebacker Markis Carveiro are all out of service for tonight’s contest.
But according to Menehune head coach Liko Pereira, the team must go on.
“All in all, we’re gonna have to show up to play, no matter who we got,” Pereira said.
In addition to the host of players not suiting up, the Menehune are also suffering injuries to some key players, who will play tonight at Vidinha Stadium.
Starting quarterback Alan-Michael Gaspar will be around 80-percent at game time.
“He’s (Gaspar) got some kind of sick bug that’s been going around. Even most of my coaching staff inlcuding myself have caught it,” Pereira noted.
Along with Gaspar, sophomore runningback/defensive back Oni Schmidt (sprained ankle), senior runningback/defensive back Kenny Estes (cold), senior tight end/linebacker Dustin Rita (neck injury), and senior lineman Mackey Dela-Cruz (bruised knee) all will play despite suffering from some sort of ailment.
“People don’t probably realize it but we have a lot of players who will either be out or playing injured,” Pereira said.
According to the third-year coach, the preseason was also not a good indication of what to expect from the Menehune squad this season.
“The last two (preseason) games we didn’t even show up. Maybe it was intimidation, but we have to pick up the pace and we have to set the tone. If we come out with a win, people might start to believe in us,” Pereira said.
?ç Duane Shimogawa Jr., sports editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or kauaisports@kauaipubco.com
KIF Football
• Waimea/Kapa’a, Vidinha Stadium
• Tonight: JV: 5 p.m., Varsity: 7:30 p.m.
