Tough preseason schedule likely to boost Menehunes Tonight n Waimea at Konawaena, 7:35 p.m. By JASON GALLIC TGI Sports Editor Should Waimea High School pass through the KIF as champions, as it has done for the past eight years running,
Tough preseason schedule likely to boost Menehunes
Tonight
n
Waimea at Konawaena, 7:35 p.m.
By JASON GALLIC
TGI Sports
Editor
Should Waimea High School pass through the KIF as champions, as it
has done for the past eight years running, what it gained this preseason will
prove invaluable.
In two weeks, the Menehunes will have battled “two of the
top 10 schools in the state,” according to Head Coach Jon
Koboyashi.
Tonight at 7:30, Waimea visits the Big Island’s Konawaena,
two-time defending champions of the BIIF. Last week, the Menehunes held off
Honolulu’s Punahou, members of the city’s private-school league. Konawaena fell
to Maui High School, ranked No. 9 in the state, Aug. 25.
“We’ve just kind
of gotten the luck of the draw,” Koboyashi said. “Schedules are made two to
three years in advance, so it’s just good fortune that both of these schools
faring so well.”
True, only in part. Waimea’s preseason foes have been good
for some time. Surely, Koboyashi wanted to challenge his team.
“We have
some injuries this week, so if we can get through the Kona team,” the coach
said, “we’ll have to feel pretty good about ourselves.”
Most glaring on the
injury list is starting tailback Jessie Sablan. He suffered an ankle injury
midway through the win over Punahou, and will sit out of this week’s
contest.
Asked if his starter was sitting because he was unable to play or
for safety reasons, Koboyashi replied, “it’s a safety thing.”
That word,
safety, is threatening to become a theme this week for Waimea. Highest on the
list of concerns for Koboyashi was last week’s performance in the defensive
backfield.
“Punahou was really able to exploit us back there,” the coach
said. “We have to figure that at this rate, our opponents are going to try and
throw on us.”
The Menehunes hope to shore up the defense and implement a
bit of a passing game on offense.
“We want to be able to go to the air,”
Koboyashi said. “That’ll open up our ground game.”
Last week, Menehunes
quarterback Nikko Naumu attempted just two passes, completing
neither.
Kapa’a at Honoka’a
Photos by Dennis Fujimoto,
Staff
Waimea backfield gem, Joshua May, carries the ball last week in the
Menehunes’ 20-13 victory over visiting Punahou. Waimea faces Konawaena on the
Big Island Friday night. Kapa’a junior Tyler Wakuta (below) carries the ball in
the Warriors’ loss last Saturday.
