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Saturday, February 26, 2000
Raiders pin
their hopes on
the success
of Schroers
Clayton Schroers helps his
By Pat Bigold
coach, who also happens to be
his dad, get off to a good start
in the HHSAA State Boys'
Wrestling Tournament
Star-BulletinIt's not always easy to play for your father and it's not always easy to coach your son.
But Clayton and Carl Schroers know how to make it work.
"Most of my technical advice on the mat is being yelled by an assistant coach," said Clayton, the top-seeded 215-pounder in the Data House Hawaii High School Athletic Association Wrestling Tournament.
"My dad gets too emotionally wrapped up to be real brilliantly clear," he said with a chuckle. "I just need him there for the emotional support."
Carl Schroers, who has coached nine state championship teams since 1984, watched his son defeat Waipahu's Jonathan Ulukita (15-4) in a quarterfinal match yesterday at the Blaisdell Arena and advance to today's semifinals.
The win helped Iolani, which has 10 seniors on its team, lead the first day with 87 points. St. Louis had 73 and Punahou had 52.
"Usually my dad's a little more relaxed when a match begins," said Clayton.
"But when I'm out there I can see he's sitting on the edge of the chair, never leaning back."
The father admits he has a hard time keeping a poker face when Clayton is on the mat.
"I stay in the corner, but when he's wrestling, I'm very nervous," said Carl Schroers.
"I feel kind of helpless."
But Carl Schroers has more reason than wrestling to be proud of his son.
"He's a wonderful kid who's worked hard and is bright -- way brighter than dad," he said. "He loves poetry, loves Shakespeare, loves AP physics, AP English. He's not a great athlete. He has to work hard for everything he gets."
The father said the son wins more on wit than brawn or talent.
Clayton, who was fifth in the 1998 state tournament and third last year, expresses devotion to his father and calls him "the best coach in the state."
"And obviously, I wouldn't be here if he wasn't a coach," said Clayton.
Clayton, who has a 3.6 grade- point average and scored 1570 on his SAT, has had academic scholarship offers. He wants to double major in physics and international affairs.
He puts the pressure of wrestling for his father in perspective.
"There's pressure but there's also responsibility, which is a nicer word for pressure," he said.
In other matches, Maui's Saia Lotulelei, the 1999 champion at 215 pounds and top seed in the heavyweight division (275), advanced by beating A.J. Smith of Kahuku the hard way.
"I got him in the bear hug in the last round and finally pinned him," said Lotulelei, who also plays fullback for the Sabers.
But just before the bear hug, Lotulelei sprained his left ankle.
"I was on my toes and it twisted," he said.
Asked how that would affect him today in the semifinals, Lotulelei said it won't.
"I've played football and wrestled with sprained ankles," he said. "And, in fact, this one is still bad."
Lotulelei, who weighs only 235 pounds, pointed to his still-injured right ankle.
In the upset of the quarterfinals, Campbell's Barry Kekoa beat Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Chad Kahale of St. Louis in the heavyweight division.
"I just tried to work from the top, to take him down," said Kekoa.
Kahale had practiced the past few weeks with Chicago Bears starting center Olin Kreutz, a former state champion from St. Louis.
"We expected him (Kahale) to go to the finals but he did his best and we have to recover this round," said St. Louis head coach Todd Los Banos.
But St. Louis advanced six wrestlers to the semifinals, including 189-pounder Gerald Welch.
Welch, who like Kahale will play for the Rainbows football team next fall, defeated Kala Latuselu.
"He's so quick and so seasoned already," said Los Banos, who coached Iolani to a state title in 1990. "Right now he looks to me like he's just having fun."
Welch was runner-up in the tournament last year.
Malama Sylve of Leilehua, the only returning state champion in the girls' division, had a bye and spent the day watching the early matches.
Sylve said she exploited openings and played good defense last year when she won. She said she expected to wrestle the same way when she meets Kealakehe's Lauren Phillips this morning in her first match.
"There's been a whole lot more interest in girls' wrestling since last year," said Sylve. "And I think the girls work harder than the boys."
Moanalua, the defending girls' team champion, advanced five wrestlers to the semifinals and led with 51.5 points.
McKinley was second (45) and Castle third (44.5).
