Tuesday, July 31, 2001

6 football players transfer
from Kahuku to Waialua

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By Tim Crouse
tcrouse@starbulletin.com

Twenty-eight players showed up for Waialua High School's first day of football practice yesterday, including six who played for Kahuku last year.

None of the six former Kahuku players started for the state champion Red Raiders last season and all are underclassmen.

Third-year Waialua coach Don Capello said the new transfers will help immediately because they increase the team's numbers.

"We were missing a few guys and it was still the biggest first-day turnout (since I've been here)," Capello said.

"(The Kahuku transfers) are trying out like everyone else and we'll have to see how they fit in."

Waialua finished last season winless and forfeited its final game to Nanakuli because of health and safety issues.

Waialua's football program almost shut down in 1998 due to lack of participation. Only 17 players signed up for football that fall and Yoshimura and school officials believed they would have to cancel the season.

But the community rallied around the program, 10 more players showed up to practice and the Bulldogs continued to play.

"It's not common (for student-athletes to transfer to Waialua)," Bulldogs athletic director Sharon Yoshimura said. "Usually we have students going away from our school.

"A lot of them came here because they wanted a change."

Waialua principal Aloha Coleman said she made sure the transfers weren't just interested in playing football.

"I meet with every single family that comes in," Coleman said. "Because we are a small school, we have a very close family atmosphere. They feel our school is safe and our (students) are well-cared for. We were sure to stress to them that they're coming here to be a member of our total student body.

"We're not out to win games. Our purpose with athletics is to develop the individual."

The Bulldogs will scrimmage with a team from Samoa on Aug. 8 and open their preseason Aug. 17 against Konawaena.