Thursday, December 6, 2001
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Strombach’s stats The temptation was too much for Jimmy Strombach.
up to snuff
The Moanalua wide receiver set out
to break OIA records -- and he didBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe Moanalua receiver tried his darndest to keep his calculator for math class. He resisted the urge to see where he stacked up among the league leaders as long as he could.
But it's hard to blame a guy for sneaking a peek at his stats when he's putting up the kind of numbers Strombach produced this football season.
"I tried not to," he said. "Because in the past, I've kept stats and it kind of messes you up. I tried to ignore them this season, but halfway through, it was kind of hard."
When the figures were finally tallied, Strombach owned the Oahu Interscholastic Association's single-season records for receiving yards and touchdown catches.
Strombach was rewarded with a spot on the East squad for tomorrow's Hawaii Union Builders Goodwill Football Classic at Aloha Stadium.
Kickoff for the all-star game featuring Oahu's top seniors is set for 7:30 p.m.
"It's been great to play with all these guys," Strombach said. "Most of them I've just heard of from the paper, so you get to put a face with the numbers."
The game will open a busy weekend for Strombach, who also plays for the Moanalua boys soccer team. He's slated to start at goalkeeper when the Menehunes host Castle to kick off the OIA East season at 3:30 Saturday afternoon.
"It's worth it," he said of pulling double-duty. "This is great, this is the time of my life. I was praying I would make it to this game and I was just so happy when I was selected."
Strombach set OIA records with 1,003 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in eight games this season. His yardage total, accumulated over 54 receptions, accounted for 53 percent of the Menehunes' passing offense.
He averaged 125 yards per game and 18 yards per reception, and saved his best performance for last, hauling in eight catches for 197 yards and four touchdowns against Kalani on Oct. 26.
"I wanted to leave a mark in the OIA," Strombach said. "I wanted to see if I could break some OIA records and I couldn't believe I broke them."
Strombach played quarterback for the Menehunes as a junior, but concentrated on his receiving skills in preparation for his senior year. He honed his skills at camps hosted by Nebraska, Michigan and Western Michigan over the summer.
"He played a smarter game," Moanalua coach Jose Guevara said. "Some of the things they worked on up there helped him in his game. He picked up things real quick and he understood what I wanted from him.
"He was exposed to a lot of mainland talent," Guevara added. "He got noticed because soon after the Nebraska camp, (the Cornhusker coaches) started calling my house and they wanted to see tapes of him."
Strombach's experience under center also helped him form an almost psychic connection with Moanalua quarterback Ric Fukushima.
"After playing quarterback, you kind of know what the quarterback would be thinking in different situations," Strombach said. "So it helped out a lot with the mental part."
Physically, Strombach measures up at 6-feet and 155 pounds, and, according to Guevara, runs 40 yards in about 4.5 seconds. But his greatest asset is his ability to separate himself from a cornerback.
"He has deceptive speed," Guevara said. "He changes up and he has this burst and acceleration that he uses to his advantage."
Despite Strombach's individual success, the Menehunes struggled to a 2-6 mark in the OIA White Conference this season.
"It was very frustrating," he said. "I expected us to maybe make the OIA playoffs, maybe get an upset and go to the state tournament. But we just couldn't get it together."
With his high school football career ending tomorrow, Strombach will focus on soccer starting Saturday.
Strombach had never played the game outside of PE class before trying out for the team this fall. But not only has he secured a starting job, he excelled in goal for the Menehunes in the preseason, earning a spot on the all-tournament team of the Moanalua High School Soccer Classic.
"He's got the goods to be an outstanding goalie," Moanalua soccer coach Spencer Machado said. "I've seen a lot of goalies and this kid's a natural.
"He's learning, but he's picking up things so fast it's unbelievable."
In the spring, Strombach will switch gears again as a returning all-star for the Menehune baseball team. He was a first-team OIA East selection last season as an outfielder and helped lead the team to its first state tournament appearance.
"That's been the highlight of my high school career," Strombach said.
Strombach said he's looking for a college that will allow him to play football and baseball. But before he leaves high school football behind, Strombach is focused on helping the East avenge last year's loss in tomorrow's HUB Classic.
"I wouldn't think there would be this much, but there is a lot of pride in this game," he said.
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