Recent history hasn't been kind to the Damien Memorial High School football team. Monarchs start off
Litle known about champs
with feel-good winBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe Monarchs are 2-26 since 1999 and went 0-8 last year. They've been shut out five times in the last two seasons and scored in double-figures just four times in that stretch.
So when Damien posted a 42-15 victory over Kaimuki in last week's Father Bray Classic at Aloha Stadium, the Monarchs were finally able to celebrate, some for the first time in their high school careers.
"The returnees came back a lot more determined this year and worked really hard knowing they didn't want to repeat the season they had last year," Damien co-head coach Rudy Alejo said.
"We wanted to make it fun for them and not put so much emphasis on winning or losing. We're just telling them we have to leave it all out on the field. We can't hold ourselves back."
Alejo, who shares coaching duties with Dean Nakagawa, said he can remember a game in 1992 when the Monarchs scored 48 points, but since then, the program has experienced precious few days like the one they enjoyed last Saturday.
Andrew Canoy scored on a 79-yard run and an 82-yard kickoff return. Ranson DeCosta ran another kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown. Daniel Chaves chipped in with a 36-yard interception return for a score.
The win helped the Monarchs, who have just eight seniors on this year's roster, gain some confidence heading into next week's Interscholastic League of Honolulu opener against Iolani.
"On the bus ride over we were as silent as lambs," Alejo said. "You could hear a pin drop on our bus and that's because we don't know how good we are because we're so young."
Strong start for Waialua, too: Waialua is another program that has had little to feel good about lately, but the Bulldogs also began the year on a high with a 22-21 win at Konawaena.
Waialua coach Donald Capello said it's the first time he can remember that Waialua opened the year with a victory.
"It was an excellent win," Capello said. "It was a team effort and we were hearing comments from the Konawaena people like, 'Those Bulldogs, they don't quit.' "
Waialua, which suited up 23 players to Konawaena's 55, went down 14 points, but rallied and took the lead with 1:17 left in the game on Larry Ladao's punt return for a touchdown.
After the win, Capello said he saw an immediate change in the players' attitudes.
"On Monday, we had an excellent practice," he said. "The kids took the initiative to start practice. The coaches were in our meeting and we came out expecting them to be sitting around waiting, but they had already done their stretching and special teams stuff."
Cho returns: McKinley graduate Joseph Cho is back in town as head coach of the Cascade (Salem, Ore.) football team. The team has been practicing at McKinley's field this week preparing for a preseason game at Konawaena on Friday.
Cho last brought Cascade to the islands in 1999 for a game at Kauai.
Schedule change: Friday's game between Campbell and Kailua has been moved to Kailua's field. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Campbell.
Campbell's game with Waipahu on Sept. 7 will be played at Waipahu and the game between Kapolei and Nanakuli has been moved from Pearl City to Nanakuli.
Hawaii School Web Sites