Kaiser coach, players take pride
in their soft tennis teams
By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comSoft tennis doesn't get much attention during the fall, but that didn't stop the Kaiser boys team from putting in a little extra effort this season.
Not only did Kaiser win its third consecutive Oahu Interscholastic Association championship while maintaining a 3.8 grade-point average as a team, the players and coaches also did their own landscaping around the school's tennis courts.
Kaiser coach Kristie Yamamoto said she and the players were at the courts at 5:30 a.m. the day of the OIA championships earlier this month to cut the grass and trim the trees surrounding their campus courts.
"They take a lot of pride in the way things look," Yamamoto said. "It's a small sport so we take pride in what we have."
Yamamoto said the initiative taken by the Kaiser players is indicative of the work ethic the Cougars display on the court.
"They work exceptionally hard," Yamamoto said. "My players are out here six days a week, two hours a day. If they feel they don't get enough practice they come out and add extra time on their own without me asking them."
Kaiser won its third straight team title, led by senior Suyuki Samejima, who teamed with junior Bryne Nagata to win the doubles championship. Samejima won the doubles crown the past two seasons with two different partners.
Most of the Kaiser boys soft tennis team will return in the spring as the Cougars try to defend their OIA tennis title.
Leilehua defeated Kaiser to win the girls team championship. The Mules last captured the girls title in 1996. Roosevelt had won the last five in a row.
Second chances: It took a big break for the Kalaheo girls volleyball team to qualify for last week's state tournament, and the Mustangs used their new life to make some waves in Hilo.
Kalaheo was granted its first-ever berth in the Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball Championship when Kalani forfeited an OIA playoff match for using an ineligible player.
The invitation came less than five days before the tournament's opening match and caught the Mustang coaches and players off guard. Most of the players had started practicing with their winter sports teams when the team was informed of its good fortune.
Kalaheo lost its opening match to defending state champion Iolani. But the Mustangs rebounded to defeat Waimea and Pearl City and claim the consolation championship.
"We really wanted to validate our being there and we had to beat some teams to do that," assistant coach Neil Hong said.
Hong assisted his brother, Kevin, on the coaching staff and was a part of two firsts for Kalaheo volleyball. He played on the first boys team to play in a state tournament and coached the girls in their first appearance.
Hong said just being in Hilo for the tournament was a positive experience for the players, and winning a couple of matches earned the team the respect of the state's other top programs.
"It felt really good to have other coaches come up to us and ask about playing in preseason tournaments and asking about our girls," Hong said.
Soccer tourney opens: The Roosevelt Girls Thanksgiving Soccer Tournament opens today at the Rough Riders' field and runs through Saturday.
Six varsity and three junior varsity teams are scheduled to participate. Roosevelt, Campbell and Waialua comprise Pool A in the varsity competition. Pool B is made up of Pac-Five, Kalani and Nanakuli. Roosevelt, Nanakuli and Waianae make up the JV bracket.
Four games are scheduled for today starting at 4 p.m. After taking Thanksgiving Day off, the tournament continues Friday and Saturday. The championship match is set for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Poll watching: St. Louis worked its way back into the Student Sports Fab 50 National Football Rankings with last week's state quarterfinal win over Farrington.
The Crusaders, who face Waimea in a semifinal game on Friday, appear at No. 49 in this week's poll. St. Louis began the year ranked 15th in the country, but dropped out in September after losses to No. 1 De La Salle and Kamehameha.
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