COURTESY RYAN YAMASHIRO / HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS
Kicker Kimo Naehu, with the help of holder Mike Tillis, has been a big part of the Islanders' 2-0 start this season.
For Kimo Naehu, the first step in kicking a football between two posts is forgetting they exist. Naehu focused on winning
The Islanders' Waipahu alum
leads af2 kickers in scoringBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe Hawaiian Islanders kicker doesn't concern himself with the slender 9-foot gap between the goal posts in arena football or how far away they are. He instead keeps his focus on the ground right in front of him.
"I just concentrate on my steps, make sure I take the same steps every time and just swing," said Naehu. "I don't really pay attention to the goal posts. If I have the same swing, hit the ball the same way, it'll go in."
Naehu's accuracy has him in the scoring lead among kickers in arenafootball2, and has helped the Islanders to a 2-0 mark to begin their second season.
Who: Hawaiian Islanders (2-0) at Bakersfield Blitz (0-2) Islanders vs. Blitz
When: Today, 4 p.m. Hawaii time
TV, radio: None
The Islanders will try to maintain their perfect record today in a road game against the Bakersfield Blitz (0-2). Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. (Hawaii time) at Centennial Arena.
Today's game will be Bakersfield's first at home after dropping two road games to open the season. The Islanders are tied with San Diego for first in af2's Western Division and are looking to win back-to-back road contests for the first time.
The Islanders had a bye last week after pulling out a 53-52 win at Quad City on April 4, a game that highlighted the importance of the kicking game.
Naehu connected on a 34-yard field goal and four of five extra-point attempts against Quad City, the miss coming as a result of a mishandled snap.
His Quad City counterpart, Brian Hegnauer, made a 47-yard field goal just before halftime, but missed a PAT that would have tied the score with 12 seconds left in the game.
"That's the toughest kick," Naehu said. "The tying kicks are way harder than the ones to win."
Naehu, a 1997 Waipahu graduate, has made three of four field goals and eight of 11 extra-point attempts this season to lead af2 kickers in scoring with 17 points.
The field dimensions of the arena game make kicking a bit trickier than on a full-sized field. Arena league goal posts are 9 feet apart, with the crossbar 15 feet off the ground. NFL goal posts are 18 1/2 feet apart and 10 feet off the ground.
"Being indoors makes up for it a little bit, because you don't have the wind factor," Naehu said. "It kind of evens out, so it's all a mind game."
Naehu played soccer and football at Waipahu and tied an Oahu Interscholastic Association record with a 51-yard field goal against Campbell as a senior. He went on to Bethel College in Kansas and earned all-conference honors as both a punter and linebacker.
He said he'd like to get into the game on offense or defense, but is content to contribute where he can.
"I know I have to play a role and my role is to kick," he said.
"With the guys here it's like a family. They don't really stereotype me as a kicker. I try to do all the drills with them, I run with them and everything just to show them I want to be part of the team. I don't want to be just a kicker."
Naehu began last season with Wichita and was re-assigned to the Islanders prior to the season. He made six of 13 field goals and 23 of 30 PATs in his first season.
Despite his strong start this season, Naehu is looking to improve on his kickoffs this week. He twisted his left ankle in the season-opener against Green Bay and struggled to get distance on his kickoffs in the Quad City game, leading to several long returns for the Steamwheelers.
The bye week gave Naehu's ankle time to heal and he's ready to continue to try to boost his chances for a promotion to the AFL or beyond by helping the Islanders rack up more victories.
"If you win, people take notice," he said.
Hawaiian Islanders
