Wong Launches UH Into Sweep Of LMU

Kolten Wong of Hilo hit three homers Sunday (March 15) to assist the UH offense to a 6-5 victory over Loyola Marymount University. What is the significance of this monumental feat? Well Kolten Wong has never hit more than two homers since T-Ball. Even as a potent batter in High School, he has never hit more than two.

Les Murakami Stadium has never seen the likes. A pitcher’s ball park that has always deterred right handed high school prospects into not coming to UH. We may be seeing something special in Wong becoming a prolific college hitter. His dad (Kaha Wong) has instructed him since he could walk and he has coached some of the best BIIF players including Blake Amaral (HPU) and Kevin Seaver (Chico State). In fact some current BIIF players on the Hilo High team are currently being scouted by MLB teams due to his part in teaching the hard hitting style to these players.

Now, we must give some credit to the current UH hitting instructor, coach Komeiji. Of course it is not the easiest situation for coach Komeiji, when you have a successful hitting father and instructor. Rumors have it, that they have had their differences already. You could see a difference in the elbow being tucked in on Wong this season versus last year’s high school season. His elbow was more in a power position feasting on slower paced high school pitching.

However, the reason for the change, has gotten him ready for the high 80- 90 mph pitching he is going to see on a regular basis playing Division I baseball. UH fans don’t care who gets the credit, we just love the way the team is playing and how some little power on the top of the line up creates winning!

DeRego and Mins Proved Champions

It wasn’t long ago that Pii Mins and Auwae DeRego from the Kamehameha-Kapalama 2009 HHSAA Champions were treking along with Uncle Randy Gambil (Honokaa Asst Coach), as Coach Gambil was taking them to some of the top 3 on 3 tournaments on the Big Island. Auwae Derego, Pii Mins, Chris Gambil, Ho'okela Freitas and Mika Nikel (HPA & Honokaa) were the team Waimea Knights. Mins also came to Hilo for the Winter Classic hosted by the County of Hawaii and put together by Hi-Pal coordinator Dennis “Fresh” Onishi. Mins played for the team “Hoops Pa’ain’a" coached by Jeff Won. Jeff Won won every tournament on Oahu, and the Big Island and went on to win many tournaments in Las Vegas and Japan. The parents of that Hoops Pa’ina team worked hard at some of the UH Basketball game concessions making it affordable to travel to Japan. Won’s team players dismantled into high school with Mins going to Kamehameha-Kapalama and some players going to Mid Pacific. Mins’ teams had some classic matches with the Gameboyz Basketball programs coached by David Aspili, Wade Ishibashi, Steve Fukunaga, and Kaimi Chung, a program of Big Island players including Kawika Cazimero, Vicky Tagalicod, Makana Cazimero, Ryan Fukunaga, Isaac Chung, Haku Ishibashi, Matthew Libao.

Hoops Pa’aina and the Gameboyz made it to the title game of the 2001 Honoulu Hi-Pal Christmas Classic. Hoops Pa’ina would also have classic match ups and lose to the Bears team coached by Mark Saito. That Bears team included, TJ Yasuhara, Collin Cabatbat, Chandler Kaaa, Hogan Rosehill, and Ryan Higa. Mins and DeRego showed much promise already at that young age.

DeRego travelled the road to Kamehameha-Kapalama then to Honokaa High School and then back to Kamehameha-Kapalama. A tragic fishing accident claimed the life Auwae’s brother, a life changing event that made Auwae more determined and focused to better his life and play with purpose. You could see that in Auwae’s game this weekend. Although he was not the offensive scoring machine, you knew he was the physical leader that Kamehameha needed to overcome the bigger and taller Kahuku. De Rego’s inside presence along with team mate Micah Chritiansen was a force that altered the finishing Red Raiders shots.

Micah Christiansen is the son of Bob Christiansen and Charlene Kahuanui UHH Volleball standout. Charlene Kahuanui-Christiansen was a member of the 1981 NAIA and AIAW Champions. Both met while being student athletes here in Hilo. Kahuku had one of the best OIA teams in many moon and it was a classic match up with Kamehameha-Kapalama. Jray Galeai one of the most athletically gifted players to come out of Kahuku since Junior Ale, did some awesome things in the HHSAA tourney. Nehoa Akina also shown some shooting brilliance for the Red Raiders. However, it was Mins, DeRego, Christiansen and all of the Warriors that came through at the end to cap off a memorable basketball season.

It was fun to watch these young athletes grow up in front of the Big Island eyes and exciting to watch them capture a most deserving championship trophy!

Konawaena Won Championship With 24/7 Mentality

The Wildcat program of Konawaena hoists up, yet another HHSAA Girls Basketball trophy. How fitting for a program that has defied the odds that population counts. In a smaller population market such as upper mauka Kona and Kealakekua areas of the Big Island, Konawaena has overachieved. The 2009 HHSAA Championship was won several months ago. The High School season is just a continuation of the program the Wildcats have.

The Awa’s (Bobbie and Donnie) started the Stingrays several years ago and is the nucleus of the Wildcats success. With now an army of coaches and alumni (boys and girls) helping, the program may reach a pinnacle of supremacy in the whole state.

The girls enter several tournaments throughout the year and practice religiously, and that includes Sunday, in which the Konawaena gym is opened up for the community to hone their skills. The Onizuka gym is filled with Wildcats and Wildcat wannabes, most times numbering close to 40-50 players.

The Girls always play with and against the Konawaena (Stingray) boys. This has made the girls more physical and play at a quicker pace offensively and defensively.

The high school season (3 months) is just a blip in the Wildcats all year round 24/7 basketball game and practice schedule the Stingrays program provides. The system works, and evolved due to the low number of basketball teams (youth and feeder teams) the West side of the Big Island has. The East side (Hilo, Hamakua, Puna) out numbers the West side of the island in terms of players and youth teams. The East side probably has 5-8 times more youth teams than the West side. That is where the Awa's had to be creative and evolve and make their program 24/7. But what evolved is a more concentrated group of dedicated and committed players than the larger groups on the Eastside. The Eastside youth teams funnel into more teams (Hilo, Waiakea, Keaau, St Joseph and Kamehameha), thus the players don't have the same continuity and chemistry that the Stingrays have, with the exceptions of Honokaa (Paauilo) and Pahoa.

The Awa family also has taken advantage of every basketball event the Big Island offers, including the 3 on 3 tournament the County and New Hope puts on. Every club tournament on the Eastside almost always has a team from the Stingrays. The World Youth Basketball Tourney (high school division) hosted in Konawaena has been a training ground for the 7-8th grade players. The Stingrays have gone to Oahu, Maui and Las Vegas and other states pursuing experience and skill enhancing.

The Stingrays have used local resources such as former UHH Coach Jimmy Yagi and skills coach Dennis Agena to give their community a taste of some of the best basketball minds in the State. Their program is ohana. When they travel to Hilo for a tournament, they usually stay at a hotel for the weekend sharing rooms and meals together, becoming closer, and actually that is the secret. The bond and chemistry they have for each other is phenomenal. Some of the Stingrays have played together for 10-13 years since they were five. You can’t coach that.

The Wildcat program eats, sleeps and plays basketball together 24/7, a recipe to success!