Advertiser Staff
Punahou is going back to the future for volleyball coaches to defend the state high school championships it won last fall.
Lyman Lacro and John McDermott, former head coaches at Punahou who were assistants there the past several seasons, were named boys and girls head coach, respectively, this week by athletic director Tom Holden.
Lacro replaces Scott Rigg, who resigned because of impending back surgery shortly after coaching Punahou to its fourth straight state boys title in November.
Lacro led the Buffanblu to state titles in 1994, ’95 and ’96, but stepped down to an assistant’s role when the more experienced Rigg returned to Punahou in 1997.
McDermott replaces Diana McKibbin, who resigned last month to spend more time with her family after six years and two state titles as head coach. McDermott has been an assistant girls coach the past three years and also in 1991-92, and was head boys coach in 1993. He left Punahou but returned in 1998 and teaches physical education.
McDermott is a 1983 Punahou graduate and 1988 graduate of Stanford, where he was a graduate assistant coach for three years. McDermott coached an 18-under club team to first place in the Junior Olympics.
"Whatever he touches, he seems able to do, and with extremely high energy," Holden said.
Lacro, a 1986 graduate of Kaua‘i’s Waimea High, was a standout setter for the University of Hawai‘i from 1987-90 and still plays club volleyball. He was most valuable player at the annual Ha‘ili tournament in Hilo in 1998.
"He really knows how to prepare athletes for games, scouting opponents, and his strength is in making game adjustments," Holden said.
Lacro will continue to teach physical education at Star of the Sea School.
SOCCER
 Breakaway victory: Punahou used two breakaways yesterday to defeat ‘Iolani, 2-0, and take command of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls soccer standings.
Punahou improved to 5-0-1 with 16 championship points while ‘Iolani (3-1-2), which shared the lead a week ago, dropped to third place with 11 points. Kamehameha (3-0-3) moved into second with a 2-0 victory over Pac-Five, giving the defending ILH champion Warriors 12 points (3 per victory, 1 per tie).
Punahou scoring leader Adria Campbell broke open yesterday’s game at ‘Iolani 16 minutes into the second half. Starting from 25 yards out, she beat two defenders down the middle to create a 1-on-1 breakaway and kicked the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs for her fourth goal of the season.
"Once we scored, the game changes," Punahou coach Jorge Barbosa said. "We had extra adrenalin going."
In the 23rd minute of the second half, Punahou broke away again. Outside fullback Tiff Taylor drove down the left flank and crossed to the opposite flank to Pippa Macdonald, who one-touched to a speeding Jen Lau. Lau took the ball all the way and tucked it into the right side of the net with her left foot.
"She practically walked it in," Barbosa said. "It was a beautiful breakaway. She’s a freshman and she showed a lot of poise taking it so close before she shot."
"We had breakdowns on defense and they got through," ‘Iolani coach Sandy Shimogaki said. "They have a lot of speed and they know how to use it."
Barbosa praised his defensive line for thwarting ‘Iolani’s threats, which mainly came early in the game, and his 14-year-old goalkeeper, Allison Lipsher, for big stops. "She’s playing awesome," Barbosa said.
Punahou does not play another team with a winning record until its final two games against Kamehameha and ‘Iolani. O‘ahu’s private-school league again gets only one team in the state tournament and the Buffanblu have the inside track on their first state berth since 1998.
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