Waiakea alum kick starts West Florida
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Trebor Hartley of Kea'au couldn't have imagined himself playing college soccer in Florida when he worked as a cook at a Mexican restaurant on the Big Island the year after he graduated from Waiakea High in 1998.
"I was born and raised in Hawai'i, but I had to leave to play soccer," he said. "There are no universities in Hawai'i with men's soccer."
HARTLEY
His friend, Kelcey Chaidez (Waiakea '96) convinced Hartley to join him on the Santa Rosa (Calif.) JC team in 1999. After two years with the Bear Cubs, Hartley found his way to the University of West Florida.
He earned a full scholarship in spring practice and started the first 14 games last fall at defensive center midfield until he strained an abdominal muscle.
"He thinks of himself as more of an offensive-minded player, but our team needed him to concentrate on winning head balls and defending," coach Bill Elliott said.
West Florida went 13-5-1 and 6-1 in the Gulf South Conference, finishing second.
"The competition is really high down here," Hartley said. "We could easily beat a lot of (Division I) schools."
His first name is not a typographical error. It is the name of his father's best friend spelled backwards.
FOOTBALL
• Butte (Calif.) JC
Offensive right guard Scott Lee (Kaua'i '00) was chosen first-team All-California Region I by the California Community College Football Coaches Association.
Lee, also named first-team NorCal Football Conference, helped Butte (10-1) of Oroville earn a No. 2 final national ranking from J-C Grid Wire. He was one of the main blockers in an offense that averaged 43 points per game.
Lee, who is 6-feet-4, 310 pounds, will get his AA degree in May and will have two years to play two for some lucky Division I team, coach Craig Rigsbee said. "We'd love to get another offensive lineman like Scott from Hawai'i," he said, "but by our rules they have to call us first."
Lee started his JC career at Yuba and lost a year of eligibility when he transferred to Butte in 2001.
Redshirt freshman David Rivera (St. Anthony '01) handled Butte's kickoffs and put 48 percent of them into the end zone, Rigsbee said.
UPDATES
• Tennis: UCLA sophomore Chris Lam of Kaimuki is No. 40 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's final fall singles rankings, announced Monday. Lam, who was home-schooled, is the first player from Hawai'i in the top 50 since Ryan Ideta (Lahainaluna '92) was 36th for LSU in 1994.
• Women's basketball: UC-Santa Barbara sophomore Brandy Richardson (Kalaheo '01) continues to lead the Big West Conference in rebounding with 10.2 per game. Richardson pulled down a career-high 17 boards Thursday in a 72-57 victory over Southern California. The Gauchos (10-2) have moved up to No. 18 in the Associated Press poll.
Cal State-Los Angeles sophomore Monica Tokoro (Iolani '01 of 'Aiea) scored 30 points in a 79-63 loss to U. San Diego Saturday after a career-high 13 assists as Cal State-LA defeated Grand Canyon, 83-61, the previous night.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
• Ball State (Indiana)
Red-shirt sophomore Andrew Braley (Kalaheo '00), a 6-foot-7 middle attacker, is getting a free trip home for this week's Outrigger Invitational at Stan Sheriff Center.
Ball State will play three matches in three days, including national champion University of Hawai'i on Friday.
