Posted on: Tuesday, August 24, 2004
OIA WEST PREVIEW
Mililani looks solid in tough league
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| • | This week's football games |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
For claiming their first O'ahu Interscholastic Association West crown last season, the Mililani Trojans get to wear the bull's-eye.
"You have to go with Mililani," 'Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "They return their quarterback (Maka Kahoano), their linemen and running backs, so they're way ahead of the pack. They're the ones to beat."
Trojans coach James Millwood hopes so, too.
"Hopefully, we can carry on where we left off," he said. "We've been practicing well, playing well in scrimmages. We just need to stay healthy. Our defense is not very big, but it has good team speed. The defense has been doing everything we ask of them."
Millwood said the West will be better than in recent years. Since the inception of the state tournament in 1999, the West has had only one of the OIA's four representatives on four occasions.
In 2002, the West had no state representation.
"Leilehua will field a talented team," Millwood said. "With Kapolei and 'Aiea coming up (from the White), everyone has to worry about them, too. And we still have Wai'anae and Pearl City. We should have good matchups every week."
First-year Mules coach Nolan Tokuda is pleased with his team, which he is very familiar with having had most of the players he coached on the JV the past two years.
"If we can stay away from injuries, we'll be battling Mililani for the top of the West," Tokuda said. "But I wouldn't put anything past Kapolei and 'Aiea. They'll be making a run for it, too."
The program synonymous with West domination since 1970, when geographic divisional play started, has been struggling of late. Wai'anae barely made last year's OIA playoffs and didn't get off to a reassuring start with a 2-0 nonleague win against Campbell, a White Conference program.
Kapolei, 14-5 in its first two varsity seasons in the White, makes its debut in the Red. The Hurricanes have returnees who should help them contend.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.
