Kahuku's Ale contributed in many ways
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| • | Wai'anae guard pushed speed limit |
| • | Komine came up big for AOP |
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
In a region where football is king, Okesene "Junior" Ale and Nathan James helped Kahuku High School get excited about boys basketball again.
Kahuku junior forward Okesene "Junior" Ale showed an ability to score, rebound, play defense and handle the ball during the OIA East season. In a win over Moanalua, he scored 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three blocked shots. He was named OIA East Player of the Year and his coach, Nathan James, was named Coach of the Year.
For their key roles in that revival, Ale and James were named Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Eastern Division.
Ale, a 6-foot-1 junior forward, was a smooth all-around talent who could contribute with scoring (inside and outside), rebounding, defense and ball-handling. In one stunning display of those skills, he scored 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots in a victory over Moanalua.
Ale is joined on the OIA East All-Star first team by three other juniors — Kahuku's Clinton Parks plus Roosevelt's Keo Keola and Kerstan Ho — and Kailua senior Kainoa LaCount.
Parks, a 5-10 guard, refined his game in the offseason and the difference showed in his improved shot selection and assist-to-turnover ratio. He scored a game-high 21 points — including five 3-pointers — in a 71-68 victory over Castle and was a threat to score on fast breaks as well as outside shots. Parks also helped control the tempo with his dribbling skills.
Keola, a 6-1 forward, and Ho, a 6-3 forward who transferred from Saint Louis, helped Roosevelt finish 8-3 and tie for third place in the East. In one crucial game, Keola scored 23 points in a 59-57 victory over Moanalua.
LaCount, a 6-7 center, helped Kailua rally from an 0-4 start to seven straight victories and a league playoff berth.
In the playoff-clinching win, he scored 11 of his game-high 25 points in the third period of a 59-45 victory over Roosevelt.
James
James guided the Red Raiders to a 10-1 regular-season record and the East championship. He did it by blending returnees like Ale and Parks with three starters who transferred from the Mainland — guard Shane Hayden and twin forwards Devin and Kevin Unga.
Kahuku's only East loss was a 54-53 defeat to Roosevelt.
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