Kaimuki High School senior Keone Reyes enjoyed a "Rudy"-like moment about 11 months ago, when he was carried off the basketball court on the shoulders of ecstatic teammates and fans after leading the Bulldogs to their first O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship since 1993.

Even in that scene of glory, however, Reyes' thoughts immediately turned to someone special who was not there to share in the overwhelming joy.

"I still think about her after every game," Reyes said of his mom, Theresa, who died in her sleep after a short illness three years ago at age 44. "When we used to talk, I told her I was tired of winning championships at the Boys Club; I wanted to win the OIA. So when we finally got it, I dedicated it to her."

Reyes, who pointed to the sky during his ride off the court and also during an ensuing TV interview, is not content with just one league title. And neither are the rest of the Bulldogs, who begin defense of the crown with tonight's regular season opener at home against Roosevelt.

Tipoff is set for about 6:30.

"Everyone's more hungry, we wanna get back to the championship game," said Reyes, a 5-foot-11, 255-pound forward. "But it won't be easy. There's a lot of good teams this year."

Kaimuki, with Reyes and returning starters Beau Albrechtson and Daniel Colon, leads the pack of contenders.

At 6-4, Albrechtson is a tall and agile small forward who can score in bunches and cause big matchup problems. Colon, a point guard last year, has moved to the wing where he gives the Bulldogs another scoring threat.

Quick senior Brandon Madamba has taken over the point, and sophomore guard Ryan Kakitani can be a dangerous 3-point shooter off the bench.

But the anchor is Reyes, who did not even start last year and yet earned Advertiser All-State first team honors.

"He's a big boy, and he's a smart post player," said longtime Roosevelt coach John Chung. "He knows how to maneuver his body and he has good inside moves. He also can handle the ball, so he can put it on the floor and beat you off the dribble. Even with rebounding, he really knows how to use his body in the post."

Chung said there is no easy way to stop Reyes.

"You can't defend him one-on-one; you gotta have a lot of help," Chung said. "But he's a good passer, too, so even if you send somebody to help from the backside, he can dish it off."

It's not only OIA teams that have difficulty defending Reyes. In last year's state championship loss to 'Iolani, he scored a game-high 18 points, and he had 18 points again two weeks ago against perennial Philadelphia power Roman Catholic.

All of Roman Catholic's post players are between 6-3 and 6-5.

"I think they were shocked by his ability to score on them," Kaimuki coach Kelly Grant said. "He's so powerful, even if there's contact made, he can still power it up and battle through."

Reyes also is adept at drawing defenders away from the basket, then spinning and blowing past them off the dribble.

"In the first five feet, his explosiveness is unbelievable," Grant said. "When we do shuttle runs, he's even ahead of the quicker guards at the start."

Reyes' unique athleticism was developed in his elementary and intermediate school days, through countless hours spent at the Boys and Girls Club of Hono-lulu in McCully. Along with current teammates Albrechtson and Madamba, Reyes learned his many sneaky moves under the coaching of Kevin Santos and Glenn Nishimura.

He also tried to emulate NBA star Chris Webber, although his game and body shape reminds most people of Charles Barkley.

"Most people think I'm slow," Reyes said, "so I try to trick them."

The only thing that slowed him down so far was schoolwork. Reyes was academically ineligible his freshman year, but rebounded to star on the JV team in 2005 before being promoted to the varsity last season.

"He could have played varsity as a sophomore, but he was not going to get quality minutes at this level," Grant said. "On the JV, he learned to be a leader and was the go-to guy, so when he got to the varsity, he already had that instilled in him."

Even while coming off the bench.

"I liked to do that," Reyes said of being the sixth man last year. "I liked to get in there when everybody was winded."

This season, however, Reyes is a starter and expects to play almost the entire game. He and the other Bulldogs also carry with them the high hopes of a campus and community that was drawn together in a big way by last year's success.

"That was cool, it felt awesome, like a dream come true," Reyes said. "One of the things we wanted to do was put Kaimuki on the map."

Wherever Reyes and the Bulldogs end up this season, his mom will always be close by. A few days after she died, he got a tattoo on the left side of his chest with the inscription, "In loving memory ... Theresa."

"I put it over my heart," Reyes said, " 'cuz that's where she is."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.