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Updated at 3:13 p.m., Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Preps: New season, attitude for Maui football team

By Stefanie Nakasone
The Maui News

KAHULUI — Team. Responsibility. Leadership. Empathy.

Those are the four main components of a code Maui High football coach David NeSmith is stressing to his team this year. After a 2006 season that players say was filled with negativity, the Sabers are ready to start playing together as a team — and start winning some games.

"Our goal is to play together, play as a team,'' defensive lineman Solo Vainikolo said. "Last year we looked bad because we had so much negative things happening. So yeah, we've cut that out.''

During practice last week following a lopsided loss to South East of California, the Sabers were in good spirits, eager for their next game.

"It helps with everyone being positive compared to last year with all the negativity,'' said receiver Andrew Perry. "It just brings everyone closer together when everyone's on one page. Being positive, having the right attitude, it helps a lot.''

The Sabers will need all the positivity they can muster — as well as adapting quickly to a new offense and shoring up a defense that gave up 78 points in two preseason games — to be able to hang in the Maui Interscholastic League, particularly in Division I.

And unlike their D-I competition, the Sabers have no reason to rest on their laurels. This season they start anew.

They aren't like Baldwin, which powered its way to a 9-0-1 MIL record and league title. The Bears had much to be proud of in 2006, making a run at a state title, which ended in a loss on the last play of a semifinal game against eventual-champion Kahuku.

And the Sabers aren't like King Kekaulike, which made history last season by becoming the first Neighbor Island team to win a state football championship. Na Ali'i are the reigning D-II champs, and bring that winning tradition to the D-I level this year.

The Sabers jump right into the fire, playing Na Ali'i in their season opener Saturday, then taking on the Bears the following week.

With the competition throughout the MIL looking particularly tough this year — with two lopsided preseason wins, Division II Lahainaluna is also a legitimate state title contender — NeSmith said he was straight with his team.

"I didn't sugarcoat anything,'' NeSmith said. "I informed them, 'Fellas, this is what we've got stacked against us.' We're playing a defending state champion team. I don't care if it's Division II, III, IV, it doesn't matter. They're a state champion, it doesn't matter. They deserve it.

"And also, we're playing a semifinalist to a state championship team. I mean, in what league in Hawai'i are you going to face two potential state champions in the same division? So, we have an uphill climb. But I also feel we are up to the task.''

For the Sabers, their 1-8-1 season last year is one they would rather forget. But with its new code, Maui High looks poised for a turnaround year — whether it reflects on its record or not.

"We haven't been winning in the last few years, but I think that we're on the right track to get there,'' NeSmith said. "I think we'll get there, and I'm hoping that we can get there this year.

"Winning is going to be a byproduct of us working together. ... Regardless what the season's end result may be, I think the boys will have had a great experience by the time the season is over.''

Attitude means everything to the Sabers and their coaches. During both of their preseason games — a 34-9 loss to South East and a 44-2 loss to The Bishop's School (Calif.) — the Sabers showed a no-quit attitude that NeSmith said is a big step forward for his team.

"Because of the little things that we've been trying to teach through the first part of this preseason, the kids are really buying into our program this year,'' NeSmith said. "And that's just a big plus for us. In the past, we've had teams that were down after a first score, so I'm really proud of them for the way they came back, held themselves together.''

Against Bishop's, Maui High was on the verge of being shut out. But with 1:26 remaining in the game, Sabers linebacker Judd Sato managed to get to running back Christian Theuer, pulling him down in the end zone for a safety.

"We never give up,'' said Perry.

Despite the team's emphasis on the life-long lessons football can teach, make no mistake — the Sabers want to win.

"Our objective is to just win some games at least,'' Sato said. "Everybody's pushing harder because we all want to win.''

With the introduction of a spread offense, NeSmith said it will take some time for his players to get acclimated.

"It's the first time we're running this offense. Maui High School has for decades, at least two of them, has been a running team,'' he said. "So we're getting used to coming out of that and throwing the football.''

Last season, the Sabers' offense ran through senior running back Jonathan Los Banos, one of the top rushers in the league. The second-team MIL All-Star selection finished with 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns on 150 carries, leaving him third behind King Kekaulike's Shannon Kamakaokalani (1,079) and Baldwin's Chansi Bolosan (1,030) in total rushing yards.

This season, NeSmith has put his confidence in junior Jordan Inamasu. A tailback last season in junior varsity, Inamasu struggled some in his varsity debut against South East, completing 12 of 32 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

"There's a lot of kinks that we're going to be working out throughout the season, but I think we'll be OK,'' NeSmith said. "We're very confident in Jordan. He makes really good decisions and he's an athlete, he loves the game of football. We were down last week 34-9, but he came off the field saying 'I'm ready coach. I'm ready. Sorry about that but I'll come back.' So he had a great attitude about what he was doing, and I love that.''

Although he acknowledged Inamasu's first interception was simply a good play by the opposing team, NeSmith added that the other turnovers may not have occurred had the Sabers receivers hung on to the ball.

"We just need to work on our timing on offense,'' NeSmith said. "I think we had a lot of catches in the right spots, but we never hung on to the football. That's what the coaches are working on with the kids right now.

"I think if we had caught a few passes along the way, we weren't going to throw those interceptions we did.''

"We got to catch the ball,'' said Sato, who caught an 11-yard pass against South East. "Some of (the passes) were nice, but we just dropped it.''

On Saturday against a stingy Bishop's defense, Inamasu was 13-for-31 for 92 yards. But the 5-foot-7, 150-pound quarterback improved in one important area – he threw just one interception.

Without a featured back, the Sabers will rely on all their skill position players to contribute.

"This year's not going to be so much one person doing everything,'' Perry said. "It's not going to be singled in all the glory. It's going to be more team, like everyone's going to get to hold the ball and contribute to winning and team goals.''

Perry, playing just his second year of football, will be one of Inamasu's main targets. The 5-11, 170-pound senior led all Sabers with six catches for 89 yards in the preseason.

"We feel like we have something to prove this year,'' said Perry, who attends Kihei Charter School, but plays for Maui. "We had a really poor season last year. We got to just go out there and just do better than last year, play better, play as a team.''

The Sabers will also have the services of senior receiver Mitchell Crim, who also is the team's kicker. Crim, who was held to just special teams action early in the preseason after experiencing some discomfort in his knees, returned to the offense last week. Against Bishop's, the MIL All-Star in both baseball and track caught one pass for 14 yards.

The Sabers defense will be anchored by the 6-1, 290-pound Vainikolo. The senior defensive tackle was a second-team MIL All-Star last season.

"He's obviously the biggest, probably strongest guy that we have, or close to it,'' NeSmith said.

One particular area of concern Vainikolo feels needs to be addressed is the Sabers' special teams, specifically on coverage. In their two preseason games, the Sabers gave up an average of 144.5 return yards, including 200 to South East.

"They returned the ball on us like 200-something yards I think,'' Vainikolo said. "So yeah, special teams is our weakness.''

Despite the undoubtedly tough road ahead, the Sabers aren't letting the long odds get them down.

"We're all really confident that we're going to succeed this year,'' offensive lineman Jay Pua said. "Our goal is to win the MIL championship and become one team on the field.''

When asked what was one thing he wanted everyone to know about Maui High football, he didn't hesitate in his reply:

"We're coming back.''

Note: The Maui News has started previewing Maui Interscholastic League football teams since Sunday. For more MIL previews and Maui news, click here.