“We have to focus on what we’re doing and not mind the cameras. I take every game like it’s my last game. I want it so bad. I believe in our coaches and my teammates. We have to go out there play hard, play our game and win.”
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Hilo sophomore Jalen Carvalho remembers fighting Kamehameha to the final seconds before losing 61-55 in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I championship game, a growing moment for one of the team’s young guns.
The 6-foot-2 guard knows that his Vikings, especially fellow sophomore young guns Drew Kell and Jodd Carter, gave the Warriors a good scare, trailing 56-53 with two minutes remaining.
The Viks lost, but they still gained something valuable: experience under big-time pressure, playing in front of a packed Hilo Civic crowd.
“I learned to play pressure games,” Carvalho said. “We know what to expect, since we’re going up to states. I felt nervous but at the same time it didn’t affect me. I just tried to play my game.”
The sophomores all shined. Kell scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Carvalho was next with 11 points, and Carter, the smallest of the trio at 5 feet 8, contributed eight points.
Senior guard Kainoa Kawaha wasn’t surprised that his younger teammates handled the pressure, and played to the moment.
“They’re one of the biggest parts of our team,” he said. “Even though they’re young, they can play with anyone older. They’re fast, fundamentally sound and versatile. I like the fact they can play with the big boys.”
In a first-round game, Hilo (12-3) faces Moanalua (8-3), the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s No. 3 team, at 5 p.m. today at McKinley High Gym in a televised game on OC16.
“It’s my first time on TV. I’ve never been on TV. I’m kind of nervous,” Carvalho said. “But I want to get a win for our team, TV or no TV. I want to get that first win. That’s the most important game.
“I feel good playing with my teammates. I’m jelling with them. I can’t wait for the next two years for us to become stronger physically and mentally. Drew works hard on the boards and does all the dirty work for us. Jodd is a sparkplug. He’s an amazing athlete. He can run, jump and shoot, pretty much do it all.”
Kawaha knows from past state experience that running, jumping and shooting over opponents on Oahu is not so easy, especially against tough halfcourt defenses that specialize in muscling for every single bread crumb.
Last season, Kahuku, the perennial football power, outrebounded Hilo, 52-31, and blitzed to an 82-56 first-round landslide, something Kawaha distinctly recalls. In consolation action, Mililani beat Hilo 63-55.
At least, the Viks, who are making their third straight trip to states, have experience, a couple of returning starters accustomed to the rough-and-tumble, bumper-car style of state ball.
Kawaha and fellow senior Rico Loeak were in the starting lineup against the Red Raiders, who eventually took third. Loeak scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting while Kawaha finished with three points.
“This year, we’ve got to keep the tempo in our favor. The main thing is to come out hustling from the beginning and play physical,” he said. “We have to have that mentality and on defense we need to block out. We have to keep shooting on offense. Our shots will fall.
“We have to focus on what we’re doing and not mind the cameras. I take every game like it’s my last game. I want it so bad. I believe in our coaches and my teammates. We have to go out there play hard, play our game and win.”