One day Erleen Oguma was a Dagger, then the June 28 lava flow relocated her and three other Pahoa basketball teammates to Keaau, where she, Vanessa Castro, Ranchell Berinobis, Alyssa Padilla and Macey Mokuhalii suddenly became Cougars.
One day Erleen Oguma was a Dagger, then the June 28 lava flow relocated her and three other Pahoa basketball teammates to Keaau, where she, Vanessa Castro, Ranchell Berinobis, Alyssa Padilla and Macey Mokuhalii suddenly became Cougars.
Perhaps it was toughest on Oguma because she played Big Island Interscholastic Federation volleyball for the Daggers. So she has the distinction of wearing two different uniforms this season.
She only slipped up once during a Keaau practice huddle break when she yelled “Daggers” when everyone else shouted “Cougars.”
That was understandable because Oguma is a Dagger for Life volleyball player. Last year, she experienced her BIIF career highlight when Pahoa qualified for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state tournament for the first time since 1997.
Oguma, who has a 3.1 grade-point average, is looking to play ball at a Division II school in Oregon and major in criminal justice.
Mokuhalii is from Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science. The four others are from Pahoa. But all five grew up at the small school playing hoops as Daggers, a Division II school.
Keaau, a Division I school, and Pahoa have never qualified for states.
It’s a major Mauna Kea challenge for the Cougars because Konawaena is the six-time defending BIIF champion, and coach Bobbie Awa’s roster is stocked with promising youth, including freshmen Cherilyn Molina and Mikayla Tablit.
It’s pretty much the same thing for Hilo, where coach Ben Pana has a youth pipeline with his Keaukaha club team to develop future Vikings.
The league only has two berths to the Division I state tournament. The BIIF has three spots to the Division II state tourney, and there’s more parity than ever.
Honokaa, the defending state and BIIF champion, is still the favorite even with three starters gone to graduation. Kamehameha and Kohala went to states, but both also suffered key departures.
Oguma, Castro, Berinobis and Padilla start for the Cougars, whose rotation includes forward Jasmine Segobia and guard Hunter Muranaka.
Padilla is a freshman along with Muranaka and backup Kyra Banasihan to give the Cougars a youthful nucleus. Oguma, Castro Berinobis and Segobia are all seniors.
Oguma and Castro received All-BIIF honorable mention last season.
New school
On Friday, Nov. 7, about 320 Pahoa students went Keaau for the first time. The Keaau students had the day off, allowing the Pahoa youngsters a chance to acclimate themselves.
More than a month later, Oguma remembers that Monday, Nov. 10th date, when all the students were on campus together.
“That second day all the students were there and it was a really difficult situation for us,” she said. “It was weird wearing a different uniform. But I’m enjoying it now and it feels like a family.”
Castro, who has a 3.0 GPA, went through a similar transition. She only plays basketball, and never imagined that she would wear a jersey that wasn’t green and white.
The former Dagger Five thought they had a pretty good chance to reach states and make Pahoa school history. They played games during the summer under former Pahoa coach Shawn Fuiava, who’s an assistant to Keaau coach Mark Pocock.
“It was hard to get used to,” Castro said of Keaau’s uniform U.S. flag colors of red, white and blue. “At first it was hard to think that we’re a Division I team, knowing we have to play other Division I teams.
“Having Pahoa coach Shawn here makes me feel comfortable and it’s better having my old teammates here. At school, I hang out with Ranchell, Erleen and Macey mostly. But the best thing is the school is nice and the people there have been really welcoming.”
New blessing
Keaau coach Pocock called the addition of the former Daggers a blessing. That added depth and talent could help Cougars in the musical chairs fight for a spot in the four-team BIIF playoffs. The other D-I schools are Konawaena, Hilo, Waiakea and Kealakehe.
“Ranchell will be the anchor of the team,” Pocock said. “She’s an all-around player with an inside and outside game. She’s really versatile. She’s big, strong and can rebound.
“Erleen can jump. Playing volleyball, she’s got springs in her legs. She can grab rebound after rebound. She’s a sparkplug out there. Jasmine has really improved with her rebounding, and she’ll be a presence in the paint.”
For Fuiava, the former Pahoa coach, the goals remain the same: play as a team and shoot for a historic state berth.
“We worked all offseason. It was the first time we had a Pahoa team that dedicated in the offseason,” he said. “We played in the Kona tourney and women’s league. We worked really hard. Going into the season, we had high hopes.
“But it’s about having fun and the staff at Keaau have been more than welcoming. It’s the same goal, to make states but do it in a different division.”