Waiakea sophomore Calvin Mattos was always the center of attention from opposing defenses on the basketball court, where he flourished while carrying heavy roles on his shoulders.
Waiakea sophomore Calvin Mattos was always the center of attention from opposing defenses on the basketball court, where he flourished while carrying heavy roles on his shoulders.
As the lone returning starter, the 5-foot-9 guard led the Warriors in scoring with 18.3 points per game, despite the burden of facing constant double-teams, and had the responsibility of defending the other team’s top scoring option.
Mattos was voted the BIIF Division I Player of the Year, in a vote by the league’s coaches.
“I’m happy. I never thought I’d win it at this young of an age,” he said. “My goal was to win BIIFs this year, but that didn’t happen.”
Konawaena defeated Waiakea 53-48 in the BIIF semifinals en route to its third straight crown. That postseason game highlighted Mattos as a valuable and outstanding player for the Warriors.
He scored a game-high 23 points the hard way. Mattos had a hand in his face or two defenders glued to him on every play. No other Warrior came close to double-digits in points, offering little relief.
“Calvin had to be our leading scorer every night, but he did it through the team way,” Waiakea coach Paul Lee said. “He found different ways to score. He could hit a 3-pointer, a pull-up jumper, get to the basket or the free-throw line.
“It was important how he handled himself on and off the court. Sometime when you throw a limelight on a young player, they don’t know how to handle it. But he comes in quiet and humble. He understood what his role had to be, and his actions carried through with his hard work.”
Mattos was joined on the first team by Waiakea senior point guard Cody Kojima, who averaged 9.7 points as a first-year starter. Kamehameha juniors Pukana Vincent and Bayley Manliguis, and Konawaena junior Cameron Howes round out the first team.
“Cody kept the team settled. He was a coach on the court,” Lee said. “He’s very quiet and a humble kid. This year, he was forced to be a leader and more vocal. He’s so shy he didn’t want to boss anybody around. But he led by example.”
It’s the third consecutive season the Wildcats didn’t have one of their own grab the league’s award. In 2013, Hawaii Prep’s Jovan Crnic was honored as the West Division Player of the Year, and last season Hilo’s Jalen Carvalho was the BIIF Division I Player of the Year.
In the case of Crnic, who led HPA to its first BIIF championship in 2012, and Carvalho, they were clearly the most talented players, as well as being valuable and outstanding, in the league. Crnic is playing ball at Northern Oklahoma College and Carvalho at Oregon Tech.
Family title bar
Mattos equates BIIF championships to Super Bowl titles, as in people know Tom Brady has four and Peyton Manning has only one. Who remembers how many league MVP awards each has won? (For the record, Brady has two and Manning has five. Then again, who’s counting that?)
Well, Mattos knows all about the BIIF championship history of his brother Chris, a 2010 Waiakea graduate, and sister Jamie, a 2006 Kamehameha graduate. Chris snagged a BIIF crown in 2009, Waiakea’s last one. Jamie got back-to-back BIIF Division II titles in 2005 and ‘06.
As a freshman, Mattos went to the HHSAA state tournament, which meant Waiakea fell to Konawaena in the BIIF championship. That 57-54 defeat last year added another log to his motivational fire.
“I enjoyed playing with my teammates this year. It was a good season. We were all young and went far, but didn’t get what we wanted,” Mattos said. “I’ve always wanted a BIIF title. I’d rather have that BIIF title than the MVP.
“A BIIF title would mean a lot to me. When I was younger, I saw my brother cutting down the net, and getting a medal and a big plaque for the school saying Waiakea won BIIFs. I want to say that I was a part of the team than won a BIIF title.”
Mandatory work
The family business is Mattos Wana Ohana Ranch, where 300 cattle are raised in Hamakua. The Waiakea sophomore doesn’t have the option to declare, “I don’t feel like going today. I’m going to be a couch potato, and watch cartoons all day.” It’s mandatory hard work. Besides, he enjoys it.
If Mattos is not running sprints for the school’s track and field team at BIIF events, or playing in one of Randy “Helicopter” Apele’s offseason leagues for the Warriors, he’s helping out at the ranch with a smile on his face.
“Every weekend I’m up there at the ranch and during the week,” Mattos said. “I like ranching. It’s my second favorite thing, next to basketball.”
It goes without saying that all of basketball’s intangibles, such as dedication, teamwork and hard work, are reinforced at the ranch, where family members all help out.
“When we have roundups, everybody comes, my uncle guys, they all come,” Mattos said. “It’s a family business. We have six different pastures.”
It’s also a family reunion time, except for Jamie who lives in Las Vegas. But Chris Mattos is always there, and in older brother custom he hammers his younger sibling on the head about that BIIF championship he has. It’s another log added to a motivational fire.
“Chris won a BIIF title in 2009. That was Waiakea’s last one,” Mattos said. “I have two more years. I’d like to get one more than him.
“My goal is to have a good season next year, try to get the No. 1 seed, go to states, and win BIIFs. It’s going to take hard work and dedication.”