BIIF basketball: Dragons ready for jump to D-I and expected battles against Kona and Hilo

Lest you think Honokaa girls coach Daphne Honma waited until she won two HHSAA Division II state titles before making the move to Division I, think again.

The affable Honma can hardly hide her disdain for the lower classification. She wanted to move up to D-I when she returned to the Dragons’ bench two years ago and was denied, but Honokaa would go on to simply play their way out of D-II.

When athletic director Keith Tolentino called to congratulate the team in February after it defeated Hawaii Baptist 33-31 in Honolulu for its second HHSAA title in row, a player quickly asked him if the Dragons could move up to D-I, and Honma learned she wasn’t to be denied any longer.

“The kids were pretty stoked,” she said.

And Honma hasn’t witnessed any apprehension about the Dragons giving up a chance to pocket a threepeat.

“No one has complained yet,” she said.

Playing in the same league as state juggernaut Konawaena as well as perennial-BIIF contender Hilo, the Dragons’ mandate this season is to compete.

History is their on side. The Honma-led Dragons competed and then some in 2006, winning the BIIF Division I title and finishing third in the state behind star guard Keisha Kanekoa, a University of Hawaii alum who is now one of Honma’s assistants.

It wouldn’t be accurate to say Honma patiently waited through two seasons of Division II, because by her own admission, patience isn’t one of her strong suits.

“It hasn’t gone up at all,” she said. “Not at all.”

So it’s good news that she’s optimistic from what she’s seen so far even as the Dragons endure growing pains during a busy Division I-heavy preseason schedule that’s taken them around islands. Honokaa went to Kaiser’s tournament on Oahu, then went to Lahainaluna’s on Maui before stops at the Konawaena Invitational and Waiakea’s preseason tournament.

Honokaa lost 67-18 to the defending state champion Wildcats on Dec. 3 and fell 47-37 to Hilo on Saturday.

“I think if we bring our ‘A’ game, we can compete with them,” Honma said.

In between those preseason games, the Dragons opened the regular season by suffocating Keaau 47-3. In their first home game of the season, the Dragons play Kealakehe on Tuesday.

“The team has improved so much from Day 1,” Honma said. “Our coaching staff, we talked and the team is farther along than we expected, which is a nice surprise for us.

“We’re deeper than we were last year, for sure. Playing all these games has given us a good experience.”

Senior guard Kizzah Maltezo, the co-BIIF Division II Player of the Year, takes on a bigger role this season after Honokaa graduated Shayla Ignacio, a guard, and Eliyah Fernandez, a forward.

Honokaa may have trouble scoring at times, so Honma has stressed to the team that it needs to remain patient in its offense to find shots.

“We don’t have any shooters,” she said. “Kizzah is a part-time shooter. I told her she’s not consistent enough, but she’s our only true outside shooter.

“The expectations are a little bit higher. We need her to step up, and I don’t think she’s comfortable yet in being in that role. Before, she always had others to defer to.”

Junior Taylor Souza, the team’s other returning starter, will play on the wing this season and sophomore Kawena Kaohimaunu will start at point guard after getting valuable minutes off the bench last season.

Honma likes the combination of players she can use in the post.

Senior Uluwehi Cordero, who at 5 feet, 10 inches is the team’s tallest players, and junior Jaycie Carvalho will start, and senior Markell Marquez, one of the team’s strongest players, and sophomore Bella Fernandez will get big minutes as reserves.

“I like having two post players in there, and Ulu and Jaycie work well together,” Honma said. “Jaycie plays because she defends well and grabs rebounds.

“And I like the energy we can bring off the bench. Markell is one of our strongest players. It’s a nice rotation.”