WAIMEA — It’s a new season with a new mentality for Hawaii Prep girls basketball.
Following a third-place finish in Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Division II and a quarterfinals appearance in the state tournament last season, Ka Makani is entering 2023-24 with new objectives.
“We have two goals,” first-year head coach Sierra Huebert-Sanchez said during Thursday’s practice. “One, we want to make it to the BIIF championship game, and two — we want to make it to state.”
“We also want to have fun and stay positive,” guard Brooke Samura, the team’s lone senior, added. “Keeping consistency will be important.”
While HPA’s mindset is in the right place, challenges will come along with reaching its goals. Ka Makani rosters eight freshmen — many who have just started playing the game. Ali Wawner, HPA’s second-leading scorer in 2022-23, graduated and now plays for Tufts University.
Nonetheless, Huebert-Sanchez is confident in the young team’s potential, especially with a star like Samura leading the charge. The senior averaged nearly 27 points per game last season, making a strong case for one of the top players in the state.
“She’s really stepping up by helping the younger girls get accustomed to what the expectations are,” Huebert-Sanchez said. “She’s our wildcard.”
“(The freshmen) come with a lot of grit, they hustle and they’re eager to learn new things, so that’s all we can really ask for,” Samura said.
While the learning curve with the new roster may take time, Huebert-Sanchez has emphasized the importance of team culture and team building in her first few weeks as head coach to help expedite the process. More than anything, she wants the girls to create relationships with each other that last a lifetime.
“In the past five years, the program has seen five different head coaches, so there hasn’t been a lot of consistency,” Huebert-Sanchez said. “So right now, we’re just trying to build a team culture of what our motto is, what our vision is and what are goals are.
“Skill-wise, we’re still building, but we believe that with hard work, we can accomplish our goals. We’re really trying to instill work ethic, heart and attention to detail in these girls. I would love to see our girls gel chemistry-wise and be friends on and off the court.”
HPA’s first test of the season will be in its opener against Konawaena on Tuesday evening in Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.