By Paul Honda
Editor
HondaReport.com
Thursday, January 29, 2004

KANEOHE—Talk of conditioning and its importance is always on the tip of a football coach’s tongue.

But when basketball season arrives, rarely is it a concern aside from the occasional lengthy injury or academic casualty. That’s what made Castle’s 69-63 overtime win over previously unbeaten Kahuku Tuesday rather fascinating.

Castle’s lineup is laced with a number of football players. The Castle football program is imbedded into much of the success of the school’s athletics. With football head coach Nelson Maeda in view, the Knights showed that their dedication to elite-level conditioning carries over to the hardwood, too.

“We relied on our conditioning,” said point guard Louis Mansanas Jr., who scored 25 points to lead the Knights. “And played controlled basketball in the second half.”

Veteran head coach Rocky Fraticelli agreed. “Louis is the one who kept up with Kahuku when we started playing their game in the second quarter,” he said. “But he’s also the one we needed to settle things down.”

Late in the fourth quarter, with Castle’s rally in full gear, Fraticelli was confident. “I told the guys, with three minutes left (in regulation), ‘Look at them. They’re tired,’” he said.

Indeed, the visiting Red Raiders seemed fatigued, bending over and holding their kneecaps.

Castle continued to play with high energy through the final minutes of regulation, and then in overtime. The Knights scored the first nine points of the extra period and held on for the win.

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