By Paul Honda
paul@hondareport.com
Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2007

Due to space limitations, the OIA White girls basketball preview in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin was shortened immensely.

Below, the team capsules in full length.

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For ages, the keiki of Ewa had no gym to call their own.

Raw physical talent, no place to hone their basketball skills. Things have changed in recent years, perhaps due in part to the construction a gym at the Boys and Girls Club. The results are clear: Campbell High School is a popular favorite to win the White West in the Oahu Interscholastic Association.

The season tips off tonight and Campbell has all the pieces in place for coach Nathan Macadangdang. Like the East, the West won't be won easily, however.
Waialua has shown signs of advancing further than ever for coach Michelle Sales.

"We ran into Waialua a couple of weeks ago on Maui," Macadangdang said. "They're not real big, but they hit five 3-pointers on us. They're as good a team as any that can take the division. They're small, but quick and real disciplined."

In the East, McKinley has arrived from the Red Conference with a new coach, Bob Morikuni, and some of the same standouts in Chelsie Sato and Kaitlyn Ikehara.

"You gotta go with McKinley. They're returning most of their players from last season," Castle coach Jeff McKeown said.

Waianae coach Kevin Nakamoto agreed. "Just the way they've been competing against some Division I schools in the preseason. They kind of look like they should be a Division I team, actually," he said.

Kaiser, which was a tough team in the Red East two years ago, could be the most entertaining unit in the conference. The Cougars plan to run at every opportunity.

"I'd say we'll be in the middle of the pack," coach Glen Higuchi said. "But if we continue to improve, we might surprise some people."

Here's a look at the OIA White.

West Division

Campbell Sabers

Coach: Nathan Macadangdang.

On paper: The Sabers were 3-6 in nonconference play, taking on Division I squads Roosevelt, Kalaheo and Farrington early on. A handful of players were busy with post-season soccer play, and getting gym time was tough because the Campbell boys were in the state tourney.

Nobody will feel sorry for the talented Sabers, of course.

Jenny Sweeney, a 6-foot center, is one of two returning starters. Junior forward Vai Confer, at 5-7, can play any of four positions.

Sophomore Oli Kila moved up from the JV. "She shows a lot of promise. She played with us in the summer and she's real aggressive offensively."

Overall size is a plus for Campbell. "We were big last year, now we have some good-sized guards. Last year, we couldn't get the ball to our two bigs," Macadangdang said.

Campbell won the Mililani tourney over the weekend. "We actually minimized our turnovers. We really cut back on that," he said.

The skinny: The Sabers will run on occasion, but for the most part, they'll pick their spots and rely on a controlled halfcourt game. Sweeney, the team captain, is a defensive stopper under the rim. Confer and Kila are solid interior scorers, but as a whole, Campbell is more of a mid-range shooting team.

X factor: Developing their reserves is paramount for a title run. "For us to do anything, we have a lot of first-year players, so we're relatively inexperienced," Macadangdang said.

Waialua Bulldogs

Coach: Michelle Sales.

On paper: Injuries have derailed the Bulldogs so far, knocking out four players, including two starters.

"I have eight at practice," Sales said.

All-White Conference pick Chelsey Ramirez, a 5-7 senior, led the team in scoring last year and is playing well again. Waialua, 3-5 in nonconference play,
Kimberly Meyerowitz, a 5-6 junior, is another key player. She's out with a sprained ankle, which followed a knee injury sustained during the state soccer tournament.

Point guard Misty Maxwell gives the Bulldogs patience and court vision. "She's our controller," said Sales, now in her eighth season.

The skinny: The Bulldogs aren't big in the paint, so they're relying on their transition game to get easy points.

X factor: Sales is demanding her team to block out under the boards. "They're still trying to jump with the tall people, and that doesn't work," she said. Angela Whittaker, at 5-9, could help there once she becomes more aggressive.

Waianae Seariders

Coach: Kevin Nakamoto.

On paper: The Seariders went 4-8 against nonconference foes like Roosevelt, Kalaheo and Iolani — all ranked in the Top 10.

Third-year starters Danielle Lovell, Melody Moi and Kahea Kelii anchor the squad. Lovell was the second-leading scorer in the White Conference last year. The senior is becoming more of a complete point guard.

"She's getting more teammates involved and running the offense," Nakamoto said. "She's doing that on her own. At times, I want her to shoot more, but it provides us with more balance so teams can't just focus in on her any more."
Moi is only 5-8, but she's Waianae's top rebounder.

"I think they're a little more focused because last year we went 0-10 and they want to do better in their senior year."

The skinny: If we can play defense and hold people down, we should be in good shape.

X factor: Dynasty Ayala, who was on the JV last year, has improved significantly. "She gives us bench scoring," Nakamoto said of the 5-7 forward.

Waipahu Marauders

Coach: Nadine Villarmia.

On paper: Guard Demi Samson and forward Margaret Siligo are Waipahu's returning starters.

Between them, the Marauders have their best ballhandler and best rebounder. "They score most of our points," said Villarmia, now in her seventh season at the helm.

The skinny: The Marauders were 2-6 in nonconference play. Academic and discipline issues have reduced the roster to just nine players.

They've played up and down so far, posting wins over Kohiala and Word of Life. Turnovers have been a serious problem.

"Turnovers killed us in preseason," Villarmia said.

Joyce Baptista, a senior guard, could be a big help. "She's our best outside shooter," Villarmia said.

X factor: Time. Since all four West teams automatically qualify for the playoffs, the longtime coach is a little more patient this season. "It gives us about a month to get better," Villarmia said.

East Division

Castle

Coach: Jeff McKeown.

On paper: The Knights have had ups and downs over recent seasons, but with a trio of third-year players, they could challenge for a state berth. Niki Kobashigawa, Ette Ameperosa and Sarah Phromisiri give Castle experience.

Junior point guard Candace Ames runs the offense.

Castle was 3-6 in nonconference games.

The skinny: Experienced or not, the Knights need more assertiveness. "At this point, our biggest keys are cutting down our turnovers and finding somebody to step up for us to be a leader and taking the team by the horns," McKeown said.

X factor: Kori Berinobis, a junior, had stepped in and become a scorer.

Kailua Surfriders

Coach: Ramona Takahashi.

On paper: Kailua went 4-2 in nonconference play, losing close games to Aiea and Moanalua.

They have only two seniors, but the Surfriders have four key returnees who saw significant playing time last year.

All-conference shooting guard Kristen Corrales and point guard Zsalei Kamaka are showing improvement, but like the rest of the team, they're young. Corrales is a junior and Kamaka is a sophomore.

Ashley Jacobs, another sophomore, is another key scorer. "When they're on, they're tough," said Takahashi, now in her 13th season at the helm.

Tia Ulugaono, a 5-9 senior, is invaluable in her role. "She can run just as fast as our guards, and we can put pressure (defensively) because she's a fast post," Takahashi said.

The skinny: The tempo for Kailua will be deliberate. "We're going to push the ball, but we mainly got big girls," Takahashi said.

Inexperience is a factor. "We don't have a lot of basketball players, so there's lots of learning going on every day. Some of them are so new to the sport," Takahashi said. "But our guards are tough."

X factor: The Surfriders would benefit from some quick development. "We could be more consistent. We're not as far along as I'd like to be at this point because we're young," Takahashi said.

Kaiser Cougars

Coach: Glen Higuchi.

On paper: The Cougars had a light nonconference schedule and went 2-3, including a seven-point loss to Punahou II. "To me, it was more important to have more practice than games," Higuchi said of his young team."

Kaiser's tallest player is 5-6 and there are no returning starters. Point guard Kili Bitanga sustained an ACL injury in the off-season. Chelsea Okuma, a sophomore, is returnee at point guard. She saw playing time last season behind Bitanga.

Jessie Busch, a swingman, is a key scorer. Okuma and Busch give Kaiser some 3-point range.

Tiare Kepa is a valuable asset who will play three or four positions in every game. Kepa's toughness under the boards is key.

"She gives us a chance on the rebounds," Okuma said.

The skinny: The Cougars have team chemistry. "That alone can carry us, but we've got to control the tempo. We'll try to run when we can and set up when we have to. Chelsea being a quick player defensively, we've gotta play tough.

X factor: The Cougars will try to run at all times, even off made baskets. "That's basically the only chance I got," Higuchi said. "They're learning to do less dribbling and more passing."

McKinley Tigers

Coach: Bob Morikuni.

On paper: The Tigers, 5-5 in nonconference play, welcome back seniors Chelsie Sato and Kaitlyn Ikehara. Even at 5-6, Sato can play any position and carries a significant load of responsibility as a ballhandler, scorer and rebounder. Ikehara is a streaky perimeter shooter and brings stability to the backcourt.

The skinny: Under former coach Jesse Victorino, the Tigers ran a disciplined system. With Morikuni, the discipline remains, though it remains to be seen if he can extract the kind of superlative effort that he got from the McKinley boys team. That squad won the D-II state title this year.

X factor: Junior swingman Pearly Togiai is athletic and has the potential to become a difference-maker. Freshman guards Kylie Sato and Jackie Tihano are stepping in and could also thrust the Tigers into title contention.

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