Between letter-of-intent day (yesterday), girls and boys basketball seasons and soccer championships, it's not a one-person job. There was an era when the newspaper had one sportswriter covering the OIA West, another on the OIA East and another on the ILH. That's what I was once told, anyway.

Back then, both leagues were smaller. They didn't even have all the sports that have state championships today.

I wish I could see EVERYTHING, but it's impossible. So I try my best. Even with that, I see far less basketball in one year than I did before the boys and girls seasons meshed (beginning last season). I miss seeing more basketball, but I'm not complaining. I get to see my share thanks to my editor. It's the game I played, coached, officiated.

So, if there's any question of whether I want to cover a PIAA letter-of-intent signing ceremony at 7 a.m., go to Kahuku for another press conference, then return to town to watch and cover a basketball game, here's the answer: Yes. To all.

Sure, it was strangely amazing that Manti Te'o chose Notre Dame, but as Dave Reardon pointed out in his column today, that's par for the course when it comes to the Punahou senior. In some ways, Punahou is Hawaii's version of Notre Dame, and vice-versa. Many fans either love Notre Dame or hate it, and the same hold true of Hawaii high-school fans when it comes to Punahou.

With all the additions to Hawaii's roster -- 13 recruits from Polynesia alone -- it's easy to get carried away with the good news. It's also too easy to get bogged down by two defections. I don't blame Kimo Makaula for going to Washington. If you've played tight end at any level, you know how fun it can be to contribute to your team. Kimo has good hands, good speed, understands the nuances of offense. Forsaking those factors to play defense for Hawaii, that would've been a lot to sacrifice. I can't blame him for choosing offense.

Conversely, I've said before that it's time for Hawaii to become more flexible and adaptable on offense. I don't believe a tight end set is necessary on every down, but having that as part of an effective package is vital (unless you have superior receivers every single year). It also helps your defense, giving them a real TE to cover at practice on a regular basis.

For Wade Keliikipi, the desire to break out of the norm and move to the mainland -- he signed with Oregon -- is also understandable. He wants to stand on his own two feet, as he told me, and create his own path. As much as I hate seeing a real leader leave the islands, I wish him the best. UH sure could use more defensive tackles, though. It's not an easy position to recruit. Hawaii has always been a bastion for O-linemen. This year, the islands are heavy with D-ends. But D-I level D-tackles are tough to find.

As for hoops, the game between Punahou and ‘Iolani turned out to be fairly entertaining and quite efficient for Buffanblu fans. Punahou never trailed and never lost intensity (27-11 on the boards). The spread the court with a four-corners offense with 5 minutes left. Classic ILH. The win gives Punahou an almost insurmountable lead in the ILH race. They're just one win from a league title and state berth. You know that's why the ILH has been full of low-scoring games over the years. The lack of berths creates such pressure to win from one night to the next. The delay, spread, stall -- whatever you like to call it -- is as much a part of ILH basketball as scholar-athletes and 4-hour homework sessions.

Previous Article: 'Bigz' funeral on Monday
Next Article: Pho late night? Not in my hood