Bulldogs Making Steady Progress On Speed, Conditioning
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usMichael Jordan never rebounded any bigger than the Waialua football program.
Once a program with barely enough players to compete, the Bulldogs officially turned the corner last fall with an exciting regular-season run (they finished 6-3-1) that earned the school its first playoff berth in 13 years, not to mention a whole lot of respect.
Prior to last season, Waialua had endured five winless seasons and hadn’t finished with a winning record since 1993.
Despite the long dry spell, the program saw steady improvement over the years. Although traditionally hampered by a low turnout at tryouts due to a small student body, Waialua had been in position to make the playoffs in 2005 (thanks in part to a season-ending win over Kaiser before a statewide TV audience) before ending up on the wrong side of a coin flip that determined the last playoff berth from the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s White Conference.
That disappointment only fueled Waialua’s resolve in 2006. Behind a high-powered offense centered around quarterback Caleb Fore and receivers Adam Foster and Edwin Rubic and a solid offensive line, the Bulldogs were one of the most exciting teams around.
Third-year coach Lincoln Barit and the 2007 Bulldogs recently finished spring practice and are participating in summer passing leagues in preparation for fall camp, which begins the first week of August.
Late last week, coach Barit took some time away from his busy schedule to answer some questions from MidWeek.
Who has had the biggest impact on you in your life?
“I would say my football and weight-lifting coach Homer Keanu.”
Who would you consider your mentor in terms of how you go about running your football program?
“The Iolani football program.”
Have you noticed a renewed interest in football at Waialua, in light of your break-through season last fall?
“Yes, we have a good turnout so far.”
Although one cannot openly recruit at the high school level, you are still free to sell your program to the community in an effort to attract kids. What are the benefits of playing football at Waialua?
“The benefits of playing at Waialua would be learning to come together and play as one team. Also, bringing out the best (skill-wise and personality-wise) in each player.
What were your priorities as you entered spring practice, and how do you feel about your progress in that regard?
“Our priorities are conditioning and speed. Our progress is ongoing and has been terrific.”
As you enter your third year at Waialua, have you changed your approach in how you go about things?
“Every year is a new year. Therefore, change is needed because you continuously have players leaving and new players entering the program.”
With Caleb Fore having completed his eligibility Waialua
will have a new quarterback in the fall. How is that battle going? Did anyone emerge as the starter during spring?
“Although Caleb Fore is hard to replace, we have managed to fill our quarterback position with Donovan Matas.”
Who on the Waialua roster will surprise people in the coming season?
“I feel people will be surprised by our quarterback position being filled by Donovan Matas.”
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