Mule-Trojan Game Could Clinch Title
By Jack Danilewicz
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Leilehua boys basketball coach Keith Spencer has always been careful not to overplay the importance of any one game, especially with the parity in the OIA Red West.“Every game is an important game for us,” he said.
But Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. home game with Mililani could possibly decide the OIA West champion. His low-key approach has helped the Mules stay the course these last two weeks while keeping a watchful eye on the Trojans, who handed them one of only three league losses, 51-45, at Mililani on Jan. 16.
“I told the kids afterward that it was just one loss and not the whole season. It’s a rivalry game, and the kids want to play at their best. But it just didn’t happen that night. We said there would be times when we would be hit with adversity, and you have to be able to gut it out. They really wanted to get right back to the (second) Mililani game, but you have to stay focused and play one game at a time. That’s not always easy for 17- and 18-year-olds. It’s the coaches’ responsibility to make sure we play one game at a time.”
Mililani also is enjoying another stellar season, having taken a 6-3 record into the weekend. They have run the table each of the past two years en route to winning the Red West title, and headed into last weekend having won 29 of their last 31 league games under Hiram Akina, dating to January 2006.
“It’s a test of my abilities as a coach, also,“said Spencer.“They’re always well-coached. We always know it’s going to be a battle when we play them.”
Spencer counts on his deep back court to lead the team into the postseason. Guards Hoku Kama, Bryann Hollis, Gary Rodeffer and freshman Dillion Pau’u have all figured big in their success.“Overall, they’ve played excellent basketball. They’ve taken care of the ball, which we weren’t doing in preseason, and their chemistry has been perfect.
“Kama has been great for us,“he added, “and Bryan Hollis is doing a fine job. Dillion is only a freshman, so we haven’t put pressure on him. We just wanted him to be a piece of the puzzle, to fit, and he’s played very well, especially on defense.His on-the-ball pressure has been exceptional.
“Gary could definitely start, but he’s better coming off the bench for us - he’s a real spark plug.”
Post players Art Laurel, Kolwin Dixon,Andrew Manley and Tavana Alailima are an inside presence, complementing the guard play. Laurel has been a consistent performer, while Alailima, a 6-4 senior, has blossomed recently.
“Tavana has done a fine job,” Spencer said. “He’s been productive, offensively, which is icing on the cake. Andrew has also given us quality minutes. Defensively, he’s been good, and he’s hit some quality shots.”
Leilehua likely will need a balanced effort to have a chance against the Trojans. Dixon was the only Mule to reach double figures in the first Mililani game, tallying 15.
“I think, first of all, the kids just need to relax,” Spencer said. “We were kind of tight and tentative, and we didn’t really play our game the first time. It comes down to execution this time of the year - and playing together, which hasn’t been a problem for this group.”
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