Rosa Ohana Adds Skill To Bursting Bulldog Soccer Roster
By Jack Danilewicz
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If there’s strength in numbers, as the old adage goes, then the Waialua boys soccer team is enjoying good odds at present.
Once a program that struggled from low turnouts, the Bulldogs have a 34-man roster this season. Above all, they’ve seen their on-field fortunes improve with back-to-back appearances in the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs the past two years.
“We used to have under 15 players when I first got here,” said John Rosa, the Bulldogs’ coach since 2000.“A lot of new players decided to come out, so winning has definitely helped (to develop more interest). Now, we have the numbers, and that really helps you out. They have a lot of potential.”
John Rosa and wife Lori, who helps coach the team, didn’t have to look far for soccer talent. Their sons, junior Kainoa and freshman Kamalei, are among the Bulldogs’ leaders this season, alongside veterans Reggie Carillo, Michael Montgomery, Josiah Castellanos, Lokahi Herrod, Kaikala Carvalho and Connor Prindle.
“We have good leadership; it’s basically a ‘senior team,‘“John Rosa said. “They’re all team players - the bonding has been magnificent - and they take to each other like family.”
Many of the senior returnees can be found on the defensive end.
“We should have a strong defense with the seniors there, and our two freshmen have been good,” Rosa said,“but our offense is strong as well. We’re balanced.”
The addition of Kamalei Rosa has already paid huge dividends. Although an undersized first-year player, he’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
“He’s the smallest on the team at only 5-1, but he has an eye for the game,” Lori Rosa said of Kamalei, who was chosen Waialua’s Player of the Month for November. “He’s unique. The other teams underestimate him. He has excellent ability, and he’s been playing the game since he was 3.”
Like several teammates, Kamalei will play multiple positions. “We utilize them wherever we see a need,” John Rosa said.
Defensively, Carillo leads the way as one of the four-year players.“He has good quickness and speed, and he also has great vision,” John Rosa said. “He’s real humble; he never complains.”
Should the defense maintain its level of play throughout the season, their fate could hinge on offensive output, given the parity in the league.
“Basically, goal-scoring is a priority,“Lori Rosa said.“Kamalei and Kainoa and Reggie have all had back-to-back scoring games, so that’s been good.
“Hard work and dedication,“she responded when asked what it would take for Waialua to return to the OIA’s postseason and a possible berth in the state tournament. “They have to strive to go to the next level (the state tournament).”
Waialua took a 1-2-1 record into the weekend, meanwhile, with losses to Mililani (4-1) and defending OIA champion Kapolei in addition to wins over Radford (2-1) and a tie (1-1) with Leilehua.
Next up, the Bulldogs were to meet Pearl City in a key encounter Tuesday.
“We have to be the more aggressive team and score first,“Lori Rosa said. “I think we’ll have a strong defense for them.”
The Bulldogs will have an open date on their schedule following the Pearl City game. They return to action Dec. 18 versus defending OIA champion Kapolei at home.
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