Kaimuki’s Faasoa Ohana Now Ready For D-1 Basketball
By Jack Danilewicz
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If Ramona Faasoa has her way, the Kaimuki girls basketball team will be mired in a defensive struggle every night out during the upcoming season.
Indeed, with a young team, the Bulldogs are fine with low-scoring affairs as long as they come out on the right end of the scoreboard.
“We need to do everything well, but defense is the key for us,” said coach Faasoa.“If we can keep the other team from running up the score, we should have a decent season. We’re a young team, but overall I’ve seen a lot of maturity. They come out and work hard regardless of whether they’re getting a lot of playing time.”
After two solid years in Division II, the Bulldogs moved up to D-I last season and felt their way through a 1-11 season. With a solid corps of returnees and an up-and-coming group of underclassmen, Faasoa is hopeful her team will fare better this time around in the ultra-competitive Oahu Interscholastic Association’s Red East Conference.
“We hope we can run with those teams,” she said. “Kalani and Roosevelt both look really strong. Hopefully, our own girls will step it up.”
All signs point to a much-improved Bulldogs team. Heading into last weekend, Kaimuki had beaten Waianae, Nanakuli, Maryknoll, Kailua and Castle; their lone setback having come from defending D-II Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Sacred Hearts. The Bulldogs return to action this weekend in the Moanalua Pre-Season Tournament, where they’re guaranteed to play three games. Kaimuki opens tournament play at 3 p.m. Thursday against the host Menehune.
The Moanalua encounter also figures to be a good measuring stick of their progress, as they lost to Na Menehune (47-46) in their 2007 regular-season finale last April.
Among the bright spots in that contest was the steady play of point guard Olivia Phommachanh, who tallied a game-high 11 points. Now a junior, she opens the new season as one of the top guards in the OIA.
“She’s just a good basketball player,“Faasoa said.“She was still young the past two years, but now she brings leadership. She’s been pushing her teammates to work harder.
“She brings a lot of ability - she does a great job of getting open and working the ball around. The other teams always zoom in on her.”
In freshman Letisha Faasoa, the coach’s daughter, Kaimuki may have the ideal complement to Phommachanh, who has moved from point guard to off-guard.
“Letisha handles the ball very well - she draws the defense to her more, and that frees up Olivia. She sees the court as well as Olivia does, so she’s been a big factor for us.”
Also among the returnees are senior Sinead Scovil and junior Dinishah Faasoa. Both are guard/forwards, who logged valuable playing time last year. Scovil is splitting her time between basketball and soccer but could be a key factor in her coach’s view.
“She works really hard on defense - she has energy. She gets me tired watching her when she’s running out there.
“Defense is her strength. It’s a bonus to us if she scores. “
Although only 5-foot-5, Dinishah Faasoa plays a lot bigger than her size, said her coach/mother.“She’s a strong girl who can box out and rebound a lot quicker than the people she goes against, and she scores a lot inside.”
In the post, junior Ashley Fortson leads the way, having recovered from a torn ACL suffered at the end of last season.
“It’s been hard on her, but she’s worked hard in rehabbing,” Faasoa said.“She’s a strong kid who never gives up and always tries her best. With her rebounding and scoring, she can be a big factor for us.”
Faasoa also is high on sisters Lani and Leti Mikaele, both of whom will log playing time on the block. And at 5-feet-9, both have good size. Leti is a sophomore and Lani is a junior.
“They’re really raw - last year was their first playing basketball - so we’re trying to get them as much game experience as we can.”
Kaimuki will make an additional trip to Moanalua Dec. 18, where the Bulldogs meet Na Menehune in the season opener for both teams.
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