Hernandez Counting Plays, Not Sheep, For Friday Game

Wednesday - September 23, 2009
By Jack Danilewicz
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Within the coaching ranks, sleep is always over-rated. On that note, add Kapolei head football coach Darren Hernandez to the discussion.

“I probably average only about three or four hours of sleep a night during the season,” said Hernandez. “I have my first class at 8, and I don’t get home until maybe 9 p.m. On game night, after watching film and doing the laundry, I don’t get home until 3 (a.m.).”

This week, Hernandez has another reason to be short on sleep - in the form of Campbell standout Samson Anguay.

“You have to game plan for a guy like him,” Hernandez said of Anguay, who has already committed to play for University of Hawaii in 2010. “You can’t stop him, but you want to try to contain him and limit his abilities to go the distance. If he goes wild on you, you’re done.”


 

While Anguay would undoubtedly excel in any system, Hernandez sees Campbell’s utilization of him in the run-and-shoot offense as ideal.

“He’s not your typical running back between the tackles. He’s a run-and-shoot guy. They like to get the ball to him on screens and draws whenever they can. He can hurt you from anywhere on the field.”

“Explosion plays” - those going for 20 yards or more - are plainly Anguay’s specialty. Of his 11 touch-downs scored during his breakthrough sophomore season of 2007, eight covered 50 yards or more.

Most recently, Anguay showed his game-breaking skill against the state’s surprise team, Mililani, going 93 yards for a score on a kickoff return and adding a 56-yard touchdown run from scrimmage for good measure. The Sabers also feature play-makers in Jordan Szadkowski at slot and defensive leader, Tyson Tynane, at middle line-backer.

The good news for Kapolei is that after weeks of injury issues, the Hurricanes are beginning to get healthy. Safety Shaydon Akuna, who is currently the state’s top-rated recruit according to Rivals.com, played for the first time in Kapolei’s loss to Leilehua Sept. 4 and was projected to see his playing time increase over the weekend in the Hurricanes’ game with Waipahu.


He is probable for Friday’s game against Campbell, as is fullback Onosai Faumuina, who had been held out of the Leilehua game with an injury. Faumuina had been averaging over eight yards a carry before that game.

While Kapolei is getting healthier physically, they’ve had to shake off a pair of heart-wrenching defeats as well. On Aug. 29, they lost at Iolani, 23-21, on the last play of the game. On Sept. 4, Kapolei led Leilehua 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter before the Mules scored on a 50-yard pass play on a fourth-and-two play en route to a 14-10 win.

The Hurricanes’ defense was especially stout versus the Andrew Manley-led Mules offense, holding him to 113 yards passing and no touchdowns with one interception in the first half of that game.

“They’re pretty resilient, but it is a tough way to lose, especially when they had lost to Iolani on the last play,” Hernandez said. “The defense stepped up and played well. We just have to be consistent and play the whole four quarters. I’m hoping we can be balanced and move the ball (against Campbell). They have a good defense, so we think it will be a defensive game. I think both defenses will rise up.”

Special teams should also figure big in Friday’s matchup.

“They have an advantage in the return game with Samson, but we have (Eric) Morales, who’s done a great job with our kicking (game). He’s been getting it into the end zone on most of his kickoffs, and he’s accurate from 45-50 yards out.”

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