Goalie Ella Aiwohi Just One Star On Talented Kahuku Team
By Jack Danilewicz
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It isn’t always easy to shine in goal when the ball is down at the other end of the pool for most of a match, but there’s never any doubt around the Kahuku water polo program that goalkeeper Ella Aiwohi sets the pace.
“Ella should be our most valuable player this year and maybe even (the MVP) at the state tournament,” said Kahuku coach Makana Whitford.“She’s a leader, and as a goalie, you need to lead the defense. She sees what happens before it happens. She has long arms, great legs and fast reactions. I think she’s the best goalkeeper in the state right now.”
For their part, the Red Raiders also are one of the best teams in the state. They entered last weekend’s OIA contest with Castle at 12-0, only a win over the Knights away from completing a sixth straight unbeaten season. Kahuku had already wrapped up the top seed for this weekend’s OIA Tournament by last week, giving them a first-round bye on Wednesday. The tournament will run Wednesday through Saturday at Central Oahu Regional Park with the league’s top five finishers earning the OIA’s berths to next week’s girls state water polo championships.
For Aiwohi and her fellow senior teammates, bringing home a state title has remained an all-consuming goal since the 2007 season ended. Indeed, the Red Raiders have made the state championship game in each the last three years, losing all three times to Punahou, Kamehameha and Iolani, respectively.
“The seniors are the most hungry,“said Whitford, also noting veterans Gina Ahue (27 goals) and Rosie Jaffurs (23 goals). “They’ve been working really hard at trying to play our game rather than playing down to the level of competition. We’re an aggressive team, and at times, we’ve had to limit them (so as not to run the score up).”
Having dominated their regular-season slate so completely, Whitford admits she’s found it difficult to judge her own team’s progress. Often, the starters are playing a few minutes with the outcome of the game long since decided.
“Sometimes it’s hard for them to show their potential. They’re practicing hard, but it’s in the game where you really see if they’re applying the skills. We want to see what we can really do.”
With that in mind, Aiwohi has managed to stay sharp, although shots on goal versus the Red Raiders have been limited this season. She had given up just 20 goals in 12 games, heading into last weekend - an average of under two per game.
“She gets hungry,“Whitford said. “Her best practice is in practice. It should be exciting to watch her play the next two weeks.”
The biggest area of improvement has been on defense, in Whitford’s view.
“Our defense has picked up, and that’s important since we’ll be playing ILH teams soon. Defense wins championships, and we’ve been working hard on our body positioning.”
Despite a flawless season in the pool, adversity still found its way to the Red Raiders. On April 4, on their way to a scrimmage at Mid-Pacific Institute, a bus carrying the team and its entourage rolled into a ditch off of Kamehameha Highway in Waikane while trying to avoid a car that had stopped suddenly. Twenty-seven people from the group were treated at hospitals before being sent home. Showing their resiliency, the team actually played a pair of matches two days later.
“That showed me that they still have things to do and that they weren’t going to let the accident get in their way.When you’re always exercising, you’re body can recuperate faster. We still have four girls who are out for the season, but their spirits are up. The girls are excited about this week.”
As in past years, depth could play a huge factor this weekend in ensuring a sixth straight OIA title. Kahuku will still field a roster of 18.
“If you look at their scores, most teams are close with them for a half,” said Kapolei High School coach Dexter Lee.“They never run out of gas, and they never lose a step.”
Pairings for the OIA Tournament were to be finalized over the weekend.
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