Kahuku Judo Team In Great Shape For ‘Rebuilding’ Year
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usFor the Kahuku boys judo team, the next few weeks will be all about getting into position to get into position - for the post-season, that is.
Last year the Red Raiders had 11 team members qualify for the boys state judo championships, a feat Kahuku coach Ray Imada thinks his team can match again this spring.
With the pressure off after qualifying for the state tournament, Imada knows anything is possible, especially after his team turned in a solid regular season in what was to have been a rebuilding year.
“All you need is one good day and you can become a state champion,” said Imada, a fixture in judo since the early ‘70s when he was one of the OIA’s seven original coaches. “Our kids know they’re deficient in the experience end, but they’re not lacking in anything else. It’s a matter of putting it all together for a couple of weeks.”
Imada is in his first year as the head boys and girls coach at Kahuku, taking over for Reggie Torres who resigned in order to concentrate on coaching the football team. Imada was an assistant last season under Torres and started Castle’s program in 1974 when judo became a sanctioned OIA sport. A smooth transition between coaches has helped lessen the impact of key losses to graduation last year.
“Most of them are relatively new, so it’s been a rebuilding project. Hopefully,we’ll be able to keep them around the next few years.”
Several players got a late start this season, having been part of a wrestling team that traveled to Mainland matches, but Imada expects his entire roster to be available at 9 a.m. Saturday for the Eastern Division Individual Championships at McKinley. The OIA Team Championships follow May 4 at Aiea, while the OIA overall Individual titles will be decided May 12 at Leilehua. The top finishers in the OIA’s individual competition qualify for the May 19 Black Belt Association State Judo Championships at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Kahuku boys team has fared well in recent years, having won its first OIA title in 2005 under Torres. Making the Red Raiders’ accomplishments all the more impressive, in Imada’s view, is that judo is a second sport for most members of his team.
“Our situation is unique,“he said. “We don’t have a corps of year-round players.”
Leading the way among the spring hopefuls is senior Richard Torres, who competes in the 161-pound weight class. A three-sport athlete, he was quarterback on the football team, leading the Red Raiders to a state title in December, and he won a state wrestling title in February.
Imada calls Torres (son of Reggie Torres) “the hardest worker on the team.
“Very few people can beat him in the league. In all of the years I’ve been associated with judo, Richard is probably the most developed I’ve been around as far as skills. He’s a very smart, very intelligent kid. He deserves everything he gets.”
Imada also expects senior Daymon Carr (198) to challenge for individual honors at both tournaments. He’s also won an individual wrestling state title.
Other impact players are senior Roman Pearl, Dillon Cadina, Rylan Oei, Jerome Pollister and Hauoli Jamora.
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