Whitford Poised For ‘Break-out’ Year In Water Polo
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usWith four consecutive Oahu Interscholastic Association titles to its credit, the Kahuku girls water polo team has grown used to its perpetually happy locker room.
Although the scene following the Red Raiders’ heart-wrenching (5-3) defeat to Kamehameha in last year’s State Championship was much different, Kahuku girls coach Aukia Ferguson didn’t pass up the opportunity to use those emotional moments as a motivational tool. To hear him tell it, the Red Raiders’ 2007 season began the moment the 2006 season ended - at least in mind-set.
“Afterward, we held a meeting and the girls were all crying,” Ferguson said.“I thought that was a good sign that they were crying. They realized that they were good enough to win it. A year before (in a 13-1 loss to Punahou in the 2005 state title game) we were just happy to be there, after not having made the tournament the year before.”
Hopes are again high for Kahuku in what Ferguson revealed will be his last year at the helm. Ferguson will step aside to free up more time for his expanding family, which includes wife Heidi, 7-month-old daughter Ella and 4-year-old son Torin.
“The timing is right,” said Ferguson, Kahuku’s coach since the ‘90s when the Red Raiders were a club team.
“I’m hoping (current University of Hawaii and former Kahuku High School standout) Makana (Whitford) will take over for me. She was one of my all-time best players - an all-around stud academically and athletically. I could-n’t wish for anything more than to have one of my former players succeed me.”
For the present, Ferguson’s final team will rate among his most athletic at the school.
“We don’t have the depth that some of our other teams have had, but the girls we do have are as talented as any group we’ve had in the past,” said Ferguson, whose team opens its regular season at Kaimuki March 17.
“Gina (Ahue) and Rosie (Jaffers) are two of the smartest players I’ve had. The experience level on this team is good. The girls all put in the extra effort by playing in the off-season, which is what the private school kids do.”
Ahue was the OIA’s Most Valuable Player as well as the team’s leading scorer in 2006 (33 regular-season tallies) as a junior and heads the list of returnees.
“She’s a great counter-attacker,” the coach said. “She’s equally effective in transition, and she has a great shot under pressure.”
The Red Raiders also return Ella Aiwohi, Rebecca Fonoimoana, Shannon Ching, Taniya Sifton (30 goals during the 2006 regular season) and Minnie Whitford in addition to Jaffurs and Ahue. Fonoimoana and Ching were selected the team co-captains by Ferguson early in the pre-season.
“I always choose the captains myself, and those two epitomize the competitive spirit, hard work and dedication that it takes to play.”
Ferguson is also predicting “a break-out year” for sophomore driver Minnie Whitford, whose older sister is Makana Whitford.
“She’s shown a lot of improvement on the swimming side,” Ferguson said. “She’s become more aggressive, and she’s looking forward to showcasing her skills.”
Defensively, the Red Raiders will be led by Aiwohi, the team’s goal-keeper. She split time with Morgan Wright last season and was one of the keys to Kahuku’s state tournament run in May.
“She has really quick hands and a lanky build,” he said. “With her athleticism, she would excel in any sport that she participates in. In the summer, she and the rest of the girls played in the Maui Invite and she did real well there. She blocked a lot of college-level shots. It was a real confidence-builder for us all to see her compete at such a high level.”
For all its weapons, as the state tournament’s two-time runner-up, the Red Raiders are heavy in “big-game” experience, something Ferguson hopes will pay dividends in the post-season this time around.
“All of these girls had significant roles on the last two teams that played in the state championship game,” Ferguson said.“They know what to expect, and they know what they have to do to be on top.”
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