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Chargers Work Hard All Around

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William Pacarro takes some quick strides to make a save. Photos by Leah Ball, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Kyle Miyashiro has always taken a methodical approach to coaching at Pearl City, where he has led the Chargers to six OIA boys tennis titles during his tenure.

In the coming weeks, as he prepares his players for the Carlsmith Ball 2008 Hawaii state tennis championships, that doesn’t figure to change.

“The key is to work hard and duplicate what we do every day in practice,” said Miyashiro, who will hand over the program to longtime assistant and former Charger Lance Tanouye at season’s end.

With that blueprint in mind, the team recently closed out another stellar regular season that saw them win all nine of their league matches. Although the focus late last week was still on the OIA team title, Miyashiro and his players will turn their attention this week to the OIA’s individual West championships, which will take place Friday, Saturday and Monday at Central Oahu Regional Park, and which will determine which Chargers will advance to the state tournament. The top eight finishers in the OIA West (and East) will automatically earn invites. (Qualifiers from both the East and West will compete for the overall OIA individual championships April 26 and 28, with the top four from each division going up against one another.)

“We hope to qualify six of our eight starters,” Miyashiro said. “It’s about getting mentally prepared for the matches now. We lost only one starter from last year, and we’ve seen a lot of improvement over the season. Hopefully, we’re in good shape.”

Leading the way is junior Larson Oliva, who enters this weekend as the West’s top seed in singles.

“He had broken a finger last year, but this year he’s healthy and he hasn’t lost a set yet,“Miyashiro said of Oliva, who is seeking a third straight appearance in the state tournament. “He probably has one of the best backhands in the state - few junior (level) players can hit it that hard.”

Miyashiro also credited Oliva’s strong showing in the regular season to some fine tuning he did in the off-season.“I gave him some books on mental toughness, and he’s read a couple of them already. He’s learned to control his anger now. He used to lose focus in a match; now he doesn’t give away as many points, and he’s able to stay focused throughout an entire match.”

Pacarro’s Pearl City High School tennis teammate Carson Chen reaches high and slams the ball past his opponent.

In the doubles competition, the Chargers will also boast the West’s top seed with Jordan Lum and Taylor Pacarro having recently completed an undefeated regular season. Lum was a member of the OIA’s championship doubles team last year, when he paired up with Jon Chang, who completed his eligibility in May. Pacarro was a state qualifier in singles last spring and had placed third overall in the West before switching to doubles for this season.

“In the beginning, he had to sacrifice a lot for the team in general, and he had to change his style,” Miyashiro said.“He’s worked real hard at his game. He’s intense and our emotional leader.

“Jordan is a perfect student-athlete,” he added. “He’s a hard worker and a nice kid off the court, but he’s a fighter on the court.”

Miyashiro also has high hopes for Cheuk Ho, Daylen Horn, Eric Baba and Carson Chen. Ho, who is a four-year starter for the Chargers and is in his third as a co-captain, will be paired in doubles play with Horn, who is a sophomore this season. Together, they went 9-0 in the regular season.

Miyashiro expects the program to make a smooth transition at season’s end, when Tanouye takes over. As a player, Tanouye was part of three OIA title teams at Pearl City.

“He knows what it takes to win, and he’s dedicated to the tradition here,” Miyashiro said.

One of Pearl City’s strengths over the years under Miyashiro has been its ability to develop players who come to the program having never played organized tennis before. Tanouye hopes to continue that trend as head coach.

“It’s rewarding to see them grow as players,” Tanouye said. “We’re fortunate to have some talent every year, but we also have a lot of players who come to us without any experience.

“The bottom line is that the boys and girls at Pearl City work hard, and that makes it easier to coach here. There’s a lot of pressure, but it will definitely make for a smooth transition.”