Hurricanes Prepare For Sabers’ ‘Explosive’ Offense
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usFor all the factors that will figure into the outcome of Friday night’s much-anticipated Kapolei-Campbell game, Hurricanes head coach Darren Hernandez knows his defense will have to find an answer for the Sabers’ wing-T offense first and foremost.
“That wing-T (four-back set) is very, very difficult to defend,” said Hernandez, a 1982 graduate of Campbell, who was the Sabers’ head coach from 1994-99. “It’s a ball-control offense, a very tough nut to crack. With all of the things they can do from it, our defense will have to play a perfect game to slow it down. You can’t stop it; you have to try to slow it down. It’s explosive.”
The Sabers will likely come into Friday’s game refocused after an open date on their schedule last week that allowed them some time to fine-tune and heal from a rash of injuries.
Campbell enters the contest 0-2 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s Red West conference, but both defeats (to Aiea and Waianae) came by a total of three points, so the Sabers will likely figure in the league race before season’s end. The Sabers’ 17-6 win over defending OIA Red East regular season champion Castle Aug. 25 got the attention of all Campbell’s opponents.
For their part, the Hurricanes got untracked themselves in a 19-14 win over Aiea Sept. 8, the first of three consecutive television appearances. Last Friday night, Kapolei was to play at Mililani. This Friday’s Campbell game (6:30 p.m., OC-16) will be the first-ever televised from the Kapolei campus. All of Kapolei’s previous TV appearances were from either Aloha Stadium or Mililani.
More on the mind of Hernandez than TV appearances and scouting reports this season have been injury reports. Like Campbell, Kapolei has been hit hard by the injury bug to date.
“We get a few kids back, and then we lose a few - injuries are always going to be a factor,” said Hernandez. “You just have to roll with it and see if you can survive week-to-week, especially in the West, which is such a physical league.”
The Hurricanes benefited greatly from the return of offensive lineman Michael Matamua, who was cleared to play before the Aiea game, after having missed all of Kapolei’s previous encounters. A 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior, and one of the most recruited players projected to come out of Hawaii’s class of 2007, he was moved to guard against Na Ali’i.
“It was the first time since his freshman year we had him play guard - he’s usually a tackle - and he did just fine,” Hernandez said of Matamua, who is being recruited by several Division I colleges. “(His return was) definitely a big boost. He’s a good kid who works hard. Our line play has been steady, not spectacular. Cohesiveness is a big factor in line play, so hopefully they’ll keep getting better and better.”
Offensively, the Hurricanes turned their offense over to junior quarterback Mason Koa prior to their Aug. 25 game with McKinley. After suffering three turnovers against the Tigers in a 27-14 loss, he rebounded big with a monster game against Aiea, rushing for 78 yards and completing 9-of-15 passes for 106 yards. Koa’s promotion to No. 1 on the depth chart was prompted by Hernandez’s desire to create more opportunities for Aaron Santiago, the starter at the beginning of the season, who has since moved to receiver where he excelled in 2005.
“Mason is making strides; he’s progressing,” Hernandez said, “and we think that Aaron’s versatility is going to pay dividends for us.”
Following its Friday game with Campbell, the Hurricanes have games remaining with Leilehua (Sept. 29, away), Radford (Oct. 6, home) and Waianae (Oct. 13, home).
Campbell’s remaining schedule includes games against Radford (Sept. 29, away), Mililani (Oct. 7, home) and Leilehua (Oct. 13, home).
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