Sabers Face Off With Roosevelt
By Jack Danilewicz
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS | Share
Del.icio.us
|
For all his team’s ability to play physically, Campbell High coach Tumoana Kenessey would never underestimate the importance of speed.
“Speed is key,” said Kenessey. “There’s no substitute for it.The kids train hard, but (speed is something) you’re born with. This is one of our faster teams here.”
The Sabers also entered fall camp as a team with much to prove after a 3-5 campaign (1-5 in league play) last season that saw them miss the post-season for only the second time in seven years.The upside to last year for Campbell was that a young team gathered invaluable experience against a tough Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Conference schedule.
Campbell’s public unveiling is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday when the Sabers host Roosevelt. A solid performance against the Rough Riders would be a big confidence builder for the Sabers,who are entering their second season in Division I.
“We know our kids can compete (in Division I),“said Kenessey, who led Campbell to both the Division II OIA and State Championship in 2004.“This year, it’s a matter of the ball bouncing our way. Two years ago, we brought up a lot of sophomores.Now it’s their senior year,and they’ve matured and grown into their bodies.We’re hoping to translate that into success on and off of the field.”
Kenessey declined to provide names until his roster was finalized, but 69 varsity players were in the fold as of late last week, with a projected six starters returning on offense and six on defense.
It is on the defensive side of the ball that Campbell’s experience could especially pay dividends. Indeed, with their mastery of the Wing-T offense in recent years, the Sabers have had no trouble putting up points, making their defensive efforts perhaps all the more vital.
“Our front seven will be good,and we have a lot more speed in the secondary than we’ve had in past years,” Kenessey said of his defense. “And our front four will be all three-year players.”
Offensively, he stopped well short of naming a starting quarterback for the Roosevelt game.
“We still haven’t decided.We have two returnees that are good, so it looks like they’ll both rotate. Both are talented enough that they should both be on the field.We had a decent summer pass league (season). The kids played well, and they played hard. Offensively, we have a lot of guys that have been with us for two or three years.”
While the Sabers had a roster of 69 throughout fall camp, depth “is still an issue,“according to Kenessey, whose team is long on backs and receivers and short on linemen.
“Finally we have everyone out, so we’re progressing slowly. Now it’s a matter of getting everyone on the same page. (Developing) depth in the line and staying healthy will be important for us.”
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
