Hogue To Head Kalaheo Girls Hoops

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If new head Kalaheo girls basketball coach Ryan Hogue seems right at home at the Kailua school, it’s only because he truly is.

Except for the four years he played college basketball at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, Hogue has been a fixture at Kalaheo.

“It’s exciting to coach at the school I went to,” said Hogue, who has been Kalaheo’s junior varsity boys coach since 2004.“I was born and raised here, so I know where these kids are coming from. I’m a teacher and assistant athletic director here, so I’m right in the middle of everything at the school.”

Hogue was a standout in the Kalaheo boys program from 1996-1999 under Pete Smith and then-assistant and current head boys coach Chico Furtado, who was also the girls head coach until the end of this spring.

The Mustangs won four consecutive boys Oahu Interscholastic Association championships with Hogue in the line-up and were the state tournament runner-up twice. At UH-Hilo, Hogue played under Jeff Law, but credits Smith for his deciding to become a coach.

“Pete was my mentor as far as X’s and O’s,” Hogue said. “I don’t think anyone ever threw anything at him that he wasn’t ready for. As far as dealing with people, everything came from the heart and he loved basketball. It was what made me want to get involved with sports and coaching basketball as a career.”

Under Furtado, the Kalaheo girls program also flourished, winning five straight OIA titles from 1998-2002 en route to putting together a 50-game win streak against OIA schools. The Lady Mustangs have also been to the state tournament eight of the last nine years. Furtado was instrumental in landing Hogue as the Mustangs’ new girls coach.

“He’d asked me about it after our junior varsity season had ended, and I was spending a lot of time with the varsity team (during the boys post-season),” Hogue said.“I said that if I could get together a good staff, I’d be interested. It just fell into place for me. Teaching here I’ve gotten to know the girls, and, having coached in the boys program, it’s been a smooth transition.”

Hogue will be assisted at the varsity level by Jack Thomas, who played at Kalaheo in the late ‘80s. Neil Bowers, who played under Furtado in the boys program, will be the new junior varsity girls coach. The Lady Mustangs have been practicing three days a week recently in preparation for Roosevelt’s summer league, which begins later this month. The Lady Mustangs finished 13-5 this past season.

Senior-to-be Shanadee Canon, one of the state’s top players, is one of few returnees from Kalaheo’s 2005 team.

“It’s going to take a lot of effort to get to where we need to be, but we’re excited,” Hogue said.

Canon will travel to Las Vegas later in the month to play for the Hawaii Select All-Star Team in the Vision Sports National Youth Basketball Championships. Hawaii Select is coached by Furtado.