Mustangs Thriving On Eight Straight Preseason Games
By Jack Danilewicz
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Kalaheo head basketball coach Chico Furtado didn’t have to wait for the OIA season to see his team become battle-tested.
The Mustangs are in the midst of playing eight games in 11 days, with only one practice day (on Christmas Eve morning) likely prior to New Year’s Day.
“This is a very difficult stretch, so we have to make use of any practice time,“said Furtado, whose team took a 7-2 mark into their game last Saturday with Saint Louis in the consolation bracket of the Iolani Classic.“Two of our off-days are a Sunday, and the other is Christmas, so we probably won’t practice either day.”
Not that the players mind a heavy “game schedule” - especially a team with a lot of people jockeying for playing time in its rotation.
“I always liked playing the games better,” mused Furtado, a former Iolani and Chaminade standout.
The month of December was kind to the team in the won-lost column. Indeed, Kalaheo’s only losses to date came in the Iolani Classic to nationally ranked Montrose Christian (Maryland) in a game they were in the thick of for better than three quarters, and to Interscholastic League of Honolulu school Mid-Pacific, which caught the Mustangs on the rebound the following afternoon in a 52-30 runaway. That encounter was made easier to digest last Friday when the Mustangs regrouped to beat Baldwin 64-43. Kalaheo had led 43-19 at intermission in that game.
“Anytime you play an ILH team, you’d better be ready to play,” said Furtado. “It’s always a measuring stick of where you’re at. We were more happy with the way we started the game against Baldwin (last Friday). Our energy level was a lot better in that game.
“We still have a lot of room for improvement. There are a lot of elements to our game that we’re not consistent at.”
As at the beginning of preseason camp in early November, the Mustangs are still looking to develop their supporting cast around senior guard Cheynne Lishman.
“Cheynne is always going to get his, and he’s going to be a marked man. Other kids will have to step up and make shots. We’ll also have to do a better job on the boards. Even in the Baldwin game, we struggled a little.”
The Mustangs have gone with as many as 11 players in their pre-season games,but were without post players Matt Gasparine and Bruce Andrews recently. Gasparine missed a week-and-a-half, while sickness kept Andrews from playing against both Mid-Pac and Baldwin. They boys should be available Wednesday when the Mustangs meet Hilo High in the first round of the Merv Lopes Classic. Kalaheo also will play games Thursday, Friday and Saturday against opponents to be determined by the early results of the tourney, which will be held in the King Intermediate School gym.
To date, Kalaheo’s rotation has centered around Taylor Jay, Aaron Fernandez, D.J. Chang, Alika Kaanapu, Richard Preza-Haynes, Keano Bruhn, Cody von Appen and Christian Kepa, as well as Lishman.
In Hilo High, the Mustangs will likely face an assertive defensive team, according to Furtado. “They’ve always been a pressing team - usually with good athletes and some size.We have to make sure we handle the ball and pressure them a little with our defense.”
On the heels of the Merv Lopes Classic, the Mustangs will turn their attention to their OIA East opener on the road against defending OIA and state champion Kaimuki Jan. 2. Kalaheo will play its first league home game Jan. 4 versus Moanalua.
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