Warming up With Winter Sports Continued

Boys and Girls Basketball

Farmer basketball is back for another season, taking the new year as a shot to improve from the last. At the starting tip off, boys and girls coaches said learning from mistakes, picking up the pace and keeping heads held high along with team focus and determination is key even after the final buzzer sounds. Hiring football muga sports surfaces will contribute to providing an optimal playing ground for the team to exhibit their skills and teamwork.

Boys Basketball
Carl Adolpho Jr. is beginning his first year as head coach for the boys side, however this isn’t his first time on the court.

“I’ve been around basketball for quite a while,” said Adolpho. “I’ve assisted coaching community boys basketball last two years so I decided to give it a whirl and see how it is.”

This year, 18 athletes came out for the team and more than 10 were freshmen, said Adolpho. Nine players made the varsity roster and nine will make up a newly added junior varsity (JV) lineup. Led by assistant coaches Aaron Boswell and Scott Rapanot, the JV team is scheduled for an away game at Seabury Jan. 25 as well as a home game against Seabury Jan. 3 at 3:30 p.m.
Varsity came back from their pre-season tournament in Honolulu earlier in December. Although they lost all three games—one of which to returning state champions, Kalaheo from Honolulu—Adolpho said he is confident that with a little more practice and adjustments he believes they have a good chance of winning the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) this year.

“I told the boys they didn’t need to put their heads down,” said Adolpho. “We did good in some areas, and we can build on that to prepare for the season. I think we’ve made good progress and I think we’ll do alright.”

The varsity team’s first game of the season is Friday, Jan. 3 against Seabury, at the Barn.

Girls Basketball
The girls side has entered the season with dedication, focused on improving and becoming a cohesive unit, said coach Lee DeRouin. This year, 14 players make up the varsity team.

“The three senior captains Ilana Myer, Tiara English and Shaniah Mollena-Lopez have been providing energy, work ethic and leadership to keep the team focused on their team goals,” said DeRouin via email.
According to DeRouin, the Lady Farmers hold a 3-4 pre-season record, which includes a game  played against the Division II State Champion Kamehameha and DII runner-up Konawaiena from the Hawaii Island at the Honoka`a Girls Basketball Tournament in November. They also attended Seabury Wahine Classic, winning to Kapa`a and Seabury last weekend.

“We have had a few set backs injury-wise but other girls have stepped up the best they can,” said DeRouin. “The coaching staff is very proud of how the team has adjusted to this adversity.”
DeRouin said that with some hard work, he thinks the team has a good shot to take MIL title and represent the MIL in states this winter.

According to DeRouin, the Farmers are scheduled to take on three home games this year. They will play Lanai Dec. 20-21, Seabury Dec. 27-28, and Hana Jan. 3-4.