By Timothy Leoncio
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The MHS Varsity football team is out to prove their mettle after placing first in the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) Red West championship division on Oct. 5. They continued the winning streak with an important victory against Campbell High School on Oct. 19 to procure a spot in the semi-finals for a shot at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) championship this month.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Trask Ioesefa, offensive line coach. “Credit (goes) to the whole offense; receivers catching the ball, offensive line blocking up front, and defense being real stout and doing what they do.”
Those numbers were made possible by the team’s preparations for the season’s games and a heavy emphasis on perfection through practice. “(We) emphasized practicing at a high tempo and to execute flawlessly,” said Iosefa, continuing, “We’ve done pretty good for the last month or so.”
All the practicing paid off as the defining moment was the overwhelming 49-14 home team win against Waipahu High School on Oct. 5. “The team did very well,” said Junior Safety player Ian Namu. “The defense did extremely well and we executed perfectly,” he added.
The team took a moment to celebrate, but the target-point still remained in sight. “It felt great, but we tell the boys ‘enjoy that night’ but as soon as you wake up, we’re going to focus on the next week,” said Head Coach Roderick York, continuing, “We try not to think much about who won, we think about the next week because the teams are so tough.” The other coaches on the staff have this view on winning as well. “The kids are definitely happy about winning the west, but the main objective here is winning the state championships. It’s the main goal,” said Ioesefa.
The ability to move on and perform well is due to the positive attitude of these players. “That’s what made this team good,” said York continuing, “That the attitude of our leaders has been great, tremendous. One of the best we’ve had in years.” Namu said that their attitude has to be; “Hungry and humble. We have to keep working hard, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
The team is now one step closer to the coveted championship title with a 42-14 win against Campbell at home field on Oct. 19. “We came out slow in the first quarter, but once we woke up, we came together and played as a team,” said Namu. “It’s a bigger stage now,” said Iosefa. “Playing for the OIA championship, and getting to the state tournament. I think the kids are all excited for that.”
The varsity team continues to play hard and strives to win the OIA championships through patience, practice, and a positive attitude. They play the Farrington Governors tomorrow at 4:30 in the Aloha Stadium.
