Red Raiders Readying For Saint Louis
The Kahuku football team long has been used to receiving every opponent’s best effort. With Saint Louis set as the Red Raiders’ opponent for their public unveiling Aug. 17, Kahuku head coach Reggie Torres knows that, over the coming weeks, his team doesn’t figure to lack focus during workouts.
“They’re good; they’ve always been a good team,” said Torres, who led Kahuku to a 12-0 mark last season en route to winning both the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Championship and the First Hawaiian Bank Division I state title. “The better the competition, the more focused they are. We have a bull’s eye on our back, and so many programs are getting better that every week is a big week for us.”
Next week is as big as any, since fall camp officially will begin for the Red Raiders. With 17 starters from last season lost to graduation, Kahuku plainly is in regroup mode.
As in past years, conditioning is a high priority, according to Torres.
“Come next week, we’ll be running, and we’ll see who is serious about football,” he said. “(Conditioning) helped us win games in the fourth quarter last year. We were healthier late in the season (by being in prime physical shape). We’re not fancy, but we’re in shape. We have a young group this year, and we want them to understand our expectations and the work they have to put in.”
Only five starters return (two on defense, three on offense) from last year’s Red Raider team, so all jobs were deemed open during Kahuku’s spring football workouts.
“Spring (practices) went good – we saw some good things and we also saw some things we have to work on,” Torres said.
Finding leaders also will be among Torres’ priorities in the coming days.
“That’s an area of concern right now,” he said. “One of the first things we’ll do is try to identify a leadership counsel and let them know what we want from them. They need to be an example and the spokesmen for our team.”
Among the key returnees for Kahuku are linebacker Cliff Ramseyer and twoway lineman Lamone Williams. Torres also had high praise for Solomon Wiley.
“Cliff has had a great summer,” Torres said of Ramseyer. “Lamone also had a great summer. He has a great work ethic and he already has some (scholarship) offers from schools. Solomon is another who has had a great summer.”
Kahuku’s Aug. 17 contest with Saint Louis will be played at Aloha Stadium.
