This week and looking beyond

I believe in math. I believe in reps. 200 shots a day, 6,000 shots a month, 72,000 shots a year.

I believe that heart and dedication trump almost everything. Even the best on earth believed in the same things. Magic. Bird. Jordan. These guys made themselves into the best players ever, playing for the best teams ever. Nothing was simply handed to them. They paid the price with their blood, sweat and tears. (Magic brought a little more with his endless joy for the game.)

I believe in trusting your teammates. Being there when they need you. Them being there when you need them. That goes beyond reps and dedication. That's loyalty.

We've had our ups and downs in the two years since our 13U team started. Almost all of them were ups. When we had downs, we bounced back stronger than ever. We will keep doing this. I believe. We are still a brotherhood (even Sierra) and that will never change. Every one of us can have it all, but only if the commitment and work ethic are there. The trust.

Good grades. Good basketball. Good relationships. It starts with one step, then the next and the next. Fall season is almost pau. We might have some exhibition games in October and November against JV and intermediate teams. Then a break until January, when CAL and PAA start again, which will lead to next summer and more travel, hopefully. The guys who want to keep practicing through the break, like Kyle, Tanielu and Chris and some of our other 13U guys did last year, we can definitely do that. I never saw ballers that young work so hard just to get better, even though we had no games to play.

But it's all there for you. Dream big. Let's do it together and give the Lord thanks for all the memories. Give thanks for your family. That you have friends for life.

Monday, Sept. 30
5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park. Hoping we have at least 8 so we can scrimmage fullcourt.

Tuesday, Oct. 1
No practice.

Wednesday, Oct. 2

5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park.

Thursday, Oct. 3

No practice.

Friday, Oct. 4
No practice.

Saturday, Oct. 5
2:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park.

Sunday, Oct. 6
1:00 pm - Thunder 17U vs. Hoops4Christ, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 12 pm, outside court.
1:50 pm - Thunder 13U vs. Sharks, Kilauea gym (CAL).

17U: Kailua 53, H1 Thunder 46

Rising Stars were on the schedule, but they had a game at another gym/league so there was a switch. We got great effort on both ends from today's lineup, 7 strong: John Chow, Cody Ogoso, Sierra Murobayashi, Isaiah Visoria, Kyle Moraga, Sisifo Lauvao andIamhaka Johnson. It was Haka's first real action since he got a stress fracture of the ankle several weeks ago.

We actually led by 10, but Kailua was deep, tall, long. We ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. Kailua took a 43-42 lead on a fastbreak layup. I called timeout. They scored four more points on fastbreaks, called another timeout. Not much you can do when the tank is empty except try and execute and be precise, get back on defense.

Everybody gave it their best. We have room to improve. Our guards should master the mid-range game both in halfcourt and transition offense. That will go a long way, especially against tall teams. Overall, fun game for most of the way. I'm glad we didn't have to forfeit, and the way everybody hustled and worked together was awesome.

Next: Thunder 17U vs. Hoops4Christ, Sunday, Oct. 6, 1:00 pm, Kilauea gym.

13U: Kailua 32, H1 Thunder 30 (PAA playoffs)

We trailed 15-0, rallied to within 1 point with 2 minutes left. Once we finished off our box-outs on their tall rebounders, it was a totally different game. Everybody gave 100% effort on the boards. It was awesome.

We had a chance to win this game despite the slow start, but I'll always remember the heart we showed in the comeback. Good work, Thunder!

Playoff lineup: Manoa Kualii Moe, Jared Elwin, Micah Visoria, Kyle Moraga, Kali'a Mielke, Joshua de Jesus, Hsien Pascua, Ryan Higashionna, Kapaa Nishimura and Felcris Jay Corpuz.

Note: We missed Tanielu Mosi Afe and Chris Afe. We had more than enough to win today. Would've been good to have them there.

Next game: Thunder 17U vs. Rising Stars, Sunday, 11:10 am, Kilauea gym (CAL).
Next practice: Monday, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park.

WE LUB THIS GAAAME!!

13U: H1 Thunder 35, Laie 29

Tough battle all the way. Laie had two excellent shooters so we switched to our Pippen defense in the second half to negate their 3-point range. We played hard, a lot of hustle, but a little sloppy. We did look a little fatigued early. I'm just glad we got good effort and didn't forfeit. We were 7 strong for the morning game:  Jared Elwin, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Joshua de Jesus (Josh), Micah Visoria, Kali'a Mielke and Hsien Pascua. Good work, Thunderrr!

Saturday lineups, pickups

Saturday Game Day!

Thunder 13U vs. Laie, 11:10 am, Kilauea gym (CAL)Lineup: Joshua de Jesus (Josh), Micah Visoria, Ryan HIgashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Hsien Pascua, Kali'a Mielke, Jared Elwin. Not available: Kyle Moraga, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chris Afe, Javan Montiho, Walter Berthold.

Pickup route: 9:30 am - Joshua, 9:35 am - Felcris, 9:40 am - Hsien.

Thunder 13U vs. Kailua, 2:30 pm, Palolo gym (PAA playoff)Lineup: Joshua, Micah, Ryan, Felcris, Hsien, Kali‘a, Jared, Kyle, Chris, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kapaa Nishimura. N/A: Tanielu, Javan, Walter.

Pickup route: 12:45 pm - Chris.

WE LUB THIS GAAAAME!

13U: Two games on Saturday

Saturday's first game is at Kilauea gym. Second game is at Palolo gym.

Saturday: Thunder 13U vs. Laie (CAL), 11:10 am, KILAUEA gym. Warmups 10:10 am. All the guys who need a ride, txt or call me 551-1054 tonight. I'll start picking up everybody 8:00 am. Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Hsien Pascua, Micah Visoria.

Then Thunder 13U vs. Kailua (PAA playoff), 2:30 pm, PALOLO gym. The guys who need a ride, call me. Chris Afe, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Kapaa Nishimura, Jared Elwin and everybody else. Let me know. I'll come get you in between games around 12:30-12:45 pm.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Thursday funday

Thursday is usually a light turnout day for practice, but the guys who show up get the maximum reward. Today, Kapaa Nishimura and Ryan Higashionna made it to Makiki Park and got in a ton of work, at least 250+ shots each. I put them through a lot of drills, closed with catch-and-shoot work on all our 3-point offense plays, non-stop. Shooting endurance is what I call it. Job well done, gentlemen.

Next:
> Saturday, 11:10 am, Thunder 13U vs. Laie, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 10:10 am, outside court.
> Saturday, 2:30 pm, Thunder 13U vs. Kailua, Palolo gym (PAA). Warmups 1:30 pm, outside court.
> Sunday, 11:10 am, Thunder 17U vs. Rising Stars or Kailua, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 10:10 am, outside court.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder 13U vs Lanakila

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Part 3


There's no easy way to beat a strong team. Sometimes you just have to play your game to the fullest. Full strength. Full speed. Full tenacity. Then it's a matter of who plays the smartest. We jumped on Lanakila and took a double-digit lead early, and we never relinquished it. We were 8 strong for this game, but a few of our guys — Kyle, Kali‘a and Jared — had already played in the 17U game just before this.

This is where quality depth comes in handy. Joshua, Felcris, Ryan, Micah, Hsien — all had fresh legs ready to run. These guys consistently come to practice or at least play every day (other leagues). They were ready on this day, and it was great to see so much teamwork on defense and offense. This win capped off a 3-0 weekend by the Thunder 13U and 17U. A reward for their consistent work ethic.

Video: Thunder 17U vs Blue Devils

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Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


We started strong, especially on defense, and held on for a tough win over the Blue Devils. Isaiah was basically difficult to cover but the Blue Devils stayed in man defense all the way, and he wound up with a lot of big plays, including sweet dishes to Kaelen. Kyle hit three treys, and with our younger guys from 13U contributing, we got a lot of quality shots all game. Always a tough battle against them, but Kaelen made it tougher for us by picking up his fourth foul early in the second half. Hopefully, we learn and get wiser every time.

This week (update #3)

Yes, that's right, another scheduling change. PAA League called during practice on Monday to announce a change for our game on Saturday. Instead of 1:00 pm, we will play at 2:30 pm.

Also, we have an 11:10 am game against Laie at Kilauea gym in CAL League. Mahalo to Nate (Ryan's dad) for finding this on the schedule. I missed this.

Tuesday, Sept. 24

No practice. Coach Roy might bring the Kalihi boys to Makiki Park for shooting practice, but I have to work. Call him at 284-1643 to find out more. 

Wednesday, Sept. 25

5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park

Thursday, Sept. 26

5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park. We'll be done a little early since I have to work. If Coach Roy is there, everybody can stay and keep practicing. 

Friday, Sept. 27

No practice

Saturday, Sept. 28

11:10 am - Thunder 13U vs. Laie, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 10:10 am, outside court. 
2:30 pm - Thunder 13U vs. Kailua, Palolo gym (PAA). Warmups 12:00 pm, outside court. 

Sunday, Sept. 29

11:10 am - Thunder 17U vs. Rising Stars, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 10:10 am, outside court. 

Shooting practice and/or McCully pool in the afternoon? Maybe.

Monday funday

Finally home. Gonna edit the Thunder 13U-Lanakila video now. Super turnout for practice on Monday afternoon at Makiki Park. We had 7 plus our old pal Dwayne. Got a LOT of shooting in today, some ballhandling, some basic inbound plays especially for our newer Thunder. All in all, it's always happy time when guys who love basketball can enjoy working at it together. 

Monday's practice crew: Kyle, Jared, Kapaa, Felcris, Joshua, Hsien, Kali‘a.

Next: Wednesday, 5:00 pm, practice at Makiki Park.

If some of you guys want to shoot on Tuesday (today), give Coach Roy a call (284-1643). If he's free after work, he can meet up with you at Makiki. He has the basketballs. I have to work. I'll be shooting video and blogging at the Kamehameha-Punahou girls volleyball match.

WE LUB THIS GAAAAME!

Video: Thunder 13U vs Kapolei Canes

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Our depth was a big factor. But above that, the hustle and the way we shared the ball, open guys ready to launch. The trapping gets better each week. Trapping is sharing, trusting your teammates to play the lanes for passes. A fun game because everybody worked their tail off and played for each other.

This week (update #2)

Please check Update #3 (Tuesday) for the latest schedule change.

Here's what it looks like. PAA just sent the 13U playoff schedule. H1 Thunder 13U plays on Saturday afternoon (see below).

(Note, Sunday, 8:20 pm: PAA League just sent the upcoming week's schedule. Our 13U playoff game is on Saturday afternoon, see below.) 

Monday, Sept. 23
5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park

Tuesday, Sept. 24
No practice. Coach Roy might bring the Kalihi boys to Makiki Park for shooting practice, but I have to work.

Wednesday, Sept. 25
5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park

Thursday, Sept. 26
5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park. We'll be done a little early since I have to work. If Coach Roy is there, everybody can stay and keep practicing. 

No practice. Same as Tuesday. Coach Roy might bring the Kalihi boys to Makiki Park for shooting practice, but I have to work. 

Friday, Sept. 27

No practice

Saturday, Sept. 28
1:00 pm - Thunder 13U vs. Kailua, Palolo gym (PAA). Warmups 12:00 pm, outside court. 
(PAA originally had us playing at 3:15, but changed it to accommodate another team.)

We may practice in the morning. 

Sunday, Sept. 29

11:10 am - Thunder 17U vs. Rising Stars, Kilauea gym (CAL). Warmups 10:10 am, outside court. 

Shooting practice and/or McCully pool in the afternoon? Maybe.

13U: H1 Thunder 40, Lanakila 30

We were 8 strong, not as many as yesterday, but we got another strong effort from every guy. Like the 17s, we were up big early. The lead stayed in double digits all the way. We were up about 20 for most of the second half against a very solid team. Kyle Moraga and Jared Elwin were playing their second game. Kali'a Mielke was playing his third. That's why it's awesome that everybody was ready and strong. 

Good ball movement, transition offense and defense by Micah Visoria. He tipped a few of Lanakila's fastbreak passes by hustling back fast. Good hustle by Ryan Higashionna and Felcris Jay Corpuz. Joshua de Jesus hit a couple of 3-pointers and is starting to look like his old self again. Hsien Pascua is getting more comfortable with everything. His speed is unmatched by most of the guys.

Overall, a fun game. Hard work, hustle, sharing the ball, taking open shots. Fun. WE LUB THIS GAME!

17U: H1 Thunder 40, Blue Devils 36

I worried about our 17s this morning, but we ended up with 7 players: Isaiah Visoria, Cody Ogoso, Shaq Donnelly, Sierra Murobayashi, Keanu Pratt plus Kyle Moraga, Kali'a Mielke and Jared Elwin. Great start. We were up 15-1 and held the lead the rest of the game.

Blue Devils cut it to one point (30-29 I think) but we came back strong. Isaiah took a pounding but never complained and kept attacking. Good basketball overall, though we made it easier on the other team when Kaelen/Shaq got in early foul trouble and sat most of the second half. Good perimeter shooting by Kyle. A lot of offensive rebounding from Keanu, Kali‘a, Jared. Shaq can thank Isaiah for some sweet feeds for layups.

"I gave Shaq so many passes," Isaiah said after the game.

Yes, you did, Isaiah. Yes, you did. 

Sunday AM: 17U, 13U play at McKinley

Heads up if you haven't heard yet. If anybody needs a ride, call me early, like 7-8 am.

17U vs. Blue Devils, Sunday, 9:50 am, McKinley High School gym (CAL)
13U vs. Lanakila, Sunday, 10:40 am, McKinley High School gym (CAL)

Definitely need to hear from our 17U players about coming to the game.

17U: Kaelen Donnelly, Isaiah Visoria, Brent Quackenbush, Cody Ogoso, Sifo Lauvao, Mick Colling, Sierra Murobayashi.

Keanu Pratt is coming to the game for sure. Mick, I'm pretty sure will be at church. John Chow has to work. The 13U guys will support, but they also have to play their 13U game right after. It's up to you, 17U.

13U: H1 Thunder 58, Kapolei Canes 21

Today we saw the difference between a team that has played together and worked hard for a pretty long time, and a team that is new and not quite there yet. Great defensive pressure, trapping, passing and sometimes, shooting. That was fun to watch. We were 11 strong today. More later. I'm working. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Next: 17U vs. Blue Devils, Sunday, 9:50 am, McKinley High School gym (CAL)
Next: 13U vs. Lanakila, Sunday, 10:40 am, McKinley High School gym (CAL)

Saturday's 13U game is at Palolo

HEADS UP: SATURDAY'S GAME IS AT PALOLO GYM.

Saturday, 1:00 pm, Thunder 13U vs. Kapolei Canes, Palolo Gym (PAA). 

The game is at Palolo Gym, not Kilauea Gym. My mistake. 

If you need a ride, let me know ASAP. Coach Roy might be busy (church) in the morning. We need to coordinate the pickup route. Be there by 12:00 noon for warmups outside. 

Sunday

9:50 am - Thunder 17U vs. Blue Devils, McKinley HS gym (CAL)

10:40 am - Thunder 13U vs. Lanakila, McKinley HS gym (CAL)

Be there by 8:50 am for stretching. 

New schedule - CORRECTED 9/20

9/18 Note: The 13U Sunday game time and location has been changed. The league wanted us to play back-to-back at one site instead of two. 

The new CAL League schedule is in. We have three games this weekend including the PAA League game on Saturday.

Saturday, Sept. 21 
1:00 pm - Thunder 13U vs. Kapolei Hurricanes, Palolo gym Kilauea gym (PAA)

Sunday, Sept. 22
9:50 am - Thunder 17U vs. Blue Devils, McKinley HS gym (CAL)
10:40 am 1:50 pm - Thunder 13U vs. Lanakila, McKinley HS gym Kilauea gym (CAL)

Saturday, Sept. 28 
11:10 am - Thunder 13U vs. Laie, Kilauea gym (CAL)

Tuesday practice UPDATE

Heads up, Thunder! No practice today. The court is wet, not drying well and there's not a lot of sunshine to dry it up. Lot of gray clouds. We've done shooting drills in pouring rain before, but no need to risk injuries today. We'll be back at it tomorrow (Wed), 5:00 pm, at Makiki Park. WE LUB THIS GAME!

UPDATE 5:40 pm - The court dried up a lot. It's dry. Five guys are here. If you want to come down and get some shooting drills in, we'll be here until 6:30 or 6:45 pm. Sorry about that. That's the fastest I've seen this court dry ever.

Monday funday

Strong workout Monday, 10 strong. Shooting drills cut short by the wind, but we got lots of defensive work in, ballhandling drills, some passing, some halfcourt man offense sets. Today's crew: Ryan Higashionna, Micah Visoria, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Joshua de Jesus, Kali'a Mielke, Kapaa Nishimura, Kyle Moraga, Jared Elwin, Manoa Kualii Moe.

Next: Practice, Tuesday, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder 13U vs Owls

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Part 2


Part 3

Sunday funday

Solid workout today at McCully. Conditioning, ballhandling, shooting, halfcourt offense. Sweat Equity: Put in the sweat, the rewards follow. Nice work by Kyle Moraga, Joshua de Jesus, Kali'a Mielke, Hsien Pascua and Felcris Corpuz. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Next: Practice Monday, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park.

13U: H1 Thunder 50, Owls 32

Got a better turnout than expected this morning. A lot of guys were busy, but we were 7 strong: Ryan Higashionna, Jared Elwin,Felcris Jay Corpuz, Joshua de Jesus, Hsien Pascua, Walter Berthold and Kali'a Mielke. We led 36-8 at one point and pulled off the press after that. That gave us a chance to work on our man defense, which was good. We need a lot of work there. Overall, great hustle, great passing, great timing, great recognition. We got the ball inside to Kali‘a many times with just the right amount of patience and quickness. He was unstoppable today. So was Jared. Getting better every time.

Next: Practice, Sunday, 11:00 am, McCully gym. 

WE LUB THIS GAME!

13U game Saturday morning

Head's up, 13U. We play on Saturday, 9:30 am, Kilauea gym. We play the Owls.

Guys who need a ride, let me know 551-1054 ASAP. Coach Roy might not be able to drive because they have church.

I apologize. I did not see this on the schedule, but I asked the league directors to check for us and Greydon informed me that we have a game.

So be there 8:30 am for warmups outside and tip-off is 9:30 am. WE LUB THIS GAME!

P.S. Bring both uniforms.

Wednesday funday

Superb practice this afternoon at Makiki Park. Sunny, no wind, perfect. Got a lot of ballhandling, passing, on-ball work done. Got a lot of conditioning done. Kyle set a new personal low with a 5.15 fullcourt layup time. We did a lot of offensive positioning work (Princeton/UCLA). Finished with a ton of 3-point shooting. By the time they got warmed up, they hit 10 treys in 60 seconds during one of the sets and also made 5 in a row on another set. Good work, Thunder! Joshua de Jesus (Josh), Sierra Murobayashi, Ryan HIgashionna, Kyle Moraga.

Next: Practice, Thursday, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder 13U vs Makakilo

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Part 2


Part 3


A good battle with one of our oldest rivals. The first time we met the Knights, it was CAL League in the early summer of 2012. We had the ball, down one point in the final seconds. Sifo missed an NBA-range 3-point shot. Kodee hustled for the rebound, put the ball back up from under the basket. The ball bounced three times on the rim, the buzzer sounded and the ball fell off for a miss. What a game that was.

We've had many great battles with Makakilo since. They're a different team now with a lot of new players, but still scrappy and smart. Well coached. This was a close game until the final quarter when our experience and execution on defense and offense took over. We were 10 deep, so we got a lot of fresh legs in the game from the opening tip. A great team win, 36-27.

13U: Thunder 36, Makakilo 27

We were 10 strong and had our bigs, Chris Afe and Kali'a Mielke, which makes a huge difference. There have been times when we've played some of our best basketball with a platoon system. Kyle Moraga and Tanielu Mosi Afe have the ability to get on rolls whether we have a strong 5 or a platoon 5 (a mix of younger/older players).

Great hustle was the biggest key today. We pulled away in the second half against a scrappy team. Good work and another solid team win. We got tough defense from everybody: Felcris Jay Corpuz, Joshua de Jesus, Hsien Pascua, Micah Visoria, Ryan Higashionna, Javan Montiho.

Next: Practice, Monday and Tuesday, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park. WE LUB THIS GAME!

17U: Boom 43, Thunder 31

We fell behind early, 17-4 after one quarter. Then we battled back to within 5 or 6 in the second half. A lot of mental errors, sloppy passes ... but the good news is we got good games from Isaiah and Kalen Shaq Donnelly. Overall, not bad, but we did not play a smart game at times. With so many 13U guys supplementing the 17U roster, playing smart against a good Boom team is always a must.

Next up, 13U plays Makakilo, 2:40 pm. We're 9 strong right now. Looking forward to playing one of our toughest rivals.

Video: Thunder 13U vs Kalakaua

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

13U: Thunder 34, Kalakaua 33

The hustle was there, but we lacked chemistry and timing as a team, and several of us are rusty (or sick) individually. We were lucky to get this win, down in the first half, rallying in the second half, and then nearly giving the game away at the end. I expect great things from our Thunder, but when the work ethic isn't there, I'm not surprised that we struggled.

We probably had more turnovers than baskets. Unless the work ethic returns, we will continue to be stagnant and erratic. How hungry are you, Thunder? The PAA playoffs are around the corner. Are we going to bring our best? Or will be be satisfied with sloppy basketball?

There are few real gifts in this world, and success as a team is never handed down to anybody. It is earned. Time to earn it, Thunder.

Next:
Sunday - 17U game, 12 pm, Kilauea gym. Warmups 11:00 am.
Sunday - 13U game, 2:40 pm, Kilauea gym. Warmups 1:40 pm.
Monday - Practice, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park.
Tuesday - Practice, 5:00 pm, Makiki Park.

Whoever needs a ride, let me know (551-1054). Coach Roy and I will pick up everybody and make sure we start practicing as a team again.

Tuesday funday, game Thur

Really good workout on Tuesday with Hsien, Ed and Javan. We got about 90 minutes of drills in, mostly shooting, some on-ball defense, on-ball offense.

Next: Thunder 13U vs. Kalakaua, 6:15 p.m., Kilauea gym. Warmups 5:15 p.m. at Kilauea gym. If you need a ride, let me know (551-1054) or call Coach Roy. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sunday funday, practice Tuesday

Solid workout on Sunday at McCully. Got a lot of shooting, conditioning in. Felcris Jay Corpuz, Javan Montiho, Kali'a Mielke, Kyle Moraga and Joshua de Jesus. WE LUB THIS GAME! Next practice Tuesday 5:00 pm Kalakaua.