Monday funday

We were 12 strong today and got some basic work done in drills and scrimmage. It's key for us to have the chance to go 5-on-5 as often as possible. It's also important for our strongest guys to battle whether it's on the low post on or on the 3-point line in an on-ball situation. Kyle gave us a lot of strong work today, efficient with and without the ball all afternoon.

Today's lineup: Walter Berthold, Javan Montiho, Thomas Baptiste, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Hsien Pascua, Kapaa Nishimura, Manoa Kualii Moe, Joshua de Jesus, Jared Elwin, Kali'a Mielke, Kyle Moraga, Drake.

Next: Tuesday, 4:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
WE LUB THIS GAAAAAAAAAME!!

Combined Schedule: Updated 4/2

Updated 4/2/14

Adds a 15U game in NJB All-Net 15U (Sunday May 4).

Moves OBL 15U game from 4/18 to Saturday May 5.

Updated 4/1/14OTB dropped out of NJB All-Net 13U. Game cancelled. 

Here's what the updated Combined Schedule looks like. Note: The OpenCourt Basketball League playoff schedule will be announced later.

Fortunately, as of today, we have no overlapping games on the combined schedule. We have 5 games this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but the tip-off times are spread out nicely. On April 19 and May 11, we have a back-to-back with the 15U and 13U at different gyms, but we will be fine. The rosters are completely split in NJB All-Net by rule.

Light blue = NJB 13U game

Dark blue = NJB 15U game

Maroon = OBL 13U game

Black = OBL 15U game

Friday, Apr. 4, 7:15 pm - vs. Playground Legends @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)

Saturday, Apr. 5, 9:15 am - vs. Kahuku @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U)

Saturday, Apr. 5, 12:00 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

** Saturday, Apr. 5, 2:30 pm - vs. OpenCourt I @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U) ** orig. 4/18

Sunday, Apr. 6, 9:15 am - vs Kalakaua Academy @ Manoa gym (OBL 13U)

Sunday, Apr. 6, 3:00 pm - Thunder vs. Ali‘i White (NJB 13U), Palama gym

OTB 13U playoff schedule TBA

Saturday, Apr. 12, 12:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kalakaua Academy (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, Apr. 13, 10:00 am - Thunder vs. Lanakila White (NJB 15U), Koko Head gym

Sunday, Apr. 13, 3:00 pm - Thunder vs. OTB (NJB 13U), Palama gym

Sunday, Apr. 13, time TBA - OTB All-Star Game (13U)

Sunday, Apr. 13, time TBA - OTB All-Star Game (15U)

Friday, Apr. 18, 8:00 pm - vs. OpenCourt I @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U) ** game moved to 4/5

Saturday, Apr. 19, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Saturday, Apr. 19, 3:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, Apr. 20, 10:00 am - vs. Opencourt A @ Manoa gym (OBL 15U)

Friday, Apr. 25, 6:00 pm - Thunder vs. Mililani Storm (NJB 15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Apr. 26, 1:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Friday, May 2, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, May 3, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Blue Devils (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Sunday, May 4, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kapolei Canes (NJB 15U), Koko Head gym

Saturday, May 10, 3:30 pm - Thunder vs. Boom (NJB 15U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, May 11, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Dream Hoops (NJB 15U), Palolo gym

Sunday, May 11, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Tribe (NJB 13U), Palama gym

Friday, May 16, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Dream Hoops (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, May 18, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (NJB 15U), Palama gym

More will be posted when the league playoff schedules are announced.

Again, our 17U players will start practicing in May for the Kalani Varsity Summer League and the CAL 17U Division. 

NJB All-Net 15U/13U: Update 4/2

Updated 4/2/14
Adds a 15U game (May 4).

Updated 4/1/14
OTB dropped out, game cancelled (May 13). 
Here's what I gleaned from the e-mail attachment schedule sent out by NJB All-Net today. Parents and players, please scan the attachment (see your e-mail) and cross-check my lists to make sure it's all accurate. Two heads and better than one.

NJB All-Net
H1 Thunder

15U
Sunday, Apr. 13, 10:00 am - Thunder vs. Lanakila White (NJB 15U), Koko Head gym

Saturday, Apr. 19, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Friday, Apr. 25, 6:00 pm - Thunder vs. Mililani Storm (NJB 15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Apr. 26, 1:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Saturday, May 3, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Blue Devils (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Sunday, May 4, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kapolei Canes (NJB 15U), Koko Head gym

Saturday, May 10, 3:30 pm - Thunder vs. Boom (NJB 15U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, May 11, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Dream Hoops (NJB 15U), Palolo gym

Sunday, May 18, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (NJB 15U), Palama gym

Playoff dates TBA

13U

Saturday, Apr. 5, 12:00 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, Apr. 6, 3:00 pm - Thunder vs. Ali‘i White (NJB 13U), Palama gym

Saturday, Apr. 12, 12:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kalakaua Academy (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, Apr. 13, 3:00 pm - Thunder vs. OTB (NJB 13U), Palama gym
Saturday, Apr. 19, 3:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Friday, May 2, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Sunday, May 11, 2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Tribe (NJB 13U), Palama gym

Friday, May 16, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Dream Hoops (NJB 13U), Kilauea gym

Playoff dates TBA

Sunday funday

We set our sights on making 200+ treys today and I think we did it. Guys got tired, guys caught their second wind and we kept cranking it out, 8 Thunder in all. Finished the last 30 minutes with 3-on-3 King of the Court. The past few weeks, with all the wind outside, the shortage of guys at practice, we really benefited today from being indoors and getting MEGA REPS.

Also, Jared finally got his free throws in for the FT Challenge. His grandpa hustled a lot and got him 40 sponsors! Well done, Elwin Ohana!

The pool was closed, but most of the guys headed to Magic Island to join Coach Roy at a picnic party. All in all, a good day.

Today's lineup: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Jared Elwin, Joshua de Jesus, Josh Roberts, Kali'a Mielke, Kyle Moraga, Hsien Pascua. Mahalo to Coach Roy for filling in for the shooting drills.

Next: Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. Hopefully 10+ guys and we can go 5-on-5 like we usually do on Mondays. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: H1 Thunder vs Sharks (13U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


OpenCourt Basketball League, 13-Under Division. Friday, Mar. 28, 2014. Koko Head District Park gym.

Video: H1 Thunder vs Tar Heels (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Positive Attitude Always (PAA) Basketball League, 15-Under Division playoffs. Sunday, Mar. 23, 2014. Palolo Valley District Park gym.

Fundraiser: Loose Change Drive

* * * April = CHANGE IS GOOD * * *
April is almost here, which means it's almost time to start the Thunder Loose Change Drive. Every Sunday, including tomorrow if you're as gung ho as me, we'll collect quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies and bring them to practice or games.

The same way we reached out to family and friends, we'll accept loose coins. It could be nickels stuck in the car seat or dimes sitting in the ashtray. However and wherever they come from, we'll take them! Everybody knows somebody with a lot of loose change sitting around.

If you have family and friends who just want to drop off the change somewhere, we'll have an open Sunday afternoon at least twice in April where they can bring the coins to us. Probably at McCully gym or Makiki Park. (I'll finalize those dates after we get our NJB and OBL schedules for April.)

If it's easier to e-mail your friends and family about our latest fundraiser, I'll have one posted on the blog later, and I'll e-mail that. Then we can just forward the info.

Change is good!

Sunday Shootout Pickup Route

9:30 am - Jared Elwin
9:40 am - Keanu Pratt
9:50 am - Chris Afe, Tanielu Mosi Afe
10:00 am - Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Micah Visoria
10:10 am - Hsien Pascua

Who else needs a ride? Sisifo Lauvao, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe, Roy Moraga, Kyle Moraga...
Other guys have a ride or are busy: Walter Berthold, Josh Roberts, Thomas Baptiste, Javan Montiho, Ryan Higashionna (ankle), Sierra Murobayashi, 

Sunday's goal: Make 200 treys as a team. WE LUB THIS GAME!!

Pushing the pace: West Liberty on TV

West Liberty about to play in the NCAA D-II title game. Run run run! Game on CBS. 

West Liberty is one of the highest scoring teams in the country. Unlike LMU, Grinnell and programs like that, they don't necessarily take the first open shot, but they do push the ball all the time.

Up next

Sunday, 11:00 am - Shooting practice, offensive sets at McCully gym. FT Challenge - guys who haven't shot yet will do their FTs.

Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

Tuesday through Thursday - Practice schedule pending (waiting for my work schedule).

Friday, Apr. 4, 7:15 pm - vs. Playground Legends @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U). PIckup route begins 5:15 pm. Warmups 6:15 pm. 

NOTE: NJB All-Net 15U and 13U league starts this week. Schedule pending.

Saturday, Apr. 5, 9:15 am - vs. Kahuku @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U). Pickups 7:15 am. Warmups 8:15 am.

Sunday, Apr. 6, 9:15 am - vs Kalakaua Academy @ MANOA GYM (OBL 13U). Pickups 7:15 am. Warmups 8:15 am.
WE LUB THIS GAAAAME!!

Sharks 32, H1 Thunder 29, 2 OT

OBL 13U Division, Koko Head gym
Good effort by our guys, but there was a lot of rust out there. Between guys who have missed a lot of practice and a good amount of overdribbling/lack of passing, we didn't get our best offensive game going consistently. But when we did move the ball - pass and cut - and hit Chris in the low post, things really flowed. One of these weeks, we'll be back to practicing as a team and hitting those open 3-point shots, and with Chris playing strong on the low post, I'm looking forward to the rest of the OBL regular season and playoffs.

We were down about 7 or 8 early, then came back and took the lead in the second half. We played good basketball during that stretch. Now it's up to us to play that way consistently, and that starts with sharpening up our skills at practice, with practicing and scrimmaging together at practice. Simple as that.

I'm optimistic. When Kapaa and Chris are setting the tone as our big men, it's tough for any 13U team to beat us. When our shooters are sharp, it's tough for any team, any age, to beat us.

Tonight's lineup: Thomas Baptiste, Josh Roberts, Walter Berthold, Colin Ramos, Javan Montiho, Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Kapaa Nishimura and Chris Afe.

Next: Sunday, 11:00 am - Shooting practice, McCully gym. FT Challenge for the guys who haven't shot yet.

WE LUB THIS GAAAME!

Thursday funday

Most excellent workout this afternoon at sunny Makiki Park. Got a lot of ballhandling work in, then some conditioning, a lot of shooting, and then basic offensive sets. Reps make all the difference, especially for our newer guys. Highly productive workout today. 

Today's lineup: Jared Elwin, Micah Visoria, Gabriel Porras and Javan Montiho.
WE LUB THIS GAAAME!

Next: Friday, 6:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Sharks (OBL 13U), Koko Head gym. Warmups and stretching 5:30 pm.

Wednesday funday

He doesn't get a lot of free afternoons, but Colin Ramos made it to shooting workout (optional) today and got his shots in. He took more than 250 shots in all, everything from reverse layups to midrange to 3-pointers, plus free throws, crunches, pushups and verticals. Great work, Colin.

Next: Thursday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
WE LUB THIS GAME! Ray-Marlyn Ramos

Tuesday funday

Solid workout on a sunny afternoon at Makiki Park. Lots of on-ball defense, ballhanding, shooting drills. A good 75 minutes of work. 

Today's lineup: Micah Visoria, Javan Montiho and Thomas Baptiste. Good work, guys!
Julie Montiho

Next: Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Shooting practice at Makiki Park. It's an optional workout, so if you're tired, rest up. Whoever comes will get 200+ shots in. If we have 10, we'll go 5-on-5. That would be optimal. 

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Monday funday

Strong turnout today at Makiki Park. Coach Rob brought some of the Alii boys so we had a total of 11 ballers today. We got some drills in, then scrimmaged for the final 40 minutes. Good battles up and down the court. It's so easy when guys are up to the challenge and thrive on competition.

The two teams were evenly divided and played into overtime. We had an extra 10 minutes and kept playing on. Good work and a lot of fun today, just the way God intended the game to be played. Fun and work go hand in hand.

Today's lineup: Gabriel Porras, Javan Montiho, Thomas Baptiste,Jared Elwin, Kyle Moraga, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke, Bruce, Cameron Ng, Drake, Kapaa Nishimura.

Hopefully we have more fun 5-on-5s every day this week.

Next: Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: 5 treys vs Kalakaua Academy (15U)

Video: Gerard Porras.
Five 3-pointers, all by Kapaa Nishimura, against Kalakaua Academy.
OpenCourt Basketball League, 15-Under Division. Sunday, Mar. 23, 2014. Koko Head District Park gym.

Video: H1 Thunder vs Kalakaua Academy (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


OpenCourt Basketball League, 15-Under Division. Sunday, Mar. 23, 2014. Koko Head District Park gym.

video: Gerard Porras
score: Thunder 38, Kalakaua 20

Recommended: PIAA

*** STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ***
Thunder Ohana, whether you play basketball, football or any other sport, please sign up with Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance. Doris Sullivan and her staff have helped THOUSANDS of local kids find colleges to continue their careers at the next level. I used to work with Doris more than a decade ago and she has the biggest heart for helping student-athletes.

SHE DOES NOT CHARGE ANYTHING. Doris is one of my oldest friends, a Sicilian lady from Baltimore who moved here in the 1990s with her family and sent two sons to school (Damien, Saint Louis), where they played football. She became involved in the process of helping them find colleges to play at and learned that it shouldn't cost a lot of money to get connected to coaches.

Since she created PIAA, they've become non-profit and do all kinds of cool things for student-athletes, including SAT Prep Classes, and the state's biggest football combine. They also organize and run volleyball and soccer combines.

But what Doris does best is connect high schoolers with college coaches. She's done this so long and made so many lasting friendships with coaches that they have great trust in her word.

Doris especially likes athletes who are excellent students. Many, many doors open up in those scenarios. She works with high school student-athletes (and their families), but it's never too soon to start.

So, for our Thunder who are just starting high school or almost done with middle school, I really would like to see you connect with Doris and her staff. Unless you don't want to play sports in college. Then never mind.

Contact Doris at their website http://www.PIAAHawaii.com/ or e-mail her at info@pacificathleticalliance.com.

WE LUB THIS GAME!!

This Week (correction)

** Update Monday 3/23 - Correction on the Friday game. It is a 13U game, not 15U.

I'm expecting 5-on-5 on Monday. Coach Rob said some of the Alii boys will come to Makiki and practice with us. Competition is always GOOD.

Btw, Alli won the Kona Stingrays tournament today. They beat the home team 48-25 in the final. Congratulations, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe, Cameron Ng and Coach Rob Mielke!

Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park
Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Shooting workout (optional)
Thursday, 5:00 pm - Practice, Makiki Park
Friday, 6:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (OBL 13U), Koko Head gym. Warmups 1 hour before game time.
Saturday - No game, no practice
Sunday, 11:00 am - Practice, McCully gym. Also, the guys who are still doing the Free-Throw Challenge will do their FTs.

It's a light week for games, but we might get a lot of 5-on-5 during the week. We need it on a daily basis to really get better.

The following week, we have three OBL games (13U/15U) and NJB All-Net begins (Apr. 4).

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sunday Mahalos

Big Mahalos to:
• Coach Roy for bringing Hsien, Josh (and Kyle, of course) today, and taking them home.
• Coach Roy and Coach Loto for driving the guys from Koko Head gym to Palolo gym for our second game today.
• Lehua Nishimura for shooting video (again) and doing so despite a super busy schedule.
• Gerard Parros for shooting game video at Koko Head gym.
Did I forget anybody? We have some great, great parents, the kind of folks who are so supportive and positive. Coach Greydon at the CAL League always mentions that he likes our parents for their sportsmanship and good attitudes.

H1 Thunder 38, Kalakaua Academy 20 (15U)

The early game today was a close one until the final 6 minutes or so. It was physical, a lot of banging and battling for rebounds and loose balls. We had just 7 guys, and one of them was ailing with a stomache on the bench most of the time (Hsien).

Then Kapaa got hot from deep, hitting three or four 3-pointers in a row off our offensive sets. Even Kalakaua's coach, the legendary Mike Taylor, was surprised. We played strong defense, our small lineup of mostly guards, against their beefy guys. Kanehe finished strong, attacking the basket on the fastbreak late in the game. The clock runs through free throws (until the final 2 minutes), so the clock kept ticking in our favor.

Good work. This pushes us to 4-0 in OBL 15U Division play. We're still getting better, day by day, and the challenges get tougher as we go. Good work, Thunder.

Today's lineup: Colin Ramos, Gabriel Parros, Hsien Pascua, Micah Visoria, Joshua de Jesus, Kanehe Nishimura, Kapaa Nishimura.

Tar Heels 57, H1 Thunder 41 (15U)

PAA 15U Division playoffs, Palolo gym
We had a lot of reason to be optimistic, winning 8 of our last 9 games coming into today.

We got a great effort by the guys, but this loss is not on them. It's on me, the coach.

1. We had an earlier game at Koko Head gym (OBL 15U), so I planned the split rosters out. At Koko Head, I listed 7 players who would leave at 1:25 pm and go to Palolo. The game at Koko Head started late, so the starting five (who were also our older players) got just a few minutes of game time in before the clock ticked to 1:25 pm.

They left with Coach Loto and Coach Roy. That's where I made a mistake. I forgot that Kanehe and Hsien were part of that list of 7 guys who went to Palolo. I wish I'd called a time out and double-checked the list.

So, only 5 guys went to Palolo. We finished the game at Koko Head with a relatively healthy, deep bench (even though Hsien had a stomachache and didn't play much), 7 players total there.

But at Palolo, they had just 5 guys. By the time the rest of us arrived, there was less than 10 minutes left and the Tar Heels led 31-27. Pretty good considering the situation. Nice coaching by Coach Loto and Coach Roy.

Of course, the guys looked very fatigued. At that point, I didn't realize they'd been playing with only 5. Before I walked in the gym, Coach Loto had subbed in Kanehe and Kapaa, who had run into the gym as I parked the car.

At this point, Loto said the Tar Heels had made a bunch of 3-pointers, which was my No. 1 concern when we beat them a few weeks ago, and again today. So I switched us to man defense when we fell behind by about 9 or 10 points. But they kept getting open, and this is another point that falls on me as a coach.

2. Defensive coverage. We started out in 12U as a man-to-man defensive team. We evolved into a matchup zone defensive team over time to counter 3-point shooting teams like the Tar Heels. Going to man defense should've solved the problem we had covering them out of the zone. But we lost our man several times, giving up layups and open 3s. This wasn't totally shocking, though. We don't practice a lot of man defense, and part of that is because we don't often get 5-on-5 at practice, which leads to another point.

Having just 5 players at Palolo also made it almost impossible to use our fullcourt pressure. A major minus factor.

3. We need everybody at practice. Middle school leagues are pau. There's no football practice (except for Tani and Chris in Big Boys League). I'll go more into this later in another post.

The game didn't finish well. Guys couldn't execute basic plays largely because of fatigue, and that's my fault, period. I also wish I'd used the only timeout we had left to sit down and find out from everybody what was working and what was not — like we sometimes do during games. I've rarely had this situation, walking into a game that was halfway (or more) through, and I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't stepped in, we would've had a chance to win this game.

I've always said that players win games and coaches lose games. From the very start, when I forgot that Hsien and Kanehe were supposed to be at Palolo early, our guys didn't have the right support. All our parents did their part. But I screwed this up.

I apologize to you guys. Tar Heels played a smart game, as expected from Coach Kelly and his guys. But I think the next time we have overlapping games, we'll just have a stronger unit at the playoff game early and let our younger guys start the other game. Period. That would prevent any confusion or mix-ups.

We're still one of the youngest teams in 15U, but I think we agree that we're good enough to win titles right now. It's a matter of execution and coaching, and the latter failed today.

Today's lineup: Sisifo Lauvao, Chris Afe, Keanu Pratt, Kyle Moraga, Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Gabriel Parros, Joshua de Jesus, Colin Ramos, Hsien Pascua.

Video: Thunder vs OpenCourt (13U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


OpenCourt Basketball League (OBL), 13-Under Division. Saturday, Mar. 22, 2014. Koko Head District Park gym.

Video: Thunder vs OpenCourt, 2nd OT

The second overtime rule: Sudden death. The first team to score 3 points. Game-winning shot by Kapaa Nishimura on a great save and assist by Javan Montiho.
Video: Lehua Nishimura.
OpenCourt Basketball League, 15-Under Division. Saturday, Mar. 22, 2014. Koko Head District Park Gym.

NJB All-Net update

* NJB All-Net League, April 4 - May 27 *
> Updated Sat Mar 22
All the leagues allow players to play in more than one age division except for NJB. You have to pick one age division only.

>> This information is crucial for some of our guys like Kyle Moraga, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke. Manoa is playing with his original team, Aliis. Kali‘a will be playing with one of his original teams, Blue Devils. Kyle is playing with another team in the Ikaika League (17U), which we don't play in. But in NJB All-Net, if he plays 17U with that other team, he is not eligible to play for us in 15U. It's an NJB rule. No other league has this rule. (We will field 17U teams in Kalani Summer Varsity League/June, CAL/June and PAA/Fall.)

THUNDER 13U and 15U: Cutoff dates in NJB All-Net for birthdays is Sept. 1. In other words, if you turn 14 before then, you can't play in 13U. There's an exception if you are in 7th grade. That means Kapaa can't play in 13U, and even if he could, he might prefer to play in 15U.

So if we put a 13U team in NJB All-Net, we won't have any size. We'll have a lot of shooters and guards, but Chris Afe will still be busy with football until May and Kapaa will be too old. We could use one or two rebounders/centers.

H1 Thunder 32, OpenCourt 29, 2 OT

OBL 13U Division, Koko Head gym
Good team win for our 6 Thunder in uniform today. Thomas was a key factor in the first half. Though he's new and still learning so much, he stepped in and helped us get rest for most of our guys.

OpenCourt stayed in a 1-2-2 zone most of the way, but unlike other games I've seen, they packed it in instead of going for steals. Our guys did a nice job of working the ball into the post, but the second pass to the cutter inside didn't really happen until the second half. Colin and Kapaa did a solid job with that.

We had the ball to start the first OT and held it until the final seconds. Felcris had a short shot on the left baseline, but it was a little too long. Josh got the rebound, but he was stuck under the rim and tried to pass it. Time ran out before we got another shot.

Second OT was sudden death - first to score 3 points wins. We had the ball, Colin took an open 3 from the left corner and missed. Javan saved the ball in the opposite corner and the ball went right to Kapaa. He launched it from 23 feet out, all net. Ice cold. Game over.

Proud of the guys today! We went from having just 4 players this morning to having barely enough, but we played tough defense against another big team and played smart most of the time. It was very physical on the perimeter. Refs weren't calling any hand checks or forearm shoves, but our guys stayed cool and persevered.

Today's lineup: Thomas Baptiste, Colin Ramos, Joshua de Jesus,Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Kapaa Nishimura, Javan Montiho.

Thanks to Ryan and Nate for being there to support the boys!

WE NEED TO BE AT FULL STRENGTH (15U and 13U players) ON SUNDAY.

NEXT: Sunday, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kalakaua, OBL 15U, Koko Head gym. Be there by 12 noon for warmups.
1:30 pm - Our older guys leave early for the PAA 15U playoff game at Palolo gym. Our younger guys will finish up the Kalakaua game.
2:00 pm - Thunder vs. Tar Heels, PAA 15U playoff, Palolo gym. Coach Roy will be there to coach the team at the start.

WE LUB THIS GAAAAME!

Sunday: Back to Plan B

*** BACK TO PLAN B ***
I got a call from PAA League tonight. They wanted to move our game from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm since our schedule was cramped. However, the other teams on the afternoon schedule didn't want to switch, so we're playing that game at 2:00 pm, still at Palolo.

Since we have the earlier 1:00 pm game at Koko Head, this means we're going back to the contingency plan I posted on Thursday. (See below.)

This is going to take a team effort by all of our 15U and 13Uguys. We need to be at full force since our older 15U players will leave early to go to the playoff game at Palolo, and our younger guys (13U) will finish the first game.

God never gives us a challenge we can't handle!

*** SUNDAY 15U, two games overlapping: THE PLAN ***
No practice today unless guys want to shoot baskets after I finish work (7 pm).
Friday, practice 3:30 pm. (I work at 6:30 so practice will be earlier Friday. All you guys on spring break, get there on time and let's get our 200+ shots in!
Saturday, Thunder 13U plays 10 am at Koko Head.
SUNDAY - We have a unique situation, so we have a unique solution. With a 15U game 1:00 pm at Koko Head and a 15U playoff game 2:00 pm at Palolo, this is the plan:
Our older guys will start the game at Koko Head and leave for Palolo at exactly 1:30 pm. The rest of our guys, mostly 13U, will stay back and finish that game before commuting to Palolo.

Sunday
1:00 pm - vs Kalakaua, OBL 15U game, Koko Head gym
* Sisifo Lauvao?
* Kanehe Nishimura
* Keanu Pratt
* Tani Mosi Afe
* Hsien Pascua
* Kyle Moraga
Jared Elwin
Joshua de Jesus
Kapaa Nishimura
Javan
Chris Afe
Micah
Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
Gabriel Porras
Colin Ramos
* Leave at 1:30 pm to Palolo

2:00 pm - vs Tar Heels, PAA 15U playoff game, Palolo gym
Sifo?
Kanehe
Anu
Tani
Hsien
Kyle
** The rest of the team will arrive after the game at Koko Head.
Lela Afe-passion, Julie Montiho, Ray-Marlyn Ramos, Lehua Nishimura, Roy Moraga.

Sunday: Back to normal

Just got the word from PAA: our 15U playoff game on Sunday at Palolo gym has been pushed back to 3:00 pm. That's great news. Otherwise, we would've played at 2:00 pm and I had a plan to send half our team from Koko Head to Palolo at 1:30 (during our OBL 15U game).

So, that contingency plan is pau. We'll keep our entire 15U team at Koko Head for the duration of the 1:00 game. We'll have enough time to travel after that to Palolo. We're back to normal.

I still want a fully-loaded lineup for both games. The more we can rest our starters and top reserves in the first game, the more energy they'll have for the playoff game against the Tar Heels.

Reminder: Thunder 13U plays OpenCourt on Saturday, 10:00 am at Koko Head gym. Ride pickups start at 8:15 am.

God is good. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Word to 17U/18U

Some of you guys (and other 17U players not on the team) have asked about the next league. Like I've been saying all winter and spring, it's not hard to put teams in leagues, but if you don't 1) work at fundraisers, and 2) come to practice, it won't happen. It's too bad, but that's reality. Takes $ to pay for leagues and uniforms (and road trips), and even if I had extra $, why would I spend it on guys who hardly play together? Especially when we had a couple of forfeits last year and I had to constantly remind certain guys to show up for games.

Our 17U last year - lot of nice guys, pretty good talent (we could've won Aiea league and NJB All-Net if everybody showed up to all the games), but lack of commitment. If you guys start to show up at practice and fundraisers, you'll build on your commitment and dedication. Winning is nice, but if you don't improve every day as individual players and as a team, what's the point?

It's up to you. I see quite a bit of commitment and dedication in most of our 13U and 15U Thunder. They keep getting better and their unity is awesome. They are leaders. That's what Thunder basketball is all about: doing. Action. That's why they played more than 140 games in 2013. They work on and off the court to make it happen. They work on their skills. They make 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 3-pointers in high-scoring games. They learn to win grind-out, low-scoring games. They have big fun.

If we don't have a prepared, unified 17U team in NJB All-Net or CAL (June), you older guys can still play on our varsity team in the Kalani Summer League (June) as long as you do your part. But the truth is, I've always loved this game and I want to focus on true ballers only. Right now, that's the 13U and 15U, not 17U.

I've done enough begging the past couple of years. 17U, it's up to you to make it happen. You should have big fun, too, but do you really want it?

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: 14 treys vs Swish (slo-mo)

This cut includes slow-motion of each 3. 

Video: Brandon Higashionna.
H1 Thunder makes 14 3-point shots against Swish.
Positive Atitude Always (PAA) Basketball League, 13-Under Division. Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Kilauea District Park gym.

Sunday: Solution for overlapping 15U games

*** SUNDAY 15U, two games overlapping: THE PLAN ***
No practice today unless guys want to shoot baskets after I finish work (7 pm).
Friday, practice 3:30 pm. (I work at 6:30 so practice will be earlier Friday. All you guys on spring break, get there on time and let's get our 200+ shots in!)
Saturday, Thunder 13U plays 10 am at Koko Head.
SUNDAY - We have a unique situation, so we have a unique solution. With a 15U game 1:00 pm at Koko Head and a 15U playoff game 2:00 pm at Palolo, this is the plan:
Our older guys will start the game at Koko Head and leave for Palolo at exactly 1:30 pm. The rest of our guys, mostly 13U, will stay back and finish that game before commuting to Palolo.

Sunday
1:00 pm - vs Kalakaua, OBL 15U game, Koko Head gym
* Sisifo Lauvao?
* Kanehe Nishimura
* Keanu Pratt
* Tani Mosi Afe
* Hsien Pascua
* Kyle Moraga
Jared Elwin
Joshua de Jesus
Kapaa Nishimura
Javan
Chris Afe
Micah
Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
Gabriel Porras
Colin Ramos
* Leave at 1:30 pm to Palolo

2:00 pm - vs Tar Heels, PAA 15U playoff game, Palolo gym
Sifo?
Kanehe
Anu
Tani
Hsien
Kyle
** The rest of the team will arrive after the game at Koko Head.
Julie Montiho, Ray-Marlyn Ramos, Lehua Nishimura, Roy Moraga

Update: Keanu Vela

It's been months since we last heard from one of our oldest Thunder ballers. Keanu Vela played on our second team, the 15U team in the very first CAL League at McKinley. At the time, he was just 13 or 14, an eighth grader who became one of the best young players in the state. Nobody worked harder than Keanu every day whether it was at practice (sometimes he'd catch the bus to town) or on his own time, hitting the outside courts by his house in Kailua.

Since he and his family moved to Colorado after his freshman year, that group of Thunder was never the same. They had a lot of good wins and a lot of tough losses. Keanu's talent, leadership and sense of humor were never quite replaced. But he wrote back this morning via Facebook. He had a great senior year. Next stop: College hoops.

Hey ya! My season was fantastic! I had so much fun haha. We lost a week or so ago in the sweet 16 to the eventual state champion so I don't feel too bad that we lost even though it hurt in the moment haha. I got selected to first team all league which is crazy good because it's the hardest league in the state! 5 out of the top 10 teams in the state were from our league including us so it was an honor to be selected basically.  

You'd be so proud, I broke the school record for 3FGM and 3FG % for our school (61 and 47%) so it was kind of my specialty all year. We won our national tournament in California which had Bishop Montgomery who was #6 in the nation, so that did wonders for us for the rest of the year- AND we played the hardest schedule in the state so it was good to know our competition was good 24/7 ya know? Anyway still figuring out college.  

But I'm in school so I got to go I'll talk to you later, let me know how you've been!

(Keanu mentioned later there are six schools he's interested in, including two D-I universities.)

Video: Thunder vs KKB (Int)

Somehow, I never posted this game video. I posted the highlight special (10 treys vs KKB), but not the game video. So here goes.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


vs KKB 2/16/2014 (CAL MSG)
video: Chit Moraga
score: Thunder 65, KKB 40

The links are probably on our Facebook page. But lately it's taken 6-7 hours to load up one part (out of two or three) of each game, so some stuff may slip by me in the process. My apologies.

Tuesday funday

Good workout this afternoon before I went to work. Lots of ballhandling, passing, triple-threat, jumpers, layups in about 75 minutes.
Solid work by Javan Montiho, Walter Berthold and Thomas Baptiste. It's a grind sometimes, but the players who push themselves, who are self-motivated and not content will always get better. No substitute for working hard every day. None.

Next: Wednesday/Thursday - no practice. I have to work in the afternoons. If anybody wants to get some shooting reps in after 8:00 pm, that's when I'm free.
Friday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Saturday, 10:00 am - Thunder vs. OpenCourt (OBL 13U), Koko Head gym. Big challenge for us with so many guys busy on this day, but we will have more than enough to compete.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs Raiders (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


video: Eric Murobayashi
score: Thunder 21, Raiders 20

Video: 6 treys vs Kapolei Suns (13U)

video: Hsien Pascua / Jared Elwin

Video: Thunder vs Kapolei Suns (13U)

Part 1


Part 2


video: Hsien Pascua / Jared Elwin
score: Thunder 65, Kapolei Suns 6

Video: Thunder vs Kalihi Valley (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


video: Nainoa Mielke
score: Kalihi Valley 27, Thunder 20

Monday funday

9 strong at practice today. Mondays are usually deeper for us, more so now with school-team practices done, plus spring break is on. We got a lot of work in with halfcourt sets off transition offense. Having a chance to go 5-on-5 is key to developing our newer players in the system.

Today's lineup: Gabriel Porras, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Joshua de Jesus, Kyle Moraga, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke, Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Kameron Ng.

And ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COACH ROY! Is it the 32nd or 25th birthday? I forget. Our first 12U team began with Coach Roy and Kyle, and Roy has been the backbone of our 12U/13U teams. WE LUB YOU MAAAN!

Next: Tuesday, 3:30 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. I leave at 5:00 for work, but Coach Roy will arrive and keep practice going for the guys who want to stay and the guys who can't get there until then. Get those shots in!

H1 Thunder 21, Hawaii Raiders 20 (15U)

OBL 15U Division, Koko Head gym
We came with the intensity necessary to compete with a seasoned ILH team. They were big and skilled, but we contested just about every shot, pressured them on almost every inch of the court and earned a team win.

We didn't play pretty all the time, but we finished strong once again with our guard play, controlling the clock down the stretch. We're still learning as a group, still improving day to day. But we're getting there!

Since it was Sunday, Tani was available to play. He didn't score a ton of points, but our motor as a team is stronger and furious when he's with us, same as it was at the beginning with Thunder 12U two years ago. Everybody played strong on the boards, just need to box out, box out, box out all the time, not occasionally.

Today's lineup: Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Javan Montiho, Kanehe Nishimura, Kapaa Nishimura, Chris Afe, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke, Kyle Moraga, Jared Elwin, Tanielu Mosi Afe.

H1 Thunder 65, Kapolei Suns 6 (13U)

OBL 13U Division, Koko Head gym
Solid team win by our guys, even though finding a strong intensity level was a little bit of a challenge. That's one crucial thing from game to game, recognizing who is ready to play from the opening tip.

WE STARTED THE DAY WITH JUST 4 PLAYERS. I was concerned about a possible forfeit. But we ended up with 8 players with guys returning from injuries and vacation trips. And since it was a Sunday, Chris was available to play. It's always fun to see what we can be with an almost-full lineup.

Ryan was there, too, with his walking boot on that injured ankle. Get well soon, Ryan. Praying for a smooth, quick recovery.

Today's lineup: Colin Ramos, Walter Berthold, Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain, Kapaa Nishimura, Chris Afe, Javan Montiho, Micah Visoria, Joshua de Jesus.

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


vs Sharks 3/14/2014 (OBL 15U)
video: Lehua Nishimura
score: Thunder 45, Sharks 43, 2 OT

Sunday lineups

Ryan out with an ankle injury (PAL tournament) for at least 2 weeks. He was at the ER today. Keep him in your prayers for a smooth recovery.

Thunder 13U is low in numbers for Sunday, need all hands on deck. Game time is 10:00 am at Koko Head gym.

13U lineup
Kapaa Nishimura, Walter Berthold, Joshua de Jesus, Chris Afe?, Colin Ramos.

Not available
Micah Visoria (injured), Ryan Higashionna (injured), Javan Montiho (vacation), Josh Roberts (injured?), Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain (grounded). Who else?

Thunder 15U plays at 11:30 am, Koko Head.
15U lineup
Kapaa, Josh, Chris?, Gabriel Porras, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe?, Tanielu Mosi Afe?, Kyle Moraga, Jared Elwin, Hsien Pascua. Who else?

Not available
Colin (clinic), Keanu Pratt (family campout), Sierra Murobayashi (clinic), Sisifo Lauvao (grounded), Tone Lauvao (MIA).

Video: 6 treys vs H4C (15U)

Video: Thunder vs. H4C (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


vs Hoops4Christ 3/9/2014 (OBL 15U)
video: Nathan Higashionna
score: Thunder 52, H4C 17

Video: 6 treys vs OTB (15U)

Video: Thunder vs OTB (15U)

Part 1


Part 2

Kalihi Valley 27, H1 Thunder 20 (15U)

PAA 15U Division, McCully gym
We were the much, much younger team today. Hopefully, we learn. We were shorthanded and playing against basically Farrington's JV team with our Intermediate team. (We had no 9th or 10th graders today.)

They were taller, more athletic and fast. We trailed by 5 to 10 points most of the way, another slow, slow start. We were down 12-2 playing catchup. The surprising thing is that they played 2-3 zone on us, but we couldn't hit 3s today. Colin made the only one.

Kapaa did a nice job attacking the basket at times from the high post, but the rest of us didn't flash to the middle when it was wide open — all game long.

If we have our full lineup, we win this game. No doubt. But even with today's lineup, it was winnable. Not enough high-low post execution. Not enough shots being made. And still too many fundamental errors (chest passes in paint getting deflected and stolen), poor entry passes to the post, not closing out strong on shooters.

This is correctible with practice. Mahalo to Cameron for filling in on a day when we were on the verge of forfeiting. We started the morning with just 4 players, then we had 6, then finally 8. I'm thankful for that. Coach Rob, thanks for bringing Cam.

Today's lineup: Gabriel Porras, Colin Ramos, Cameron Ng,Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke, Kapaa Nishimura, Hsien Pascua,Joshua de Jesus.

That ends a five-game win streak (15U and 13U combined). I think that puts us at 4-3 in PAA 15U with the playoffs coming next. We can win this league, no question about it, when we play smart and fast.

Next: Sunday, 10:00 am - Thunder vs. Kapolei Suns (OBL 13U), Koko Head gym
Sunday, 11:30 am - Thunder vs. Hawaii Raiders (OBL 15U), Koko Head gym
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs Tar Heels (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


vs Tar Heels 3/9/2014 (PAA 15U)
video: Chit Moraga
score: Thunder 55, Tar Heels 46

Saturday pickup route

Right now, we are at just 4 players for Saturday's game at McCully gym, 11:15 am vs. Kalihi Valley. Need to know who else is playing or not playing.
9:00 am - Joshua de Jesus? Hsien Pascua? Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain - out (grades)
9:20 am - Jared Elwin?
10:15 am - Warmups, McCully outside court.
11:15 am - Game time, Thunder vs. Kalihi Valley

Saturday's lineup
Kali'a Mielke, Kapaa Nishimura, Gabriel Porras, Colin Ramos.

Not available
Kyle Moraga (church), Kanehe Nishimura (Kalani track meet), Sierra Murobayashi, Keanu Pratt (family campout), Chris Afe (football), Tanielu Mosi Afe (football), Javan Montiho (vacation), Micah Visoria (injury), Felcris (grades), Sisifo Lauvao (grades).

Not sure
Jared Elwin, Joshua de Jesus, Manoa Kualii Moe, Ryan Higashionna, Hsien Pascua.

God sometimes gives us what we need rather than what we want. I'm just praying we have 5.

H1 Thunder 45, Sharks 43, 2 OT (15U)

OBL 15U Division, Koko Head gym
Our first 10 minutes were flat-out horrible. Not much urgency, not much intensity. Defensively, we were flat-footed and didn't close out on their 3-point shooters consistently. Sharks shot well in the first half.

But we got it together before halftime and rallied from a 10- or 12-point deficit. In the second overtime (sudden death), Kyle worked the post, drew a defender and hit Kali‘a with a perfect bounce pass for the winning points.

Overall, it was a really good team win despite the lack of fundamentals (nobody felt like boxing out, we threw the ball away with chest passes instead of proper entry passes - bounce or lob - to the post).

The Sharks had their 13U team in this game because they misread the schedule. But this is not much different from their 15U team. Basically the same key players, minus a couple of rebounders. And our 15U is basically 13s and guys who just turned 14 in the past month or so. That's a good Sharks team, taller than us inside, and hopefully, we're a good Thunder team that has lots of room to get better.

Of our 8 players tonight, a few are really new and not familiar with our plays and defenses, so it's a blessing that we overcame that with lots of hustle and heart. That's what it takes to finish strong when shots aren't always falling and sloppiness is too common. Fundamentals lead to consistency and consistency leads to great offense and defense. We'll get there.

Kanehe was strong off the bench with great hustle and defense. And he's still recovering from the flu.

Tonight's lineup: Kanehe Nishimura, Gabriel Porras, Colin Ramos, Sierra Murobayashi, Kapaa Nishimura, Kyle Moraga,Keanu Pratt, Kali'a Mielke.

Friday Game Day pickup route

I have the day off so I can pick up guys early. Let me know if you need or don't need a ride (551-1054). Coach Roy will help, too.

COACH ROY
5:15 pm - Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain?
5:25 pm - Hsien Pascua?

COACH PAUL
5:00 pm - Jared Elwin?
5:10 pm - Keanu Pratt?
6:15 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe? Chris Afe?
7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks, Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)
WE LUBBB THIS GAME!!

H1 Thunder 52, OTB 47 (15U)

PAA 15U Division, Kilauea gym
We were 10 strong tonight thanks to Coach Roy picking up some guys as usual, and some other guys letting me know they could go, so I picked them up after work. That allowed us to platoon 5 in, 5 out in the first half and press fulltime. We led by about 12 in the first half, then we had some basic mistakes in halfcourt offense, stuff that's easily correctible with practice.

OTB was huge, guys 6-2, 6-4, and they never gave up with their speedy guards. They came back and took the lead, but we regained it, and then Josh hit a 3 to open the lead back to 6. OTB came back to tie it, but Kyle hit a big 3 to break a 47-all tie in the final 2 minutes. Then we hung on for the win despite a mistake or two.

Good team win, Thunder! Great, great hustle and defense. That's how we've overcome big teams before and that's how we'll always beat them in the future. 100% heart!

Tonight's lineup: Sierra Murobayashi, Kapaa Nishimura, Kali'a Mielke, Chris Afe, Gabriel Porras, Kyle Moraga, Tanielu Mosi Afe,Jared Elwin, Joshua de Jesus, Keanu Pratt.

Not sure where Sisifo Lauvao was. His dad said they were coming to the game.

Next: Thursday - no practice.
Friday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (OTB 15), Koko Head gym. Be there 1 hour early for warmups and stretching. I'm off that night so I can pick guys up early (before that nasty Friday traffic jam).
Saturday, 11:15 am - Thunder vs. Kalihi Valley (PAA 15U), McCully gym. Get there early (swim meet).
Sunday, 10:00 am - Thunder vs. Kapolei Suns (OBL 13U), Koko Head gym
Sunday, 11:30 am - Thunder vs. Hawaii Raiders (OBL 15U), Koko Head gym

WE LUB THIS GAAAME!!

Tuesday funday

Good, solid 90-minute workout for Jared Elwin and Ryan Higashionna today at Makiki Park. Started with about 20 minutes of ballhandling drills, then short-range shooting for about 20 more minutes, and then 10 sets of 3-point drills. Ryan shot about 30% from the 3-point line and Jared was 42% (42 for 100), and we got a lot of free-throw shooting in.

Finished with on-ball drilling. Great work by two old friends. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Next: Wednesday, 7:45 pm - H1 Thunder vs. OTB, Kilauea gym (PAA 15U).

Video: 6 treys vs Tar Heels (15U)

) Six 3-pointers against Tar Heels. Video: Chit Moraga. Positive Attitude Always (PAA) Basketball League, 15-Under Division. Sunday, Mar. 9, 2014. Palolo Valley District Park gym.

Video: Thunder vs NJB Windward (13U)

Part 1
)

Part 2
)

OpenCourt Basketball League, 13-Under Division.
Sunday, Mar. 9, 2014.
Koko Head District Park gym.
video: Lehua Nishimura / Chit Moraga
score: Thunder 51, Windward 8

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (Int)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Aiea Basketball League, Intermediate Division, championship game. Saturday, Mar. 9, 2014. Aiea District Park gym. video: Lehua Nishimura / Nathan Higashionna score: Sharks 39, Thunder 25

Reminder: Please turn in FT Challenge donations

Just a reminder, everybody, to collect from your donors and turn in the Free-Throw Challenge donations. Some guys haven't shot yet and they're planning to get sponsors even now and raise funds. That's fine with me. Let me know if you need a new FT Challenge form.

We're doing really well so far this spring with this fundraiser. We have 3 team fees to pay for (PAA 13U, OBL 13U, OBL 15U), which is a combined expense of $1,500.

So far, thanks to our hustling parents and players, we've raised more than $1,100 through the FT Challenge alone. We've received a large chunk of donations from some of our biggest supporters and also from some new supporters, like my old Ala Wai Elementary and Washington Intermediate School friend Shawn Toyozaki. He sent us a super generous donation all the way from the mainland.

Mrs. Chang and son Sanford have been extremely generous on such a consistent basis, I don't know how we'll ever really thank them. Lance Tominaga, Coach Kendall Ellingwood, Ron Okai, Chris Chun... so many people volunteered to help our team out without even being asked. Thunder players, when you give thanks before you go to sleep tonight, please give thanks for all the people who have given generously to help you and our team. Without them, we wouldn't be on the court playing and having so much fun.

I'll have a lot more about our donors and supporters in another post here this week. Just wanted to send out a reminder.

Watching them grow together

From late Sunday night (Thunder team page on Facebook).

Editing more game video tonight. Hard to enjoy the games until I'm done with work and can focus on the videos late at night or early in the morning. Seeing that old 12U Thunder team still playing together - Kyle Moraga, Tani Mosi Afe, Sisifo Lauvao - plus ballers like Keanu Pratt, Sierra Murobayashi and our other newer players is so much fun. Two years later, it still makes all the effort worthwhile.

Whose handwriting is this?

## CASE OF THE MISSING IDENTITY ##
One of our Thunder parents (I think) turned in Free-Throw Challenge fundraiser money in this envelope, but didn't put a name on it and I totally can't remember who it was. Please help.

This Week

THIS WEEK
Monday - No practice. (I have to cover baseball in the afternoon.)
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Wednesday, Mar. 12, 7:45 pm - vs. OTB @ Kilauea gym (PAA 15U). I cover baseball at Aiea that afternoon. I'll be free after 6:15 or so.
Thursday - No practice. (I'm covering volleyball at 5.)
Friday, Mar. 14, 7:15 pm - vs. Sharks @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U) (originally scheduled 3/23)
Saturday, Mar. 15, 11:15 am - vs. Kalihi Valley @ McCully gym (PAA 15U). (Note: Swim meet at McCully, parking will be tight.)
Sunday, Mar. 16, 10:00 am - vs. Kapolei Suns @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U)
Sunday, Mar. 16, 11:30 am - vs. Hawaii Raiders @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)
WE LUBBBB THIS GAME!!

H1 Thunder 55, Tar Heels 46 (15U)

PAA 15U Division, Palolo gym
Everyone refueled at lunch and we played well for most of this game. Defensively, solid pressure and good close-outs on their shooters, and our fastbreak was roaring. We led by 20 at one point, a bunch of great plays and great passing, and some hot 3-point shooting by Anu and Kapaa.

Then came a lot of sloppiness against the Tar Heels' 2-2-1 press. Instead of moving the ball, cutting in our pressbreaker, a lot of guys got silly, tried to dribble through double teams, tried doing NBA moves — high school referees LOVE blowing the whistle on anything close to a carry or illegal dribble (or illegal screen) — and it cost us.

Tar Heels cut the lead down to 3 before we finally regained our senses, took care of the ball and pulled away at the end. A good team win, but lack of fundamentals leads to big lapses and we're fortunate we came through defensively. 

Odd note: Manoa is playing for the Tar Heels, but didn't suit up against us since he normally plays with us in leagues.

Lineup: Kanehe Nishimura, Gabriel Porras, Kali'a Mielke, Joshua de Jesus, Hsien Pascua, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Keanu Pratt, Sisifo Lauvao, Kyle Moraga, Kapaa Nishimura.

This game capped our busy Sunday: three wins, no losses, one game postponed. More importantly, we're getting better, smarter, faster.

H1 Thunder vs. Kalakaua Academy (15U)

OBL 15U Division, Koko Head gym
The other team didn't show up, so the league called it a forfeit. But this afternoon, the league called me and said Kalakaua simply forgot about the game and wants to reschedule to a Saturday.

I told the OBL that we'll play if it's on a Sunday, which is when we will have our strongest lineup, and I don't want us having to play three or more games on that day. 

I'll post the new game date when they find one, possibly Sunday, Mar. 23.

3/10/14 UPDATE: The game has been moved to Sunday, Mar. 23, 1:00 pm. 

H1 Thunder 52, Hoops4Christ 19 (15U)

OBL 15U Division, Koko Head gym
Unlike our earlier game (13U), we were almost fully stocked for this game. 13 strong! Our guys brought strong defensive pressure all the way through and the transition game was flowing. When this group is together, especially the guys who have played together since our first 12U team, they are tough to beat. They're very unselfish, but still aggressive. Nice to have Tanielu back for a day. 

BIG MAHALO to Coach Roy for bringing Josh and Felcris, then going to Kilauea gym to pick up Kali‘a (who ended up getting a ride from his dad). Always selfless and caring about the guys first. Thank you, Roy! 

Lineup: Hsien Pascua, Kali'a Mielke, Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Ryan Higashionna,Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Joshua de Jesus, Kyle Moraga, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Sisifo Lauvao, Keanu Pratt.

H1 Thunder 51, NJB Windward 8 (13U)

OBL 13U Division, Koko Head gym
We barely had enough to field a team, exactly 5 players, but what a team it was. Strong defense, strong transition, very good ball movement. Kapaa did another great job on the boards against a physical, pushy opponent and never lost his cool. We called off the fullcourt press early (halftime), but kept playing tough, on-ball defense. We've had quite a few skeleton-crew games lately, but again, we pull through.

Colin's first game in a Thunder uniform was so smooth, it's like he's been playing with us for years. He was perfect at the foul line and stepped into the fullcourt press without a hitch. We're blessed to have him with us.

Lineup: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Joshua de Jesus, Ryan Higashionna, Colin Ramos, Kapaa Nishimura. That's two guys who made the trip from Ewa (Ryan and Colin). Micah was there, too, but not available due to a hand injury.

Saturday quarterback

Fun watching Chris Afe playing football today. After our game at Aiea, dropped off the guys and stopped at Kalakaua to watch the Kalihi Disciples before work. I was parking the car when I saw a big guy wearing #7 running for a long TD. Chris! He ended up with a couple of TD passes and another long run against defending champ Palolo Nesians in a tough loss. Saw Tanielu Mosi Afe too. His team didn't play today.

Sunday pickup route

### BRING YOUR ORANGE, WHITE AND BLUE UNIFORMS ###
*** Sunday pickup route ***
7:10 am - Jared Elwin?
7:15 am - Keanu Pratt
7:30 am - Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chris Afe?
Coach Roy (799-7372) will pick up Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Hsien Pascua. Who else needs a ride, call/text me 551-1054.
WE LUB THIS GAAAAAAME!!

Updated lineups: Sunday

Revised as of Saturday 3/8

13U (OBL League), one game on Sunday: Kapaa Nishimura, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Walter Berthold, Chris Afe?, Colin Ramos, Joshua de Jesus?, Micah Visoria. 

Javan and Thomas are gone on vacation trips off-island. We still have time to add more players.

15U (OBL League, PAA League), total 3 games on Sunday: Kanehe Nishimura, Sisifo Lauvao, Keanu Pratt, Tanielu Mosi Afe?, Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe?, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Hsien Pascua, Walter Berthold, Chris Afe?, Joshua de Jesus?, Micah Visoria, Tone Lauvao?

Kanehe will play in the first game, then leaves for JV basketball banquet. Sierra will miss the last game.  

Sharks 39, H1 Thunder 25 (Int)

Aiea League Intermediate Division championship game
We were down 20-10 at the half, one too many unforced errors. But we cut the lead to 23-20 and were right there for awhile. Sharks finished strong and we were cold from the field. There's nothing to be ashamed of, taking second place in this league.

The Sharks stayed in a zone all game long, which tells me that they didn't want to go man on us. We had our shots from the 3-point arc, didn't hit many, and that's just a result of lack of reps and practice in the past two weeks.

Hopefully, we learn to be much more consistent with our footwork and pivoting. I've stressed this for the past two weeks because that's clearly one of our weak spots. When we pivot and face up, keep the ball high, we do pretty well. There were some nice plays today, like Kali‘a's pass to Kapaa on the high-low cut for an easy layup.

But overall, we still have work to do on fundamentals. We're doing pretty good, but we're just getting started. The Sharks have played together longer as a group, but we'll catch up as long as we practice together and improve on those fundamentals.

Today's lineup: Walter Berthold, Hsien Pascua, Micah Visoria, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Manoa Kualii Moe, Kali'a Mielke, Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Joshua de Jesus.
Busy Sunday ahead. We need everybody there in full force.

Next:
Sunday, Mar. 9, 9:15 am - vs. Windward @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 10:45 am - vs. H4C @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 11:30 am - vs. Kalakaua (OBL 15U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 2:30 pm - vs. Tar Heels @ Palolo gym (PAA 15U)
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Saturday pickup route

## Saturday pickup route
9:00 am - Jared Elwin?
9:15 am - Joshua de Jesus?, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain?
9:25 am - Hsien Pascua?
9:30 am - Chris Afe?
10:00 am - Warmups, Aiea gym outside court
11:00 am - Thunder vs. Sharks, Aiea Intermediate Division championship game.

1 game Sat, 4 games Sun

THIS WEEKEND - Javan and Thomas are on off-island trips. We need everybody in full force, especially on Sunday.
Saturday, Mar. 8, 11:00 am - vs. Sharks (Aiea Intermediate Division final)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 9:15 am - vs. Windward @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 10:45 am - vs. H4C @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 11:30 am - vs. Kalakaua (OBL 15U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 2:30 pm - vs. Tar Heels @ Palolo gym (PAA 15U)

Friday practice rained out

*** FRIDAY PRACTICE CANCELLED ***
It's been a little cloudy today and now it's pouring (as of 3:45 pm), nothing but low-hanging clouds and rain. No chance of the court drying up by 5:00, so no practice today. Everybody, do your pushups and crunches, get indoors and get your 200+ shots if possible today. Get a good night's rest. We got a ship to ride tomorrow morning! WE LUB THIS GAME!

Weekend lineups

Busy weekend ahead. 13U has two games including a championship game. 15U has three games on Sunday! We need to be at full strength for every game.

REVISED 3/6/14
Aiea Intermediate League championship, Saturday: Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe?, Ryan Higashionna, Javan Montiho, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Hsien Pascua, Walter Berthold, Chris Afe?, Joshua de Jesus?, Micah Visoria, Josh Roberts.

13U (OBL League), one game on Sunday: Kapaa Nishimura, Ryan Higashionna, Javan Montiho, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Walter Berthold, Chris Afe?, Colin Ramos,  Joshua de Jesus?, Micah Visoria. We still have time to add more players. Another center would be perfect since Chris will be busy with football.

15U (OBL League, PAA League), total 3 games on Sunday: Sisifo Lauvao, Keanu Pratt, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Kali'a Mielke, Manoa Kualii Moe?, Ryan Higashionna, Javan Montiho, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Hsien Pascua, Walter Berthold, Chris Afe?, Joshua de Jesus?, Micah Visoria

OBL needs 1 more varsity-age team

A team dropped out of OBL's varsity division, so they asked me this morning if we are interested. I asked our older guys 3-4 weeks ago about joining this league and nobody responded until last week.
So here's our chance.
1. None of the 17U/18U came to fundraisers and raised money, so the $500 entry fee will have to be paid by these players and parents.
2. Almost all OBL games are at Koko Head gym.
3. Most OBL varsity division games are on Fridays and Saturdays. There is one Sunday date.
4. First game is on March 14 (Friday).

I know Haka Iamhaka Johnson and two of his STL teammates want to play. Not sure about Isaiah Visoria (playing on Sundays in Ikaika League?).

If we have 9 players, that would make it worthwhile. Split the entry fee and each guy pay $65. Anything less than 9 players, too risky. We had a lot of fun last year in the 17U leagues, but there were times we almost forfeited (and actually did at least twice). I don't want to go through that stress anymore.

Let me know by Saturday if you guys are serious. 551-1054.

After this, 17U might play in NJB All-Net. We will probably field a team in the Kalani Summer Varsity League again. No word yet on the St. Francis Summer Varsity League and the Pearl City Summer JV League.

Wednesday funday

Wow. We were 10 strong at practice today, first time we had that many guys in a long time. I could only stay for awhile, but Coach Rob and Coach Roy were in charge after that. Thank you, Coaches!
Today's lineup: Kyle Moraga, Kapaa Nishimura, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Javan Montiho, Thomas Baptiste, Gabriel Porras, Colin Ramos, Kali'a Mielke, Jared Elwin, Walter Berthold. Good work today, Thunder!

Next: Thursday - No practice. (I work early, baseball game.)
Friday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Saturday, 11:00 am - Thunder vs. Sharks, championship game, Aiea Intermediate Division.
WE LUB THIS GAME!!

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (Int)

Part 1


Part 2

Video: Thunder vs Asing Park (15U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Video: Thunder vs Lanakila (Int)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

This week

Please make it to the games 1 hour ahead of time for stretching and warmups on the outside court. Note: Sunday is extremely busy with one 13U game and three 15U games. These 15U games were previously postponed due to our Aiea League playoff games.)

Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. (I have to leave early for work, but Coach Roy and Coach Rob will continue on.)
Friday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Saturday, Mar. 8, 11:00 am - vs. Sharks (Aiea Intermediate Division final)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 9:15 am - vs. Windward @ Koko Head gym (OBL 13U)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 10:45 am - vs. H4C @ Koko Head gym (OBL 15U)
*** Sunday, Mar. 9, 11:30 am - vs. Kalakaua (OBL 15U) (*** originally Sat 3/1)
Sunday, Mar. 9, 2:30 pm - vs. Tar Heels @ Palolo gym (PAA 15U)

Video: 7 treys vs Asing Park (15U)

Sierra Murobayashi was on fire, hitting six 3-pointers to help the Thunder 15U beat Asing Park. It was her best shooting performance ever for the Thunder and very necessary on a day when we had just five players available. (Our Intermediate guys were busy with a semifinal game at Aiea League.)

Six weeks earlier, our 13U hit 10 treys in a win over Asing Park.

Two weeks earlier, Javan Montiho made six 3-pointers in a win over KKB in the CAL Middle School Gold Division.

I'd have to really go back and watch old videos to find out what our single-game record is for most 3-pointers by a team and a player. But six treys by one player might be at the top. Maybe Isaiah Visoria or Haka Johnson had more in one game.

I'm pretty sure that the 14 treys made by our 13U against Swish on Jan. 8 of this year is a team record for any age division.

Monday funday

We continue to work on some important, crucial things. Ballhandling. Strong use of the pivot against tough defensive pressure and traps. Passing properly, with precision and patience rather than panic. We can make a ton of 3s, but lose games because we are impatient and sloppy with the ball. Because we too often dribble first instead of passing first, which is like a car hitting the gas pedal instead of noticing there is a red light.

Plus, a good passing team is impossible to stop. A good team has trust, and that is built with time and reps. At practice.

A team that plays smoothly and handles defensive pressure gets a lot of shots up with a minimum of turnovers. That team scores 60, 70, 80 points. A team that gets sloppy and has more turnovers than baskets struggles to score more than 30 points. We've been all over that scoring map this winter. Let's get better.

Good work today by Javan Montiho, Thomas Baptiste, Kyle Moraga, Kali'a Mielke and Gabriel Porras.

Next: Tuesday - No practice. Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs H4C (13U)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Sharks 33, H1 Thunder 26 (Int)

CAL Middle School Gold Division semifinal

Kilauea gym

We had our shot and for three quarters, we were in charge. We led 18-11 at one point, took good shots, took care of the ball most of the time and did pretty good defensively. 

Then came defensive lapses (getting backdoored on our man defense, not enough boxing out, settling for 3-point shots when the lane down the middle was wide open. Our effort was pretty strong. The hustle was there, but to win a championship, a team must play smart. The team that makes the most smart plays wins a title. 

The good news is that even when we're shorthanded, we can compete with any team in the state. It's just too bad that we tired down the stretch. Guys are out of shape, partly due to injury, but also partly due to missing practice. I can't remember the last time we had a 5-on-5 at practice. 

We won 3 out of 4 games this week, including the Aiea Intermediate Division semifinal against Lanakila. But as a coach, it kills me that we haven't had a full lineup consistently, including today. As much as I enjoy it when everybody plays well and we win, what sticks with me just as bad is when I can't get everybody to show up, guys arrive late because they don't wake up or disappear on game day while Coach Roy is trying so hard to pick them up, and when guys don't execute on the court. 

That all comes down to coaching, and that's why players win games and coaches lose games.

Today's lineup: Javan Montiho, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Jared Elwin, Kapaa Nishimura, Kyle Moraga, Micah Visoria. 

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

Sunday pickup route

Sunday pickup route (Thunder vs. Sharks, CAL Intermediate Division semifinal). If you don't need a ride, let me know.
8:45 am - Jared Elwin
Joshua de Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Hsien Pascua, Chris Afe - please check with Coach Roy. If he doesn't have space, let me know early, before 8:30 am.
9:20 am - Warmups, Kilauea gym outside court
10:20 am - Game time!

H1 Thunder 55, Asing Park Heat 45

PAA 15U Division, McCully gym
CONGRATS to Coach Loto and the crew in a close win over Asing Park this morning. I was so worried that we might not have enough players, but Coach Loto called and let us know about the close win. The Fab 5: Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Kenehe Nishimura, Sisifo Lauvao and Keanu Pratt.

I learned this morning that McKinley has a volleyball tourney going on, so I was not optimistic that Anu would be able to play, but he made it. No word on where in the world Tone Lauvao is. Keep that boy in your prayers, gang.

15U - No game on Sunday.

Eric Murobayashi, mahalo for shooting the game video again!

WE LUB THIS GAME!!

H1 Thunder 34, Lanakila 33 (Int)

Aiea League, Intermediate Division semifinal
Wild game. We were down 20-8 at the start, another flat beginning. But eventually, we chipped away and caught Lanakila in the second half. Kapaa and Kali‘a did a great job posting up consistently to change the tide. 

We led 27-23, then lost the lead and trailed 33-29 in the final 2-3 minutes before rallying.
Kali‘a's miraculous (blind) turnaround bank shot gave us the lead 34-33 with about :11 left. Lanakila missed a shot, then there was a scramble on the floor for the rebound while time ran out.
So we move on to the championship game next week against the Sharks. Fun times today and fun times ahead. I am so drained.

Today's lineup: Walter Berthold, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Javon Montiho, Jared Elwin, Kali'a Mielke,Kapaa Nishimura, Joshua de Jesus, Micah Visoria. 

Next: Sunday, 10:20 am - Thunder vs. Sharks, CAL Middle School Gold Division semifinal. (Not to be confused with today's semifinal game at Aiea.) 

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs Kailua (15U)

Part 1


Part 2