** REQUESTING CONFIRMATION: Kona? **

If we travel to Kona, I need to hear from everybody who is or is not planning on going.

• July 24-25 (dates subject to change), HISOA (Hawaii Island Sports Officials Associaiton) Varsity Basketball Tournament, Kekuaokalani Gym (Kailua-Kona)

• WYBT (World Youth Basketball Tournament), 14U Division, July 26-28, Kekuaokalani Gym (Kailua-Kona). Opening ceremony is July 25 (Friday evening).

1. Each Thunder player is asked to pay for air fare (currently $170 round trip), mini-van rentals ($25).

2. The entry fee for the varsity tournament (HISOA) has been waived for us. Woohoo!

3. The WYBT entry fee is $500, so our 14U players are asked to chip in $50 each to cover this.

4. Food: Players can bring their own funds. Team meals will be economically sound. Hello, Mickey D's.

5. Varsity players may leave after the HISOA tourney rather than stay for the WYBT 14U tourney. Just let me know.

6. 14U players may arrive a day later (July 25) than the varsity players (July 24), but I recommend that everybody fly out on July 24. We don't have a tourney schedule yet and some players may end up sitting and waiting at the Kona airport for awhile unless we have enough drivers (adults).

7. The varsity (HISOA) tourney features Big Island high school teams, though the tourney is seeking more teams from Oahu.

8. The 14U tourney (WYBT) has locked in teams from the Bay Area and L.A., plus teams from Kauai and Hilo.

9. The 14U tourney actually runs until July 30, but we can play all five games by July 28 and leave that night if we prefer. That's what I've budgeted hotel, etc. for: July 24-28.

If everybody can chip in and cover these costs, it will help immensely. Most of the money we've fundraised this year has gone directly to league and tournament fees. Though I still am hoping we can travel to the mainland, a Kona trip is much more economical at this point.

CAR WASH SATURDAY (July 5)

H1 Thunder Basketball Team Car Wash
Saturday, July 5
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
McCully Union Service Station
2105 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 947-4099

It's on like popcorn. Coach Bo and I will be there to start setup at 8:00 am. The Car Wash officially begins 9:00 am and closes no later than 3:00 pm.

I know some of us have family obligations for the holiday weekend. No worries. As long as we have a solid 12 to 15 there to work, we'll do fine. I wanted to wait it out and see which date - 7/5 or 7/6 - was best for everybody, but while I waited to hear back from everybody, 7/6 was taken by another group.
Saturday on a three-day weekend might be just as good as a Sunday. Deposit has been paid ($400 cash), so we need to get the word out to all family, co-workers, friends, supporters to come support the H1 Thunder basketball team on Saturday.

What are we raising money for? There are league and tournament entry fees, last year's mainland trip cost (loan), Gatorade/Powerade, water, post-game McDonald's/Pizza Hut, and it all adds up to a lot. Just games alone (league/tournament) are pricey. It averages out to about $60-$70 per game (leagues pay their referees and scoreboard operators). Last year, we played about 180 games and we're headed to that number (or beyond) again this year.

So that's almost $10,000 just to play games, but it's the most valuable aspect of our costs. Nothing beats practicing together and getting game experience whether it's near or far.

We'll keep fundraising — Aunty Lei's IDCard sales, Free-Throw Challenge, Car Washes — through the summer and fall. We have a possible staycation or Kona trip or mainland trip this summer, but I want us to have a good foundation built up this year for a mainland trip next summer. Ideally, take enough players for two age divisions with the younger guys crossing over to play in the older division when possible.

More on the trips later. For now, please get the word out on this Saturday's Car Wash!
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Monday lineup

## Monday lineup ##
Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 15U League), 7:30 pm, Kilauea gym
In: Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chris Afe, Radyn Kaleikini, Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain, Ryan Higashionna, Sierra Murobayashi, Chase Santos, Kanehe Nishimura.
Not sure: Josh M DE Jesus, Javan Montiho, Micah VIsoria, Josh Roberts, Colin Ramos, Walter Berthold.
Injured: Keanu Pratt (ankle), Kali'a Mielke (back).
Not available: Jared Elwin, Gabriel Porras, Kapaa Nishimura, Kyle Moraga.

Monday pickup route

5:00 pm - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
5:15 pm - Chris Afe
5:45 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe
6:30 pm - Keanu Pratt? (ankle)
6:30 pm - Stretching/warmups
7:30 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym.
Need a ride, text/call 551-1054 before 4:30 pm.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

THIS WEEK (June 30-July 6)

** Updated Sun 3:20 pm

Monday, 7:30 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym
Tuesday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Kalani Varsity League)
** Wednesday, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs Mid-Pacific (Maryknoll JV League)
Thursday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs Damien (Kalani Varsity League)
Friday, 10:00 am to whenever - 4th of July Potluck at Natatorium. Coach Bo and Coach Paul will begin setup 6:30 am.
Sunday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm - Car Wash (pending), McCully Union service station.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sunday funday

89 degrees. Shooting drills. Shave ice. Now the boys are at the Natatorium. They met up with Anu and are in the water until 4. Summer Sundays. In Hawaii. Can't be beat.

Today's lineup: Walter Berthold, Ryan Higashionna, Micah Visoria, Jared Elwin, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus, Kapaa Nishimura.

Next: Monday, 7:30 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym.

Sunday pickup route

10:30 am - Jared Elwin
10:45 am - Felcris Ahadain
11:00 am - Optional shooting practice, McCully gym.
Anyone else need a ride, call/txt 551-1054 before 10:15 am.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Saturday post-game

## Saturday post-game ##
One or two games wasn't enough for some guys, so they went to Kakaako Park in the afternoon to jump in the water and slide down the hill. They also helped out their coach and cleaned out the mess in the car trunk. Thanks, Thunder. 
From left: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Keanu Pratt, Radyn Kaleikini,Kanehe Nishimura, Kapaa Nishimura, Josh M DE Jesus, Chase Santos.

H1 Thunder 28, ‘Iolani 22 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
Our older guys locked down nicely against the Raiders. We had a bit of a height advantage, but the Raiders are always fundamentally sound and quick.

We had a 10-point lead at the half, then ‘Iolani cut into it and got within 3 or 4 before we closed out the win. We used some man defense in the first half effectively. Our first group helped open the lead to about 12 or 14 at one point.

Coach Rudy said the ‘Iolani guy who had some nice drives and jumpers in the second half - his last name is Lee. He's a solid player and brought his team back. Our second group had some nice plays with fullcourt pressure, but the first group stayed in halfcourt defense.

We have some adjustments to make on the fly since we don't have much practice time, but the effort and energy were definitely there in the two games today.

‘Iolani's man defense was strong, but it also gave Ray a chance to finish drives at the basket. The chemistry as a team keeps improving and it's fun to watch, especially when Anu is getting touches out of the post or top for passes.

Chris was solid in both games this morning. We got a lot of nice outlet passes off rebounds by him and Ray. Chase had another strong defensive game and Kapaa arrived from his other JV game to help us in the second half.

Lineup: Ryan Higashionna, Sierra Sisi Murobayashi, Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain, Josh M DE Jesus, Micah Visoria, Radyn Kaleikini, Keanu Pratt,Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Chase Santos, Chris Afe.

Next: Sunday, 11:00 am - Shooting practice (optional), McCully gym. Tuesday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Kalani Varsity League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 34, Kahuku 22 (13U)

CAL 13U League, McCully gym
The guys did it despite being only 5 strong. Five turned out to be plenty. We stayed back in a zone, no press and had a 4- or 5-point lead entering the final quarter. Kahuku had size, a tough slasher and a 3-point shooter, but we did a smart job down the stretch. 

Even without pressing fullcourt, we got enough steals for layups to make a difference. Micah had a bunch of fastbreak layups on nice feeds from Felcris and the other guys, including a reverse. Then we quickly left for Maryknoll JV League. 

Lineup: Chris Afe, Micah Visoria, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus, Ryan Higashionna. Ryan and Josh did a nice job on defense down on the low post helping out Chris against Kahuku's bigs.

Next: Sunday, 11:00 am - Shooting practice (optional), McCully gym. Tuesday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Kalani Varsity League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Saturday morning notes

• Title contention. We are 6-1 in the Maryknoll JV League with one regular-season game left. That means we're tied (I think) with Punahou and Mid-Pacific. It's a triangle of death: we beat MPI, MPI beat Punahou, Punahou beat us (on Friday).

The top two teams will meet in a playoff game for the championship, so a win this morning puts us in that title game. I think. We'll learn more when we arrive at Maryknoll for that 11:00 am game.

• All hands on deck. We have 5 players available for the CAL 13U game at Kilauea gym (against Kahuku) today: Ryan, Micah, Big Josh, Felcris and Little Josh. Everybody else has said "IDK (I don't know)" or is injured or is busy with a school game. This game begins at 9:50 am.

• Options 1-9. The credit union lady told me that the max I can get on a new loan is $5,000. The balance on the loan I took out last year is down below $15,000, which is good. But the limit they're giving me is a total of $20,000, hence the $5,000 difference.

With 5K, plus a couple car washes, we would have (probably) somewhere around $7,000. That's not enough for a mainland trip (short one is $9,000, longer one is $11,000), but it's more than enough for a trip to Kona. The varsity tournament there July 23-25 would run us about $4,000. If we did that and stayed for the WYBT 14U Tournament (until July 28), the bill would be $5,000. Note: WYBT has locked in teams from L.A. and the Bay Area. I kind of like that.

If you're thinking, well, just 4K more and we'd be playing some really good mainland teams in Las Vegas, I'm with you. Mrs. Santos (Chase's mom) has an IDCard fundraiser started. If you haven't picked up a few cards to sell ($20 each, major discounts at local restaurants) yet, let me know and she'll bring them to the next game.

It's looking like we'll do a Car Wash next weekend (Sun July 6) as long as the date is still open at the McCully Union Station. We will not have our full roster of parents and players, but that's OK. We should have at least 15 working parents and players. That would be enough to get the job done.

Here's travel (or not) Options 1-6 and Options 7-9.

• Uniforms being sewn up! Gerard and Gabriel are in the P.I. vacationing, but working to get our new uniforms designed and made. Gerard's friend has a uniform shop and is helping us out big time by making the production a top priority. The style is a little different from what we've had, but the colors are familiar (teal/aqua blue and orange). Mahalo to Gerard for hooking us up and managing the process of sizes, names and numbers.

I'm thinking of jerseys as a possible new fundraiser if Gerard's friend can make more in the future despite the busy schedule.

Video: 7 treys vs Maryknoll (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.
Video: Nathan Higashionna.

Video: Thunder vs Maryknoll (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.
video: Nathan Higashionna.
score: Spartans 50, Thunder 43

Saturday pickup route

8:00 am - Micah Visoria, Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain.
8:15 am - Chris Afe? Tanielu Mosi Afe?
8:50 am - Warmups/stretching.
9:50 am - Thunder vs. Kahuku (CAL 13U), Kilauea gym.
11:00 am - Thunder vs. ‘Iolani (Maryknoll JV League).
Call or text 551-1054 before 7:30 am if you need a ride.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

All Over 55, H1 Thunder 38 (15U)

CAL 15U League, Kilauea gym
This was a talented, big team with decent 3-point shooters. Not a good night to match up without our full lineup. But we had more than enough to win this game. 

We scrapped the press and stayed in halfcourt with a little bit of stretch pressure, but we were flat, stationary offensively and not moving/cutting properly. A lot of mindless turnovers, maybe related to fatigue (we played a JV game less than 2 hours earlier), maybe related to being shorthanded. 

We trailed 28-8 at the half. Then we finally found some chemistry against their 1-2-2 zone. Instead of throwing the ball away, we actually began to pivot and see the whole floor. We stopped losing the ball against soft on-ball pressure. We cut the lead to 10 or 12 only to commit mistakes, give up easy breakaway layups. We should've cut that lead to 5 with all the steals and opportunities we had.

Instead, we were down 15 going into the fourth quarter, made a mini-run but faded at the end. Our second half was far better than the first. But our lack of experience showed against a very good team. Guys unwilling to step in and take an easy charge. Guys not squaring up and seeing the whole court before passing. Guys dribbling when there are wide-open teammates upcourt. Guys making chest passes in and around the key (that get stolen easily) instead of keeping the ball high and/or making bounce passes.

We got better as the game rolled along. That's a positive and I'll hold on to that. That and all the hustle everybody played with AFTER we fell behind big.

Lineup: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Micah Visoria,Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Chase Santos, Radyn Kaleikini,Josh M DE Jesus.

Punahou 41, H1 Thunder 29 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
First loss in this league after six or seven wins. Punahou opened with a 2-3 zone, which surprised me. Later they switched to man defense. 

On the whole, we executed inconsistently on offense. Defensively, a lot of reaching and not a lot of lateral movement with our feet. Not a good combination against a good ballhandling team. We were shorthanded, more than we've been all league long, but this came down to execution and we had one too many errors. 

Lineup: Josh Roberts, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Micah Visoria, Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura, Chase Santos, Radyn Kaleikini, Josh M DE Jesus.

Next:
Saturday, 9:50 am - Thunder vs. Kahuku (CAL 13U), McCully gym.
Saturday, 11:00 am - Thunder vs. ‘Iolani (Maryknoll JV League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: 7 treys vs Sharks Green (intermediate)

Aiea Blazers Tournament, Intermediate Division. Sunday, June 22, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
Video: Brandon Higashionna.

Video: Thunder vs Sharks Green (intermediate)

Aiea Blazers Tournament, Intermediate Division. Sunday, June 22, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
video: Brandon Higashionna.
score: Thunder 49, Sharks Green 37

Video: 8 treys vs H4C (intermediate)

Aiea Blazers Tournament, Intermediate Division. Sunday, June 22, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
Video: Brandon Higashionna.

Video: Thunder vs H4C (intermediate)

Aiea Blazers Tournament, Intermediate Division. Sunday, June 22, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
video: Brandon Higashionna.
score: Thunder 52, H4C 25

Video: 6 treys vs Kalani (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.

Video: Gerard Porras.

Video: Thunder vs St Francis (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Saturday, June 21, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
video: Ray Ramos.
score: Thunder 50, Saints 19.

Friday pickup route

3:00 pm - Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain.
3:15 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe?, Chris Afe?
4:00 pm - Warmups/stretching.
5:00 pm - Thunder vs. Punahou (Maryknoll JV League).
6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym.
WE LUB THIS GAME!!

Roosevelt 40, H1 Thunder 34 (varsity)

Kalani Varsity League

Roosevelt came into this game unbeaten in league play. We were 2-3, doing OK with our roster of mostly middle school/JV players. 

We were just 6 strong tonight with some guys busy in other leagues, injured, etc. But we had enough to compete and possibly win. A really slow start by our guys in the paint, not boxing out at all. We were down 12-2 with no resistance at the basket. 

I was losing my mind. 

Then we finally started to play with some physicality and pride. Felcris and Josh caught fire from deep, raining in 3 after 3. We were within 25-19 with seconds left in the first half when Roosevelt's Josh banked in a 3. Ouch. 

Second half, Tani sat for several minutes with a sprained right ankle. But our guys kept hitting. We got within 28-25 early in the second half when Roosevelt pulled the ball out and held it. We sat back in our 2-3 zone. They were doing us a favor since we had hardly any bench. They held the ball at midcourt for roughly 3-4 minutes. 

(Coach Steve (Roosevelt) sent a message after the game and said that he had to do something break our team's shooting rhythm. He's a guy who once made 10 treys in a high school game, so he knows it when he sees it. It was a smart move on his part. It also gave us a chance to catch our breath and allow Tani's ankle to get a little better.)

Then they began to attack and we wilted, giving up two layups. Then another bucket. We were down 34-25 and had to chase the rest of the way. 

With about 4 minutes left, we finally started to press. Having Kanehe was a big spark on the press, but we didn't cash in on our opportunities and Roosevelt put us away in the final minute. 

It was a hearty effort in the last 3/4ths of the game. I just hope ALL our guys realize how important it is to protect the basket and box out at all times. We were soft as marshmallows in those first 8 minutes or so and it cost us. The unwillingness to play physical is something I can't stand. At all. 

It goes back to a lack of practice time, and it goes back to the lack of mental toughness against any team, tall or not. We don't have it sometimes, and this was one of those times. 

Felcris and Josh really carried us for most of the night. Not bad for a couple of 7th graders from Kalakaua Middle. 

Coach Steve: "Please tell your team they really outplayed us tonight." 

I see his point, though I don't know if we outplayed anyone with our turnovers and early rebounding issues. But we played with heart most of the night and that's what makes me proud. 

Lineup: Kanehe Nishimura, Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay CorpuzAhadain, Keanu Pratt, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Radyn Kaleikini. 

Mahalo to Lehua Nishimura for shooting the game video. Thank you, Lehua! 

Next: Friday, 5:00 pm - Thunder vs. Punahou (Maryknoll JV League).
6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (CAL 15U League), Kilauea gym.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Travel options #7, #8, #9

OPTION #7 - Big West Officials Varsity Tournament, Kona, July 23-25. Pros: Low entry fee. Cons: We'd be playing varsity teams, which is good for competition, not our best age group. I checked on hotel rates, super high. Kona Seaside $147/night - with a discount. Total cost: $3,500.

OPTION #8 - World Youth Basketball Summer Tournament, 14U Division, Kona, July 26-30. Opening ceremony July 25. Pros: Teams from Bay Area, L.A., Hilo, Kauai, Kona. Also, we could stay for just 2 or 3 days (leave on July 28) and get all 5 games done, which would save us money. Cons: Entry fee is steep ($500). Total cost $4,000.

OPTION #9 - Combined Kona tournaments, Big West Officials Varsity Tournament July 23-25, WYBT 14U Tournament July 26-28* (leave WYBT round-robin tourney 2 days early). Pros: Lots of games in a 5-day period (July 23-28), some mainland competition (WYBT), good varsity competition (Big Island). Also, much cheaper than playing on the mainland (air fare). Pools and beaches aplenty in Kona. Cons: Added cost is reasonable, but still higher than a shorter stay. Total cost $5,000.

Options 7, 8 and 9 are more costly than I was hoping. Turns out the high nightly hotel-room rate is a deal killer, costing almost as much as air fare ($170 round trip). Unless we camp out at Hapuna Beach Park for free. I like hotel beds better.

Options 1-6 were listed in this post on Wednesday. Mainland travel. The best competition. Bigger costs (air fare). 

Uniform info

Please check the list and confirm whether your jersey and shorts sizes are correct/updated.

Updated 6/17
name # jersey/shorts
Micah Visoria 0 M / S
Keanu Pratt 1 L / M (updated 6/27)
Kapaa Nishimura 2 L / L
Kyle Moraga 3 L / L
Chase Santos 4 L / L
Jared Elwin 5 M / M
Ryan Higashionna 6 M / M
Joshua de Jesus 7 M / M
Tanielu Afe 8 L / L
Thomas Takahashi 9 S / S (updated 6/26)
Josh Roberts 10 M / M
Sierra Murobayashi 15 M / S
Haka Johnson 17? L / L
Felcris Ahadain 20 M / M
Chris Afe 21 XXL / XXL (updated 6/27)
Kali‘a Mielke 23 XXL / XXL (updated 6/26)
Radyn Kaleikini 25 XL / XXL
Kanehe Nishimura 27 L / M (updated 6/27)
Colin Ramos 30 M / M
Javan Montiho 33 S / S
Gabriel Porras 35 M / M
Walter Berthold 88 S / S

Who am I forgetting (current players)?

Note: Gerard and Gabriel (and family) are lending a huge helping hand while in the P.I. Gerard's friend runs a shop and is working on a new uniform for all of our players.

Thursday pickup route

5:00 pm - Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
5:15 pm - Chris Afe?
5:45 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe? (thumb)
6:15 pm - Stretching/warmups
6:30 pm - Keanu Pratt
7:15 pm - Thunder vs Roosevelt (Kalani JV League)
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 31, Mid-Pacific 30 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
MPI was coming off a win over Punahou and I knew they'd be tough. Jeff Won, their coach, has been doing this for three decades. He coached age-group hoops while his son (Samson) developed into a standout guard at Maryknoll years ago. I used to play with Jeff in men's leagues during the 1980s. 

He came back to help MPI's new varsity coach (Ryan Hirata) and they play as fast as we do.

We got the upper hand early with great fullcourt pressure and smart halfcourt execution against MPI's 2-3 zone. Tani played through a badly bruised thumb injury (bench collapsed at football practice) Chris got two low-post buckets on nice feeds from the corner and wing. MPI double-teamed him down low for a long time after that. 

We got the lead up to about 10 at one point before the Owls rallied. They tried to trap up at halfcourt and we had some problems because of impatience. But we got through that and had to withstand their rally. 

Ryan hit a key 3-pointer to open the lead to 4 points late in the game. They got within 31-30 on a drive for a three-point play with :07 left. Kapaa missed a 1-and-1, but Anu came up with a steal in the final seconds. 

Tough, ugly victory. We're now 7-0 in league play. (I think.) 

Lineup: Kanehe Nishimura, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Radyn Kaleikini,Josh M DE Jesus, Ryan Higashionna, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chase Santos,Keanu Pratt, Chris Afe, Kapaa Nishimura.
Injured: Kali'a Mielke (back, hip).
Vacation: Gabriel Porras, Javan Montiho.
Not available: Josh Roberts (Saint Louis intermediate game).

 
Mahalo to Brandon Higashionna for shooting video once again. Thank you for preserving a modest, but eternally fun slice of our history, Brandon. 

Next: Thursday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Roosevelt (Kalani Varsity League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Maryknoll 50, H1 Thunder 43 (varsity)

Kalani Varsity League
We led for most of this game. Really strong effort out of our fullcourt press, good ball movement on offense against their 2-3 zone, some solid shooting, especially from deep by Kapaa. Tani, Haka, Anu and the guys got quite a few layups off steals. 

Our transition offense was very good early. A lot of strong drives for buckets, especially by Tani.

But Maryknoll got some deep-range threes from #11. We didn't box out well at all. (I know this is because we don't practice enough, and we don't practice boxing out enough. We should've pushed Maryknoll's tall guy out of the key all night.)

When the game got close, it was back and forth for awhile. Then came a no-call when Haka got hit, and he twisted his right ankle and came out of the game.

Later, he was back in and driving upcourt when the defender tripped over Haka's right foot, but the official called Haka for pushing off. Bad call, but we were down just 2 points with plenty of time (2 minutes?) left. Instead, Haka lost his cool, got a technical foul. Maryknoll got an automatic 2 points (league rule) and the ball. That was followed (I think) by a foul that was ruled intentional. Another two points for Maryknoll, and they got the ball back again. That basically finished us off, though we had our chances to score in the final :19.

This is, hopefully, a lesson for all our guys, from the oldest to the youngest. When stuff hits the fan, we can't get calls, we turn the ball over against a press because we don't execute our pressbreaker consistently (and panic) ... this is what can happen. Keeping our composure is HUGE in a close game even though referees make mistakes. Running the basic pressbreaker should get us layups instead of turnovers.

The only good thing about a loss like this is that the PAIN of all the physical and mental errors tends to stick. I hope the pain teaches us and CORRECTS us. If we had won, we'd be happy, but the mistakes would probably continue.

I'm proud of all our guys, even in defeat and even with the mistakes. We have room to grow and mature, and the sooner we do that, the better. We played a helluva game, and I can live with the mistakes because I KNOW all our guys will gain wisdom from them.

Lineup: Raydyn Kaleikini, Chase Santos, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Kanehe Nishimura, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Kapaa Nishimura, Chris Afe, Keanu Pratt, Haka Iamhaka Johnson.

Next: Wednesday, 7:00 pm - Thunder vs. Mid-Pacific (Maryknoll JV League). This will be fun. MPI beat Punahou last week.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Options 1-6

Whatever we do, even if we do nothing, we've got fundraisers ahead to pay for all our leagues and tournaments. Still need a new set of uniforms via Coach Roy Moraga, but below, some food for thought.

1. Mainland trip. Still priority. No loan, no trip. We've had some solid fundraisers so far, but that's enough only for current costs, not a trip. A "short" trip of 7 days (one tourney) would cost about $8,500. A longer trip (9 days and two tournaments) would be about $11,000. Traveling party of 10 maximum. (Last year we traveled with 14.)

2. Staycation. Rent out a couple of hotel rooms. Tourist thing: PCC, Water Park, Pearl Harbor. Waikiki night show? This would be during NJB tournament.

3. Big Island Tour. Arrange games vs. Big Island high school teams and clubs. If the schools are not allowed to host games, play at Kona's P&R gym maybe. I used to arrange tours like this for our men's team in Kona back in the 1990s. We played high school teams in preseason all the time, all over the Big Island. Super fun. Summer time might be a challenge. We'll see.

4. Two of the above.

5. Three of the above.

6. None of the above.

See Options 7-9, on Big Island tournaments, right here. 

Video: Thunder vs Kamehameha (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Friday, June 20, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
video: Brandon Higashionna
score: Thunder 32, Warriors 27

Tuesday pickup route

5:00 pm - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
5:15 pm - Chris Afe?
5:45 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe
6:15 pm - Stretching/warmups
6:30 pm - Keanu Pratt?
7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Kalani Varsity League)
WE LUB THIS GAME!!

Monday optional practice

After 14 games in 7 days, today's just a shooting workout. Optional. Raydyn, Chase, Ryan, Micah and Chazz are here. We'll start doing some organized drills in a few minutes. Light breeze this afternoon. Life is good. 

Things get busy again starting tomorrow. 7 games in 5 days. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: 8 treys vs St. Francis (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Saturday, June 21, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
Video: Ray Ramos.

H1 Thunder 49, Sharks Green 37 (Intermediate)

Aiea Intermediate Tournament, consolation final
Another strong performance on both ends. We played with a LOT of energy, especially on defense. Having Kapaa today makes a big difference. The guys are also learning to be patient against any pressure defense. We're not poised in every situation, but we're getting there.
Proud of the guys! 

Sharks Green zoned us (1-2-2) like they did yesterday, but our ball movement via Xbox is much better now. Then they went man on us and we drove and moved the ball intelligently. Just glad we finished strong after struggling through the first two days. The turnaround really happened yesterday against Sharks Green. We moved the ball well, just didn't hit shots. Today we had much more energy on defense and hit a lot more open shots. 

Gabriel was on fire inside with three or four layups early. He's leaving for a trip this week, so we won't see him and his family for a few weeks. Have a good time on vacation, Porras Ohana!

Lineup: Josh Roberts, Javan Montiho, Micah Visoria, Josh M DE Jesus,Felcris Jay Corpuz, Kapaa Nishimura, Ryan Higashionna, Colin Ramos,Gabriel Porras.

Next: Monday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice. Get those 200+ shots in.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 52, Hoops4Christ 25 (Intermediate)

Aiea Intermediate Tournament, consolation bracket
We trailed early by about 6. Then we got cohesive on offense and defense, kept hustling and took the lead. When Kapaa arrived, that gave us a big boost on the boards, transition defense, transition offense.
H4C zoned us for most of the first half, then went man and we executed pretty well. And we finally started hitting threes again.

Before the game, we had just 4 guys at the gym. Then it was 7, then 8. Then 9. 

Lineup: Kapaa Nishimura, Josh Roberts, Javan Montiho, Colin Ramos, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus, Gabriel Porras, Micah Visoria. 

Mahalo to Brandon Higashionna for shooting video! 

Next: Sunday, 12:20 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks Green.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

THIS WEEK (June 23-29) * UPDATE

Adds a Saturday morning game in CAL 13U and later CAL 13U/15U games on Monday and beyond.
ALSO adds Potluck on 4th of July (Friday).

Monday, June 23, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice, Makiki Park

Tuesday, June 24, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Kalani Varsity League)

Wednesday, June 25, 7:00 pm - Thunder vs. Mid-Pacific (Maryknoll JV League)

Thursday, June 26, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Roosevelt (Kalani Varsity League)

Friday, June 27, 5:00 pm - Thunder vs. Punahou (Maryknoll JV League)

Friday, June 27, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, June 28, 9:50 am - Thunder vs. Kahuku (CAL 13U), McCully gym

Saturday, June 28, 11:00 am - Thunder vs. ‘Iolani (Maryknoll JV League)

Monday, June 30, 7:30 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym

Tuesday, July 1, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Kalani Varsity League)

Wednesday, July 2, time TBA - Single-game playoff (Maryknoll JV League)

Thursday, July 3, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Damien (Kalani Varsity League)

Friday, July 4, 10:00 am - Thunder Pot Luck at Natatorium. Coach Bo and I will be there by 7:00 am to set up.

Friday, July 18, 7:10 pm - Thunder vs. HomeGrown (CAL 13U), Kilauea gym

Friday, July 18, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kiawe Heat (CAL 13U), Kilauea gym

Monday, July 21, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym

Wednesday, July 23, 5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym

Sunday pickup route

Early rise for the last day of the Aiea Tourney.
7:15 am - Josh M DE Jesus, Micah Visoria?
7:20 am - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
7:35 am - Chris Afe? Tanielu Mosi Afe?
8:00 am - Warmups/stretching.
9:00 am - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (Aiea Intermediate Tournament).
12:20 pm - If we win the 9:00 game, we play for the consolation title.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

THIS WEEK (June 23-29, 2014)

Monday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice. We haven't gotten reps in for awhile. Good chance to do it on Monday.
Tuesday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Kalani Varsity League).
Wednesday, 7:00 pm - Thunder vs. Mid-Pacific (Maryknoll JV League).
Thursday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Roosevelt (Kalani Varsity League).
Friday, 5:00 pm - Thunder vs. Punahou (Maryknoll JV League).
Friday, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. H4C (CAL 15U League), Kilauea gym.
Saturday, 11:00 am - Thunder vs. ‘Iolani (Maryknoll JV League).
Sunday - TBA (FT Shooting Challenge or Car Wash).

Heads Up: 4th of July Potluck

In case you didn't hear yet, Coach Bo asked if we want to do another potluck, probably at the Natatorium again. 4th of July falls on a Friday. We might do a car was that following Sunday. (More details later.)
All in favor, say YES!

H1 Thunder 50, St. Francis 19 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
Strong defensive effort all over the court in this high noon game. A lot of the guys got there at game time or a bit later because of the commute from Aiea (intermediate tournament). 

The offensive chemistry is coming along great against zone defenses. I already like what we've done against man defenses. But it's the defensive chemistry that really shines for this team. This is our quickest, most tenacious 15U team as far as defense goes — when most of our Thunder are present. It's also our strongest with big guys like Chris, Ray and Kali‘a. Chris wasn't there today. Neither was Tani. 

But we had enough — 11 strong today — to stay fresh, keep pushing the ball and keep pressing until midway through the second half. Good work.

Kalia sat the second half with a sore back. I held him out as a precaution.

Thunder are now 6-0 in this league.

Lineup: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Gabriel Porras, Chase Santos, Josh M DE Jesus, Ryan Higashionna, Sierra Murobayashi, Keanu Pratt, Raydyn Kaleikini, Kali'a Mielke, Kapaa Nishimura, Kanehe Nishimura.

Next: Monday, 5:00 pm - Shooting practice (optional), Makiki Park.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sharks Green 52, H1 Thunder 39 (Intermediate)

The guys battled hard to the end. Small-ball offense against a taller front court and quick backcourt wasn't easy, but we moved the ball much better than we did in the first two pool-play games. We got a lot of good shots from the arc and inside, but missed a lot. 

My estimate is we took about 30 3-point shots, almost all open and highly make-able. If we shoot 30% (slightly below average) on those, we win this game easily.

Maybe the misses were due to fatigue from earlier games (Aiea tourney, Maryknoll JV league) on Saturday. Maybe it was the busy week (12 games combined since Monday). Maybe we were just off this afternoon. For me, seeing the team improve was the most important aspect. Whether we have a full lineup or not, improvement is always prized.

So we finished pool play 0-3 and will start consolation play in the morning, 9:00 am. If we win, we play again at 12:20. If we lose, pau.

Let's win :)

Lineup: Josh Roberts, Josh M DE Jesus, Javan Montiho, Micah Visoria, Colin Ramos, Ryan Higashionna, Kali'a Mielke, Gabriel Porras, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain. 

Keep improving, Thunder. The shots will fall eventually. Defense and effort should always be constant. We are getting there.

Kali‘a played most of the game despite a sore lower back. I wasn't planning on playing him, but his mom gave the OK and he insisted. I doubt he plays on Sunday. Better off resting the back for a few days.

Thanks to Ray Ramos for shooting the game video!

Next: Sunday, 9:00 am - Thunder vs. Hoops4Christ (Aiea Intermediate Tournament). Hoping for a full turnout for the final two games on Sunday.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Lanakila 38, H1 Thunder 26 (Intermediate)

Aiea Intermediate Tournament
Short-handed but still capable, we struggled again against fullcourt pressure. It's too bad, because even without our bigs, this team was solid in league play. Thing is, we rarely saw fullcourt pressure, and without much practice time lately, we had way too many bad/rushed decisions and passes in this game.
When we run our pressbreaker, we get in position to score. When we don't it's trouble against taller teams. It's a painful lesson, but it's a lesson nonetheless. 

We're out of the championship bracket with one pool-play game left. The only way we would squeeze into the championship bracket is if 1) we win the next game, and 2) one of the qualifying teams drops out tomorrow for any odd reason. Unlikely. But with the pool game coming up and tomorrow's two consolation games, that's three more games. Lots of chances to have some fun.

Lineup: Javan Montiho, Walter Berthold, Josh Roberts, Colin Ramos, Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Micah Visoria.

Mahalo to Keanu Pratt for assisting the boys on the bench.

Next: Saturday, 2:50 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks Green.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Ali‘i 59, H1 Thunder 24 (Intermediate)

Aiea Intermediate Tournament
We got rocked. Simple as that. Ali‘i are stacked and well coached, tough to beat that combination. A good mix of Maryknoll players and other top guys. We struggled against their sideline traps, more so because they're quick and tall. 

We also had a lot of small mistakes that led to a ton of easy breakaway layups for Alii. It was frustrating, but all I wanted to really see is if we'd battle back and play smarter, which we did in the second half.

Make no mistake, Ali‘i has a lot of strong, good players and has to be the favorite to win this tournament. Manoa, Sage, Cameron, just good chemistry on both ends of the floor.

Now we move forward and focus on our two remaining pool games against Lanakila and Sharks. We need to win both to qualify for Sunday's championship bracket (semifinals). One game at a time. We play smart, we'll beat Lanakila.

Next: Saturday, 10:40 am - Thunder vs. Lanakila. 2:50 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks Green.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 32, Kamehameha 27 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
Tough battle all the way. We led from the start, couldn't shake the tough Warriors. Our guys stepped up and played through fatigue. It's been a busy week of games and eventually, we'll hit that wall somewhat. 

Fortunately, we were 9 strong so everybody got enough rest. We had a 10- or 12-point lead early in the second half and executed fairly well against Kamehameha's halfcourt man defense.

Lineup: Colin Ramos, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh Roberts, Raydyn Kaleikini, Kali'a Mielke, Chris Afe, Chase Santos, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Ryan Higashionna.

Grinding out wins isn't pretty, but it feels good just the same.

Next: Friday, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs. Ali‘i (Aiea Intermediate Tournament), Aiea District Park gym.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs HBA (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Thursday, June 19, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.

Video: Eric Murobayashi.

Score: Thunder 33, Eagles 24.

Video: Thunder vs Lanakila (15U)

Video: 7 treys vs Lanakila (13U)

Compete & Learn Basketball League, 13-Under Gold Division. Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Kilauea District Park gym.
video: Eric Murobayashi

Video: Thunder vs Lanakila (13U)

Compete & Learn Basketball League, Gold Division. Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Kilauea District Park gym.
video: Eric Murobayashi
score: Thunder 40, Lanakila 36

Video: Thunder vs Maryknoll (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
video: Eric Murobayashi
score: Thunder 36, Spartans 30

Video: 6 treys vs Kalani (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.
video: Gerard Porras

Video: Thunder vs Kalani (varsity)

Kalani Summer Basketball League, Varsity Division. Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.
video: Gerard Porras
score: Falcons 49, Thunder 34

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (15U)

Compete & Learn Basketball League, 15-Under Division. Monday, June 16, 2014. Kilauea District Park gym.
video: Brandon Higashionna
score: Sharks 57, Thunder 46

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (13U)

Compete & Learn Basketball League, 13-Under Gold Division. Monday, June 16, 2014. Kilauea District Park gym.
video: Nathan Higashionna / Brandon Higashionna
score: Sharks 47, Thunder 36

Thursday pickup route

5:00 pm - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus
5:15 pm - Chris Afe?
5:45 pm - Tanielu Mosi Afe
6:00 pm - Keanu Pratt?
6:15 pm - Warmups/stretching.
7:15 pm - Thunder vs. HBA (Kalani Varsity League).
Need a ride? Call/text 551-1054 before 4:00 pm.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 38, Lanakila 37, OT (15U)

CAL League, 15U Division, Kilauea gym
We trailed by 12 early in the second half before rallying. Chris hit a huge 3 to tie the game at 35 in the final minute, eventually forcing the game into overtime.

In the OT shootout, Josh, Kanehe and Kapaa were all clutch, hitting their free throws for a one-point win. Great determination for our entire 15U squad after trailing for almost the entire game. Ray suffered a badly sprained finger on his shooting hand and sat most of the second half, but our 13U subs helped with superb defensive pressure, and Kanehe was one of the big sparks on the press. 

More tomorrow after a look at the game video. Mahalo to Gerard (Gabriel's dad) for helping with transportation from Maryknoll to Kilauea gym, and later to Pizza Hut. 

Job well done, Thunder. Three games, three strong finishes. 

Next: Thursday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. HBA (Kalani Varsity League). Stretching/warmups 6:15 pm. DRINK LOTS OF WATER ALL DAY.
WE LUB THIS GAME!!

H1 Thunder 40, Lanakila 36 (13U)

CAL League, 13U Gold Division, Kilauea gym
A nail-biter all the way. We struggled against another scrappy team, but never gave up against Lanakila and their tall posts. 

More tomorrow after I get a look at the game video. Mahalo to Eric Murobayashi for filming all three games! 

Next: CAL 13U updated schedule to be announced.
Friday, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs. Ali‘i (Aiea Intermediate Tournament).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 36, Maryknoll Spartans 30 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
Raydyn's dad, Rod, had engine trouble on his way to pick up Gabriel, so I was concerned we might not have a lot of Thunder for this game. We ended up with plenty: 13. 

Our shooting was off in this one, especially from 3-point range. I'm pretty sure we still haven't really adjusted to the Spalding TF-1000 (moisture management) ball. Part of that is because we really haven't had practice time in the past few weeks. The other is that the other leagues have been using Baden balls (CAL, Kalani).

The good thing is that with all the misses from deep, we're forced to get the ball inside and be precise with interior passing. We made just enough of those plays to get by a very scrappy team. (This is Maryknoll's second JV team. The first, stronger team plays in the Kalani Varsity League.) We're 4-0 in this league. Smile! 

Kyle got hurt early in the game when a Maryknoll player stepped under him on a jumper, causing Kyle to sprain his right ankle. He had just injured the left ankle two days earlier. He sat the rest of the game. Praying for a fast recovery, Kyle! 

Next: Friday, 4:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Maryknoll JV League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Adversity? What adversity?

We've battled through injuries and other challenges before. Here's our manpower for today's three games.

13U
Colin Ramos, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Javan Montiho, Ryan Higashionna, Josh M DE Jesus, Thomas Baptiste Takahashi, Josh Roberts, Micah Visoria.


JV/15U
Kali'a Mielke, Raydyn Kaleikini, Chase Santos, Gabriel Porras, Kapaa Nishimura. Also 13U roster (above).

Questionable
Chris Afe (heel), Sierra Murobayashi (girls league).

Out
Kanehe Nishimura (color guard practice), Kyle Moraga (ankle), TanieluMosi Afe (football practice), Keanu Pratt (football practice), Jared Elwin(training), Sisifo Lauvao (football), Walter Berthold (vacation).

Wednesday pickup route

2:00 pm - Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Micah Visoria?
2:15 pm - Chris Afe? (heel)
3:00 pm - Stretching/warmups.
4:00 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Maryknoll JV League).
5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 13U League), Kilauea gym.
6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 15U League), Kilauea gym.
Call/text 551-1054 if you need a ride. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Kalani 49, H1 Thunder 34 (varsity)

Kalani Varsity Summer League
We led 22-12 late in the first half. Just 7 Thunder tonight, a bunch of guys out with injuries, etc. But our guys played really well. Then Kalani made a run late in the half, then took over in the second half. They wore us down.

Kalani normally suits up only 9 players, but they had a full squad for us tonight. Maybe they remember that we upset them last year, maybe not, but it's always a great battle. 

Our guys played their hearts out and we tried to match up, but it was really tough. Fatigue was a problem against their fresh legs, and they hit a lot of perimeter shots during their big run. Kapaa and Kanehe both killed us. Happy for them, but if they'd both played for us, we would've had 9 players, more outside shooting and rebounding. 

I'm pretty certain that if we had those two Falcons wearing Thunder uniforms tonight, it would've been a different result. Still, I'm proud of our guys even in defeat. Having Haka back was awesome. He was deadly from deep in the first half. It'll take some time to get the chemistry and timing down since most his old Thunder teammates are now gone (like Isaiah Visoria, John Chow, etc.). 

We got solid play from all 7 guys tonight, lots of hustle from Gabriel, solid shooting and ballhandling from Josh - our two guys off the bench. Kali‘a and Ray battled hard in the post against Kalani's 6-foot-2 rebounders. If we had one or two more guys, would've made a huge difference for us, but that's how it goes. 

Haka asked earlier by text, "Am I the oldest guy now?" The answer, of course, is yes. By miles.  Aside from Haka, who is going to be a senior, the rest of our players just completed seventh, eighth or ninth grade. When we play smart and execute, we win varsity-level games regardless of our age. 

Tonight's lineup: Gabriel Porras, Josh M DE Jesus, Iamhaka Johnson, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chase Santos, Raydyn Kaleikini, Kali'a Mielke.

Next: 3 games on Wednesday.
4:00 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Maryknoll JV League).
5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 13U League), Kilauea gym.
6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 15U League), Kilauea gym.
WE LUB THIS GAAAME!!

Sharks 53, Thunder 42 (15U)

CAL League, 15U Division, Kilauea gym
Sharks stayed in a 2-3 zone most of the game (if not all) and we really didn't have any consistent flow and scoring until the second half when we really worked the high post. We tried the low post early (Chris) and did well before the Sharks began to double team down low.

With four guys out, our depth was an issue, especially with defensive pressure. We couldn't press the Sharks like we did when we beat them on Saturday, and that made a big difference.

Still, we had more than enough to win, and we just didn't play smart basketball on the whole. Hopefully, we learn to execute right away with our zone offenses in both 15U and 13U.

Lineup: Josh M DE Jesus, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Ryan Higashionna, Javan Montiho, Colin Ramos, Kali'a Mielke, Chris Afe, Raydyn Kaleikini, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Chase Santos, Gabriel Porras.

Next: Tuesday, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kalani (Kalani Varsity Summer League).
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sharks 47, H1 Thunder 36 (13U)

CAL League, 13U Division, Kilauea gym
Shot cold from the start and never really got it going from the perimeter, which is very unusual. Most times we shoot the 3 fairly well against a 2-3 zone.

Lineup: Josh Roberts, Javan Montiho, Thomas Baptiste Takahashi, Ryan Higashionna, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Chris Afe, Colin Ramos, Josh M DE Jesus.

Next: Wednesday, 5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 13U), Kilauea gym.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Combined schedule update (June 17-22)

Here's the combined schedule for the rest of this week. It's a run of 14 games in seven days (counting Monday). Going back to last week, that's 18 games in 12 days. Drink lots of water.

Please note: Saturday's first game is now at 10:40 am (Aiea Intermediate Tournament). The change allows our Intermediate guys (8th grade and lower) to play in the 12:00 pm game at Maryknoll JV League.

Tuesday, June 17, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. Kalani (Kalani Varsity League)

Wednesday, June 18, 4:00 pm - Thunder vs. Maryknoll (Maryknoll JV League)

Wednesday, June 18, 5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 13U), Kilauea gym

Wednesday, June 18, 6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Lanakila (CAL 15U), Kilauea gym

Thursday, June 19, 7:15 pm - Thunder vs. HBA (Kalani Varsity League)

Friday, June 20, 4:00 pm - Thunder vs. Kamehameha (Maryknoll JV League)

Friday, June 20, 8:00 pm - Thunder vs Ali‘i (pool play, Aiea Intermediate Tournament)

** Saturday, June 21, 10:40 am - Thunder vs Lanakila (pool play, Aiea Intermediate Tournament)

Saturday, June 21, 12:00 pm - Thunder vs. St. Francis (Maryknoll JV League)

Saturday, June 21, 2:50 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks Green (pool play, Aiea Intermediate Tournament)

Sunday, June 22, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm - teams TBA (playoffs, Aiea Intermediate Tournament)

Video: Thunder vs Sharks (JV)

Monday pickup route

3:30 pm - (Coach Paul) Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus?, Micah Visoria?
3:45 pm - (Coach Paul) Chris Afe
4:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court.
5:00 pm - (Coach Roy?) Tanielu Mosi Afe
5:20 pm - (Coach Roy?) Keanu Pratt?
5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (CAL 13U).
6:20 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (CAL 15U).
Who else needs a ride? Call/text me 551-1054 before 2:00 pm.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Sunday funday

Gym was closed, to our surprise, so we got in three rounds of shooting challenge drills under the sun outside. The boys wanted to hit the beach, so we went to Kakaako, had some Mickey D lunch. By mid-afternoon, Kali‘a headed home and the rest of the boys hung out with Kyle. I went home, too. It's been a beautiful weekend outside, the kind that makes tourists love Hawaii. We are blessed with great dads in our Thunder ohana, and they're so often willing to help out with rides and food. It makes everything so much more fun, so much easier.

MAHALO to Roy and Gerard for helping with driving the guys today. 

Today's lineup: Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Kyle Moraga, Kali'a Mielke,Gabriel Porras, Josh M DE Jesus. 

Next: Monday, 5:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (CAL 13U). 6:30 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (CAL 15U). Both games at Kilauea gym. Stretching/warmups 4:30 pm.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Photos by Gerard Porras. Mahalo Gerard!

Video: Thunder vs HBA (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Friday, June 12, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.

video: Eric Murobayashi. 

score: Thunder 55, Eagles 27

Video: Thunder vs University (varsity)

Kalani Summer League, Varsity Division. Thursday, June 12, 2014. Earl C. Holmer Gymnasium.
video: Eric Murobayashi
score: Thunder 41, Jr. 'Bows 34

Video: Thunder vs McKinley (JV)

Maryknoll Summer League, Junior Varsity Division. Wednesday, June 11, 2014. Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.
video: Eric Murobayashi
score: Thunder 51, Tigers 28

Saturday pickup route

10:40 am - Kali'a Mielke
11:00 am - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Josh M DE Jesus?
11:15 am - Chris Afe, Tanielu Mosi Afe
11:30 am - Keanu Pratt?
11:40 am - Jared Elwin?
12:00 pm - Warmups/stretching (outside court)
1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (Maryknoll JV League)
WE LUB THIS GAME!

H1 Thunder 55, HBA Eagles 27 (JV)

Maryknoll JV League
Good effort from all our Thunder today. HBA isn't the tallest team, but they're usually solid fundamentally with good ballhandling, so it was a test for our fullcourt defensive coverage. 

Our first group got us a 4-3 lead. Then the next group went on an 8-0 run with nice transition offense (passing), including a corner 3 by Sierra. HBA broke the pressure at times, but we got a lot of great hustle getting back (defensive transition). 

HBA played 2-3 zone and our halfcourt execution was fairly consistent. Ball movement in the past couple of weeks has been solid. 

Tonight's lineup: Raydyn Kaleikini, Kapaa Nishimura, Josh Roberts, Sierra Murobayashi, Gabriel Porras, Colin Ramos, Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain, Tanielu Mosi Afe, Kyle Moraga, Chris Afe, Chase Santos, Kali'a Mielke, Ryan Higashionna.

MAHALO to Eric Murobayashi for shooting the video! 

Next: Saturday, 1:00 pm - Thunder vs. Sharks (Maryknoll JV League). 12:00 pm - Warmups/stretching (outside court). 

Fun Sights

It was cool to see Jared Elwin lace his sneakers up for Roosevelt varsity last night at the Kalani League. He started practicing with them only the day before. He got some minutes off the bench and was key in the win. He got a steal off Kalani's PG before halftime (crossover fail), then hit an open 3 from the right wing. He also had a feed for a basket on a fastbreak. 

With Jared playing for Roosevelt, Kyle Moraga practicing and playing with McKinley varsity and Kapaa Nishimura working out and playing with Kalani varsity, this is a first for the Thunder: three freshmen-to-be playing varsity summer ball for three different schools. AWESOME.

Video: Thunder vs PC Vandals (JV)

Aiea Blazers JV Tournament, consolation final. Sunday, June 8, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
video: Brandon Higashionna
score: Vandals 43, Thunder 41, OT

H1 Thunder 41, University Jr. 'Bows 34 (varsity)

Kalani Varsity Summer League
They were another tall team. Nice shooter about 6-2. Center about 6-4. They really did damage on the boards in the first half, but we led 16-11 at the break.

We played smarter, tougher, more physical in the second half. Much better job boxing out. Offensive flow was mostly good thanks to a lot of solid execution, precision and patience by our veterans. Strong play in the backcourt from Kyle and Anu, and our bigs Kali‘a and Chris made good decisions with the ball.

We got good contributions from all 10 Thunder and definitely didn't look like a 14U team. Our only 15s were Anu, Kanehe and Sierrra. Our 13U guys (Kapaa, Chris, Felcris) played like varsity players. A good, solid team win, Thunder!

Lineup: Gabriel Porras, Sierra Murobayashi, Kanehe Nishimura, Kapaa Nishimura, Felcris Jay Corpuz, Chris Afe, Kali'a Mielke, Chase Santos, Kyle Moraga, Keanu Pratt.

Mahalo to Eric Murobayashi for filming the game!

Next: Friday, 5:00 pm - Thunder vs. HBA (Maryknoll JV League). Stretching/warmups (outside court) 4:00 pm.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Friday pickup route

## Friday pickup route ##
3:00 pm - Felcris Jay Corpuz Ahadain
3:15 pm - Chris Afe, Tanielu Mosi Afe?
4:00 pm - Keanu Pratt?
4:00 pm - Stretching/warmups
5:00 pm - Thunder vs. HBA (Maryknoll JV League)
Need a ride, call/text me before 2:00 pm - 551-1054.
WE LUB THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder vs Mililani Bombers (JV)

Aiea Blazers JV Tournament. Sunday, June 8, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
video: Brandon Higashionna
score: Thunder 45, Bombers 33

Video: Thunder vs H4C (JV)

Aiea Blazers JV Tournament, pool play. Saturday, June 7, 2014. Aiea District Park gym.
video: Eric Murobayashi
score: H4C 42, Thunder 36