The Cougar football team has not lost a game since August. They are working hard to keep their streak alive through November as they head into the D2 OIA championships on Saturday.
This year, there is a strong sense of teamwork in the locker room and on the field. Senior Defensive End Kolt McCreadie, with an astonishing three sacks so far, refused to take credit for his success on the field. Rather, he said, “There’s no personal goals on defense. Everyone is focused on getting the ball back to our guys.”
Similarly, Caleb Hamasaki credited his team when asked about being the leading receiver on the team with 28 receptions, 348 yards, a 12.4 yard average per reception, and a team-leading 7 touchdowns. He said, “It starts with practice. We all come and work hard every single day. And our defense is killer.”
Junior Running Back Aiden Leong, who has 61 carries this year, for a total of 487 yards, and 6 TD’s also emphasized the importance of the whole team effort involved in getting this far. “When every player is working hard in their assignments, the whole team does well. Our defense gets the ball back to the offense. Our O-Line does good blocking. Every person is an important part of the team.”
In order to punch their ticket to qualify for states, the Cougars beat Kalaheo in an exciting game last week. The highlight of that game came when Senior Kaiakea Pedro-Hale scored on a one-yard push at the goal line. He skipped and jumped his way back to the sideline, where he prepared to come back into the game as a defensive lineman.
Another part of the Cougar defense, Junior Defensive Back Kash Kamauoha was asked how he is preparing for the upcoming championship game. He emphasized the hard work the players have put in to make it this far, especially in the last couple critical weeks of the season. “[We’ve] been putting more effort into [our] craft and technique, trying to get 1% better every day.”
The Cougars all hope that their hard work and teamwork will pay off as they take on the Roosevelt Rough Riders at Farrington on Saturday, November 9 at 4:00 pm.
