Whatever happens on the courts in Vegas, Jayme Carvalho definitely doesn’t want it to stay in Vegas.
No, he wants Hawaiian Sunsets’ struggles, triumphs and learning experiences to make their way back to the Big Island.
Carvalho has taken basketball teams to mainland tournaments before, but this year’s team is unique and hits closer to home. It consists solely of Honokaa High School students, and that makes all the difference to a man who bleeds Dragons green.
For all intents and purposes, the BIIF boys preseason started Tuesday for the Honokaa boys and their third-year coach.
“I told them how hard they play will determine how hard they party,” Carvalho said.
And by party, he means good, clean fun, such as taking in the strip and its bright lights – look but don’t touch. Or attending the NBA Summer League playoffs.
Carvalho previously went to summer tournaments with the Kona Stingrays, and he said it was no surprise that players such as Brandon Awa and Jonah Bredeson went on to help Konawaena to a BIIF Division I repeat.
“I’ve seen the importance of traveling the past six to seven years,” Carvalho said. “All the guys that travel in the offseason are the players who make all-BIIF and win championships.”
“It’s a small island. It’s understandable that players won’t have the experience and knowledge that others have.”
With a high school graduate on its roster last year in Las Vegas, Hawaiian Sunsets had to enter the varsity division and were at a disadvantage.
They finished 0-8. Some games were close, others were not.
“We had teams dunking on us,” assistant coach James Lukzen said.
The playing field figures to be a little more even this season.
With a roster that includes three Honokaa varsity players – Gene Ansagay, Kea Callihan and Koa Callihan – Hawaiian Sunsets opened play in the Las Vegas Classic’s 10th-grade division (juniors and under) with a 58-44 loss to the Texas Tigers. Hawaiian Sunsets led by seven at the half.
“We missed a lot of easy shots in the second half,” Carvalho said. “Texas got real hot and pulled away with about five minutes to go.
“I don’t care about losing, as long as they get better and are ready to make the (Honokaa) team.”
The rest of the team members are Bjay Zindric, Austyn Ah Choy, Bong Poncho, Kyler Shigematsu, Klayton Gascon, Jerome Quines, Caleb Yamasaki and Zac Mattos. A handful were on a junior varsity team coached by Lukzen that lost only three games last season by a combined six points.
Lukzen expects the group to help Honokaa achieve its first winning season since 2008 – and beyond.
But first, a little Vegas refinement is in order. The Hawaiian Sunsets also will play at the Las Vegas Grand Finale, getting in at least eight games.
“We have to expose the kids to better competition and getting used to the varsity level,” Carvalho said. “The hardest thing to do in sports is win on the road. “(Here), every game is on the road.”
