The best Christmas present for Pahoa basketball coach Marc Saito is the bond with his team, which is full of youth, potential and affability.
The Daggers have only three seniors: Kealii Luis, Ryan Tatasi, and Dillon Tabbal, who’s from Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science and never played ball before.
Luis was a part-timer last season while Tatasi is a new starter at forward. The other starters are sophomore guard Lansen Aranaydo, freshman guard Jaymin Santiago-Burns, and freshman forward Damon Romero.
The first guards off the bench are freshmen Mikah Coyaso and Kayden Conarton. There’s also depth at forward with juniors Kallen Cardines and Darin Valdez, a transfer from Texas.
“The freshman group is solid,” Saito said. “Skill-wise, we’re very inexperienced. Lansen was a 4 (forward) last year. He’ll be our starting point guard. Instead of saying, ‘Coach, I can’t do this. Coach, this is hard.’ He’ll say, ‘Coach, what do I need to do?’
“That’s the good thing about these kids, the door is wide-open for them. Every day we want to do one little thing well, even it’s like blocking out. Everyone on the team can bring something to the game.”
For inspiration, the Daggers (1-1) can always look at freshman guard and HAAS student Ansen Dalija Airinios, who has one arm. He played in a 63-14 BIIF win over Laupahoehoe on Tuesday.
“The first day of conditioning, I told him, ‘I’m a basketball coach and will coach and love anyone who will listen and be respectful.’ All through conditioning and tryouts, he was extremely inspirational to all of us,” Saito said. “It’s a fun team to be around. I’ve never had a team this fun, every one of them. We can sit around and joke and time will fly by. They’ve all got personalities. It’s easy to love this group.”
For those who attend Pahoa games, Saito coaches old-school Bill Parcells style. It’s on-court teaching with the volume turned up.
After Romero lit up the Cougars for a game-high 23 points in a heart-breaking 43-41 overtime loss on Friday night, Saito did his best Parcells impersonation.
“Points are needed, but he needs to do the basics, block out and contain (on defense),” Saito said. “He learned a lot about the pressure of varsity sports.”
Like Parcells, Saito’s former players are glued to him. John Byrd Jr. and his son Tolby Saito are assistants. Colby Iwashita, a former Waiakea player, has also been a long-tenured assistant.
It’s also a family affair with wife Sydel and daughter Thea as Dagger statisticians.
In typical Parcells style, praise is delivered in teaspoons, but when dished out it’s a harmonious feeling for Saito’s Daggers, who sometimes reconnect as his assistants.
Saito’s Christmas present appreciation extends to new Pahoa athletic director Hoku Haliniak.
“This year, it’s a blessing to have an AD who cares about the kids, like Tomo (Ron Tomosada) did,” Saito said. “I don’t have to worry about anything and can just coach basketball.”
Dagger, Giants
Pahoa has prospered in odd-numbered years on the basketball court, reaching the HHSAA Division II tournament in 2011, ’13, and ’15.
The Daggers are the BIIF’s version of the San Francisco Giants, who win the World Series in even-numbered years: 2010, ’12, and ’14.
Last season, Pahoa had a high-percentage shot to break that trend as the reigning BIIF champs with three stellar starters back.
But depth has always been an issue at the small school in the Puna district with a high school enrollment of about 450 students.
Last season in the BIIF semifinals, two Daggers got stuck in early foul trouble, there were struggles on both sides of the ball, and Honokaa raced to a 65-43 win.
Keinan Agonias, Kili Oliveira, and Joel Rosario Jr. received All-BIIF first team, second team, and honorable mention, respectively.
Then they graduated. They left big shoes to fill. But the new-look Daggers have a good thing going, in the eyes of their coach.
Easy to love
It’s a challenge to pick the best BIIF basketball race on both sides.
Is it the Division I boys with, in no particular order, Konawaena, Waiakea, Kamehameha, Hilo, Keaau, and Kealakehe, all fighting for spots to the four-team BIIF playoffs?
Or is it the Division I girls with perennial powerhouse Konawaena and top contenders Hilo, Honokaa, and Waiakea in an expected battle for two state berths?
Or is it the Division II boys with defending league champion St. Joseph, runner-up Honokaa, Pahoa, Hawaii Prep, Ka‘u, and Kohala in a musical chair’s competition for reservations to the four-team BIIF tourney?
“Every game we want to show some improvement, some type of skill,” Saito said. “I actually think we have a good chance of being good this year.”
Against Keaau, the reason it was a heart-breaking loss for the Daggers is because it looked like a win was in the bag.
In overtime, Romero buried a step-back 3-pointer to push Pahoa ahead of Keaau 41-40 with 8.6 seconds left.
Later, the Cougars inbounded at half-court with 1.6 on the clock, passed to Patrick Mears at the wing, and he swished a 3-ball at the buzzer.
Sometimes, the other team pulls a rabbit miracle win out of the hat.
“With the whole team, the growth from Friday will lead us to good things,” Saito said.
Then Marc Saito turned into the warm-hearted version of Bill Parcells and delivered a wonderful Christmas present to his youthful Daggers.
“The players blame themselves for the loss,” Saito said. “Like I said, this team is easy to love.”
