Hilo coach Darryl Yagi is hoping that the school’s new gym will bring back the type of energy seen so frequently under legendary coach Larry Manliguis.
Once upon a time, the Vikings, under Manliguis, packed Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, and put on a show with their entertaining playing style: a full-court press and high-octane offense.
Under Manliguis, who passed away in 2007, the Vikings captured 11 Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships in his 23-year career, including eight in a row from 1990 to ’97.
Hilo also won two state championships in 1991 and 2000, long before the Hawaii High School Athletic Association introduced statewide classification in 2007.
But things change.
Hilo had a 4-7 record in 2003, the first losing season in the school’s storied history. The next year the Vikings finished with a 6-7 record. In 2005, they rebounded with a 10-3 record. Manliguis stepped down after the 2007 season.
The Vikings haven’t drawn monster crowds like the good old days, at least during their regular-season games. When they qualify for the BIIF playoffs at Hilo Civic, that’s a different deal. The old-timers come out and pack the joint.
Last season, Konawaena thumped the Viks 68-42 in the BIIF semifinals before a crowd of more than 2,000 at Hilo Civic. One game prior, Jalen Carvalho scored 36 points in Hilo’s 80-74 win over Kealakehe to secure the No. 4 postseason spot.
Hilo returns one starter in junior point guard EJ Narido. Senior guard Dominic Padasdao, junior forward Josh Breitbarth, junior guard Juan Alkichy, and freshman forward Isaac Liu round out the lineup.
The rebuilding Vikings will host Keaau in their Hilo High Holiday Prep Classic in the feature game at 8 p.m. Thursday at their new gym.
It’s a beauty of a facility and first-year Hilo coach Yagi is hoping crowds fill the place with enthusiasm, and get behind his young team.
“We’re all excited about the new gym, and we’re happy to have a place to call home,” he said. “It’s great for our longtime Hilo fans. I hope they show up every game.”
The Vikings won’t press full-court and turn their offense into a track meet because they don’t have that type of personnel.
They’ll concentrate in half-court, get out and stop the ball in transition to slow the other team’s fastbreak, and work post passes to find open shots.
Liu is a promising 5-foot-10 freshman. His game is at the elbow, where the left-hander has a knack for getting off clean shots. His jumping ability is another solid asset.
“He’s got a lot of poise for a freshman,” Yagi said. “A lot of times for freshmen you’ll see a fear factor. But he’s poised and ready for this level.”
The key to the offensive flow is Narido, who will not only steer the Vikings but also serve as the captain of the ship as well.
“I’m looking for him to provide leadership,” Yagi said. “I’m counting on him to bring the young guys along. It’s also about building the future.
“We have to play as a team because we’re not going to score 80 points a game. We don’t have someone like Jalen who can score 30 points. If everybody plays as a group in every game we’ll be all right.”
Yagi doesn’t want the Viks to play Carmelo Anthony basketball, where ball-movement falls into a black hole. They need to make their half-court possessions count because it’s unlikely the fastbreak and easy points off layups will be their specialty.
“We don’t have that foot-speed,” he said. “We’d lose in a footrace against other teams. We need EJ to involve everyone as much as possible. As a sophomore, he was a ball-handler. As a junior, we need his leadership.
“We’ll have to slow the game down. We have to utilize our strengths and build our confidence and make it into a cohesive group, and we’ll be ready for the season.”