While most BIIF basketball teams have spent their preseasons busily travelling from tournament to tournament, Kohala’s girls have been reclusive by choice.
Coach Adam Harrison was just as happy to have the Cowgirls hunker down in Kapaau to concentrate on, among other things, conditioning and chemistry.
“We’ve run them a lot, probably more than we have before,” the third-year coach said, “and just had them continue to learn to play together.”
Now it’s time for the Cowgirls (1-0) to show the rest of the island what they’ve been working on. After opening the regular season Dec. 8 with a road win at Ka’u, Kohala faces a stiffer challenge Tuesday at Waiakea.
They may enter the game a bit of a mystery to some teams, but the Cowgirls’ ambitions in BIIF Division II are not.
“We want to win it all,” Harrison said. “This year, that’s really a realistic goal.”
Not only do all five starters return from a team that finished 5-6 last season – losing to Kamehameha in the semifinals – but Honokaa’s departure to Division I leaves only five teams in the Division II race.
In the past handful of years, the Cowgirls have either ran into the Dragons or Warriors in the semis, but their path to the final is clearer than at any time in recent memory. Kohala last BIIF title and third overall came in 1991, long before statewide classification.
“I told the girls from the start they I really believe in them,” Harrison said.
One of Kohala’s headliners offensively is senior Naai Solomon-Lewis, the team’s tallest starter at 5-foot-8. She’s complemented by fellow forward Briana Harrison. The coach’s daughter is 5-6 and is also quick.
“Naai has worked on her game a little, I can tell,” Harrison said. “She’s fast for her size, and that makes her hard to defend.
“Briana’s not really a scorer, but she’s really hard to keep off the defensive and offensive boards. When she’s on defense, she’s really hard to pass on.”
Harrison joked that since all five of his starters are seasoned and talented in their own right, they used to think they didn’t have to share the ball.
Team unity was a focus of the preseason, and Harrison is handing the point guard duties to sophomore Camylle Agbayani. Agbayani was an honorable mention all-BIIF selection along with the team’s other four returning starters.
“She has a good head on her and she knows when to drive and when to dish the ball,” Harrison said. “I feel comfortable with the ball in her hands.”
Tezrah Antonio moves to shooting guard. The senior possesses good ball-handling abilities to go along with a capable 3-point shot, and junior forward Brittany Shimono is a sound shooter and defender on the wing.
Small forward Kyrah Sol has a high basketball IQ for just being a second-year player, making the senior one of the first options Harrison turns to off the bench.
“Last year when we tried to play to fast we made a lot of turnovers,” Harrison said. “We’ll probably try to slow it down to make sure we get a nice, clean shot. “
“The girls have been working hard from the start,” he added. “I’m satisfied where we are at.”
