If you’re looking for a scouting report on some of the best high school boys basketball teams in the state, Honokaa coach Jayme Carvalho is the man to see.
If he has the time to chat.
The Dragons preseason schedule has been as busy as some NBA teams. Honokaa already has reeled off 15 games with three more on the way starting Thursday at the Hilo High Vikings Holiday Prep Basketball Classic.
Its record is a solid 9-6, and the highlight last weekend at St. Joseph’s tournament was a pair of breakout performances by Kelvin Falk, who combined to score 78 points in consecutive games against Hilo, a narrow loss, and Kamehameha, a close win.
“If you don’t think he is one of the top guys on the island, I don’t know what to say,” Carvalho said of his 5-11 senior. “If we are going to accomplish anything it’s going to be because of defense. Kelvin is stepping up there, too. I tell him, “What’s the good of scoring 37, if you give up 38.’”
St. Francis, last season’s ILH Division II champion, was the unofficial winner of the St. Joe tourney, beating the Cardinals, Waiakea and Honokaa, all by double digits. The Saints-Dragons contest was a rematch of last season’s HHSAA Division II third-place victory, a 58-52 victory for St. Francis last February.
“They moved well without the ball, play together and hit the open man,” Carvalho said. “We need to match that energy, but we rotated guys and everybody got to play. We’ve got 12-13 guys scoring right now.”
Honokaa’s depth has been tested because of injuries to seniors Koa Callihan and Bong Pancho.
The Dragons open the regular season Dec. 20 at home against Kamehameha in what will be the third meeting between the teams in span of 10 days – they also play Thursday at Hilo’s tourney.
Prior to the St. Joe tourney, Honokaa made what it hopes will be the first of two trips to Oahu this season, going through the grind. The Dragons beat one 2016 D-I state qualifier, Leilehua, and lost to another, Kalaheo. They also got a look at Hawaii Baptist, which Carvalho thinks is one of the best D-II teams in the state, losing 63-49.
All told, the Dragons went 4-4 on Oahu.
“If I told you I didn’t think we could have gone 8-0, I’d be lying,” Carvalho said. “The state is pretty balanced this season.”
And before the Dragons left Oahu, Carvalho reminded his team that a return trip for states would take hard work to “avoid that feeling” from last season – a collapse against St. Joe in the BIIF championship.
“We talked to our (Oahu) sponsors and they told us when we get back, we’re going to help you out again,” he said.