By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 28, 2009
It's only been done twice by DODDS-Pacific schools, Kadena in 1987 and Kubasaki in 1990, then by Faith Academy in 2000.
One school's boys and girls team sweepingthe Far East High School Class AA Basketball Tourrnament titles is prettymuch as rare a feat as you'll find teeth in a hen's beak.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 28, 2009
Musings and mutterings as Ornauer counts down the days to Far East wrestling (14), Far East basketball (18) and the first official day of spring sports practices (26):
-- To compete at a higher level, Kadena's boys basketball team needs that "ability to sustain," coach Robert Bliss said after the Panthers led Oroku by 10 points in the third quarter, only to fall 76-61 in Sunday's championship game of the 3rd Okinawa-American Shootout. Kadena played well in the first half, just as it did the second half of tis semifinal victory earlier Monday. At 21-11, the Panthers remaincompetitive butneed to "find that consistency," Bliss said.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 26, 2009
Boys
1, Yokota, Japan (21-0) -- On collision coursefor battle withSeoul American in the Class AA title game?
2, Seoul American (29-9) -- See Yokota.
3, Kadena, Okinawa(21-11) -- Don't count out the Panthers; they grew quite a bit in the MLK, Oki-Am shootout.
4. Nile C. Kinnick, Japan(17-6) -- Stumbled against St. Mary's; righted ship against two Japanese teams.
5, Seoul Foreign (16-2) --On course for Asia-Pacific Activities Conference title.
6, Faith Academy, Philippines (16-9).
7.St. Mary's International, Japan(11-10).
8, American School In Japan (7-7).
9, Robert D. Edgren, Japan (12-5).
10,Daegu American, South Korea (10-7).
Girls
1, Faith Academy, Philippines (26-0) --On collision course with Seoul American in the Class AA title game?
2, Seoul American (19-1) -- See Faith.
3, Yokota, Japan (13-2) -- Survived tight one with ASIJ; still Japan's cream of the crop.
4, Zama American, Japan (11-4) -- Next test coming up Feb. 2 at ASIJ.
5, Osan American, South Korea (10-2). -- Big road win at Daegu.
6, International School of the Sacred Heart, Japan (5-2).
7, Seoul Foreign (13-6).
8, Kadena, Okinawa (9-13).
9, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (9-6).
10, Daegu American, South Korea (11-6).
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 23, 2009
Coach Norzell Harris says he's convinced that Denise Juzang and Lia Gainey have what it takes to be All-Air Force basketball players. So much so, he would like to see all the military services change their long-standing policy and permit dependent spouses, such as Gainey and Juzang, to play in All-Armed Forces tournaments.
Juzang, a four-year player at Division II Midwestern State in Texas, and Gainey, named the tournament's MVP, paced the Yokota Warriors to the women's title in last weekend's 15th Martin Luther King Invitational Basketball Tournament at Okinawa's Camp Foster Field House.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 23, 2009
It's what Kadena senior boys basketball guard Brandon Harris terms the "best ofboth worlds."
Last week, the Panthers got a sort of physical education -- going up against adult interservice and open-team players -- in the 15th Martin Luther King Invitational Tournament.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 22, 2009
OK, campers, we're down to the Final Four. Here are the semifinal pairings in this season's battle for a place in the holy grail of Top 13 wrestlers of the last 25 years.
SportsBlog Nation, time to shout it out! Let me hear who will win these pairings and go on to our mythical championship bouts, which goes up in this space after next week's Rumble on the Rock here on Okinawa.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 20, 2009
Not much movement this week, with a lot of teams off for semester exams.
Boys
1, Yokota, Japan (20-0) -- On course for unbeaten regular season.
2, Seoul American (29-9) -- Rematch at Seoul Foreign on Feb. 4, KAIAC tourney still loom.
3. Nile C. Kinnick, Japan(15-5) -- Idle last week.
4, Kadena, Okinawa(16-10) -- Don't be fooled by five losses last week; they all came against military teams in the MLK tournament.
5, Seoul Foreign (15-2) --Stumbled against Seoul American, but still going strong.
6, American School In Japan (7-6). Been on a tear since New Year Classic.
7, Faith Academy, Philippines (13-8).
8, St. Mary's International, Japan(10-10).
9, Robert D. Edgren, Japan (8-5).
10, Osan American, South Korea (6-5).
Girls
1, Faith Academy, Philippines (22-0) -- Of all the things the Vanguards have done over the years, going unbeaten isn't one of them.
2, Seoul American (19-1) -- Like the boys, Falcons girls passed their big teast at home vs. Seoul Foreign.
3, Yokota, Japan (12-2) -- This team was supposed to contend next season; look at 'em now.
4, Zama American, Japan (11-4) -- Trojans' best start in three seasons continues.
5, Kadena, Okinawa (8-9) -- Again, a bit misleading, since 1-4 ledger last week came against MLK military teams.
6, Osan American, South Korea (9-2).
7, International School of the Sacred Heart, Japan (4-2).
8, Seoul Foreign (12-6).
9, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (8-6).
10, Daegu American, South Korea (9-5).
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 20, 2009
Musings and mutterings as we reach the end of the first semester, with Far East winter sports tournaments less than a month away:
-- Test passed. Seoul American's boys and girls basketball teams handily took care of business Friday in Falcon Gym, taking command ofthe Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference title chases.Coach Steve Boyd and the Falcons boys (29-9) have won or shared the last eight KAIAC titles; new coach Billy Ratcliff and the Falcons girls (19-1) take aim at their 17th straight KAIAC title.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 20, 2009
Rare is the air enjoyed by those fortunate enough to have been named to the All-Armed Forces basketball team.
Now, try being in your first year of service, being in the Marine Corps, the smallest of the four military services, with the global war on terror going on on two fronts.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 15, 2009
Musings and mutterings scant minutes before embarking on the 15th Martin Luther King Invitational Basketball Tournament ship called the Foster Field House on Okinawa:
-- Kadena's long line of skilled star point guards appears to be headed for at least an interruption. Junior Britney Wise is due to leave Okinawa on Jan. 26 for Idaho; that is, unless her father, retired Air Force master sergeant Bryant Wise, gets a civilian job that will keep him on the island. Wise follows Theresa Gittens, Zori Drew and Monica Hayes at the point-guard spot the last six years, three of which saw the Panthers win Far East Class AA championships and Wise's predecessors each win MVP honors.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 15, 2009
Given all the other headliners and side stories at last February's Far East High School Wrestling Tournament, Cameron Butts' capturing Outstanding Wrestler honors at the very least flew under the rader, if it didn't get overshadowed completely.
There was Craig Bell, Matthew C. Perry's lone-wolf wrestler, completing an unbeaten season with a 122-pound gold medal. There was Osan American 101-pounder Emily Albonetti's glass ceiling-shattering achievements. There were Scott Wood of Kubasaki and Jake Bloom of Kadena becoming three-time gold medalists.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 15, 2009
OK, campers, the nomination process continues for the Pacific's best 13 high school wrestlers of the last 25 years. We're a little light thus far (pardon the pun) at 215 pounds; only two entries. This is what we've come up with so far; feel free to chime in with any you feel may have been left out:
101 – T.J. Aguila, Kubasaki, 2001; Ariel Morano Kubasaki 1983, Tom Chavez Kubasaki 1993, Dylan Pablo, Guam High, 2007.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 13, 2009
Boys
1, Yokota, Japan (19-0) -- Still in command of DODDS-Japan, Kanto races.
2, Seoul American (26-9) -- Big test upcoming Friday vs. Seoul Foreign.
3. Nile C. Kinnick, Japan(15-5) -- Still going strong despite being undermanned.
4, Seoul Foreign (13-1) -- Could be that one team in Korea that challenges Seoul American.
5, Kadena, Okinawa(14-5) -- Looked like their old selves vs. Kubasaki. Earl Gittens close to returning. Time for physical education vs. military teams in Martin Luther King Invitational.
6, Faith Academy, Philippines (12-7).
7, American School In Japan (4-6).
8, St. Mary's International, Japan(10-9).
9, Osan American, South Korea (6-3).
10, Robert D. Edgren, Japan (8-5).
Girls
1, Faith Academy, Philippines (20-0) -- Freshman guard Grace Fern is being spoken of in the same sentence as former Vanguard greats Julie Stauffer, Candy Tanchi and Jaime Cutts.
2, Seoul American (16-1) -- Taking aim at 17th straight Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference title.
3, Kadena, Okinawa (7-5) -- Still unbeaten vs. Kubasaki; big test this weekend in Martin Luther King Invitational vs. military teams.
4, Yokota, Japan (11-2) -- Still owns best record in Japan, a half-game ahead of ...
5, Zama American, Japan (11-3) -- Heady times continue in Trojans country.
6, Osan American, South Korea (8-1).
7, Seoul Foreign (11-4).
8, International School of the Sacred Heart, Japan (2-2).
9, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (8-5).
10, Daegu American, South Korea (9-5).
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 12, 2009
Musings and mutterings as we complete the 2009 "Beast of the Far East" WrestlingTournament onthe first of seven straight weekends with wall-to-wall activity:
-- As Henry G. Sanders' Martin character told Antonio Tarver's Mason Dixon in Rocky Balboa, "There's always somebody better out there. Always." Reigning Far East Tournament champions Scott Wood of Kubasaki and Harry Bloom of Kadena sure found that out on Saturday. Nick Guzman of Yokota dispatched Wood in the first round of the 122-pound category, consigning Wood to third place. Meanwhile, Elias Labrador of Zama American proved up to the task of decisioning Bloom at 148 pounds.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 8, 2009
They're back. Halfway through the season, just six weeks away from the Far East tournaments, we present the first Pacific high school basketball Top 10s.
Always these can be open to debate, and some teams may not be where you think they're supposed to be, but as I've said many times in the "No-Hate Zone," that's part of the fun of it.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 7, 2009
With apologies to the Bard:
To shot clock or not to shot clock? That is the question.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 2, 2009
Matthew C. Perry, boys
Mike Hester, F-G, Class of 1996
Jeremy Eck, C, Class of 2000 (all 6-foot-7 of him)
Justin McCloskey, G, Class of 2000
Nate Albia, G, Class of 2004 (part of the five-player Samurai team in the Class A tournament)
Julio Rodriguez, F, Class of 2007
Matthew C. Perry, girls
Nikki Blackman, G, Class of 1988
Vicki Foster, C, Class of 1990
Tia Fluellen, G, Class of 2002
Cortaza Hall, F-G, Class of 2002
Ashley Taylor, F, Class of 2007
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 2, 2009
And while we're at it, let's revisit that which was so wildly successful last winter, and generated more conversation than anything else we've ever done ...
Remember the Basketball Best Fives of the Last 25 Years? Well, we're going to do it again, only this time add the graduates of the Class of 2008 and the stars of the current 2008-09 season into the mix.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: January 2, 2009
You asked for it, wrestling campers. And now, you've got it, your chance to sound off about who you feel deserves recognition as the best 13 Pacific high school wrestlers of the last quarter-century.
Go back to the 1983 Far East tournament, the first one Ornauer covered at (soon-to-be-the-late-lamented) Old Thew Gym at Yokosuka Naval Base, until the one last February at the Camp Foster Field House.
