Baldwin football wins second straight
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A safety against Maui High kicked off the scoring in a Maui Interscholastic League football game that saw Baldwin take a 36-0 victory Saturday at King Kekaulike High School.
With the new season underway, the Bears are now 2-1 overall with wins over Maui High and King Kekaulike and a 27-6 loss to Iolani in an earlier preseason game.
First-year Baldwin head coach Trenson Himalaya said last season was a learning experience for the Bears, and the team is building on that experience this year.
Some of the team leaders the Bears are relying on include wide receivers Grayson Ruess, Jarek Giron and Ryan Coppa; linemen Caden Dellafave and Faanu Ma'o; linebacker Jackson Sebastian; defensive linemen Malakai Vave and Andrew Nohara; and runningback Jai Carbonell.
"I want to continue bringing hard work, energy and toughness into this season," Himalaya said. "I also want to introduce something new -- more leadership, more confidence and a mindset of never backing down. ... At the end of the day, it's not about one player -- it's about all of us pushing each other, trusting each other and fighting together. We're going to leave everything on that field and chase our goals as one team."
In the Bears' win over Maui High, the Sabers were backed up to their own 5-yard line on the opening drive.
Maui High came out in a shotgun formation, faked a handoff and threw a quick pass that fell incomplete behind the receiver and bounced out of the end zone. Because it was a backwards, it was ruled a fumble and Baldwin was awarded the safety.
Baldwin scored again in the first quarter on a touchdown set up by a 45-yard pass from quarterback Devin Inokuma to Giron. Later in the same drive on fourth down, Inokuma found Giron from 2 yards out for the touchdown. After Zyler Yoshida kicked the extra point, Baldwin led 9-0.
In the second quarter, a Maui High punt turned field position around on Baldwin, with the kick going from the Maui High 17-yard line all the way to the Baldwin 14.
However, Baldwin rose to the challenge and capped off a long drive with a 24-yard touchdown strike from Inokuma to sophomore receiver Andrew Van Bueren, giving Baldwin a 15-point advantage after the kick missed.
Baldwin threatened to score again at the end of the second quarter but Maui High's defense came up with the stop. After a scoreless third frame, Baldwin chalked up 21 more points in the fourth quarter, starting with Inokuma connecting with Yoshida on a 17-yard pass for a touchdown.
Inokuma threw his second touchdown of the fourth quarter to Giron, who brought in a 45-yard TD pass. Baldwin pounded in one more touchdown into the endzone when Joseph Nakihei carried the ball in from about one yard out.
With Baldwin etching its first two wins in MIL contests this year, Himalaya is giving credit to both the returning players and the team's new additions.
"Our returning players bring experience, toughness and leadership, while our new additions bring fresh energy and the hunger to prove themselves," Himalaya said. "Together, they give our team a strong mix of experience and young talent. I expect these players to make an impact, step up when their number is called, and help our team compete at a high level all season long."
He said the team is also working to continue developing its chemistry, while competing in hard practices and recognizing there are opportunities to improve.
"We're focused on staying together, getting better each week and making a strong push as the season goes on," Himalaya said. "This season, we're instilling discipline, accountability, teamwork, and leadership into our student-athletes. We want them to understand that being a football player is about more than what happens on Friday or Saturday night -- it's about being a great teammate, student and person every day."
Himalaya acknowledged that, of course, the Bears want to win as many games as possible and compete for a league championship this season, but he said their biggest goal is to build a culture where everyone holds each other accountable and gives their best every day.
"Our goal this season is to continue growing as a team, both on and off the field. We want to become more disciplined, more physical, and more connected as a group," Himalaya said.