Tour stop: Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013
Everything is happening too fast. High school football used to be about two-a-days, three-a-days, at the start of August. But the school year begins earlier than ever, and fall sports follow suit.
Kaimuki, with its dwindling enrollment — how on earth can any kid choose Kalani High School when Rainbow Drive-In is practically next door to Kaimuki? — and declining numbers in football, remains in the OIA Red East. The Bulldogs have talent, but depth is always a concern now. Coach Clint Onigama is a superb fit, a teacher on campus who has sparked the program to great success at the D-II level.
Having the depth to challenge for titles at the D-I level, that gets tricky and tough. But the Bulldogs opted to stay in D-I rather than trade spots with Kaiser. And staying competitive means they had to dip into the JV ranks. Time will tell if the ‘Dogs field a JV team this fall. If they can pull that off, that’s a victory in itself.
Players will transfer out of their home school districts in search of greener pastures using the infamous GEs. Kaimuki football has been in an uphill climb due to changing district boundaries, dwindling enrollment, and transfers, Kaiser High has a former NFL player and UH coach, while Kalani has two former UH coaches with all of the fanfare and press. Bottom line is that “unexciting” Kaimuki High has two of its former players currently playing at Division I schools (Chester Sua at Washington State and Siaosi Hala’api’api at Wyoming). Hats off to Coach Clint Oginama and his staff for the work they continue to do (in the classroom and on the field) at Kaimuki HIgh!
What a sad time for football. It’s not the students using the GEs. It’s coaches like Rich Miyano that are poaching players from other schools.(yes,even approaching Kaimuki in an attempt to lure players from a team that already lacks in numbers.) I think the”exciting” Kaimuki Bulldogs are already off to a hot start. They won PAC Five and held up strong against Waipahu(keeping in mind that Kaimuki only had 22 available players on the sideline,with a total of about 30 on their roster!)
to be true to ur school or not to be true….that is the question. its hard for kaimuki to be all flashy and glittery…just to entice kids to choose kaimuki as their home school. kaimuki is more about having pride…no matter what! we ride or die! students who choose to attend kaimuki high school…know its for life…and a continuing tradition being a bulldawg. a bulldawg knows its more than just winning. its going through the good and the bad…together. but i also understand how a student athlete would want the best chances of being exposed! so does a student choose to be faithful with high hopes….or choose to jump on the bandwagon that has the most potential? hmmm….
my son chose to be a bulldawg. he is a senior this year. playing football. on both offense and defense. doing a damn good job and playing his heart out. even though our season is full of disapointments….the team always shows up the next day to put in work. hard work. i think to myself sometimes…why do they do it? day in and day out? even with the injuries that have no time to hurt. i cant help but to think…why? then i remember all the flashbacks of these bulldawgs off the field. watching them laugh together….seeing them all share one single candy bar…but yet it was enough for everyone. listening to the way they encourage eachother. all of them knowing…they have eachothers back….on and off the field. it really touches my heart to know, that these boys of kaimuki high school football team, will have eachother for life. i am an alumni of kaimuki high school…and im proud to be a parent of a student of kaimuki high school! GO BULLDAWGS!