Pushed to exceed

By MATT GERHART

Tribune-Herald sports writer

Bobby Lum and his Hawaii Prep teammates know what outsiders are thinking. Some look at the heavy toll graduation took on the Ka Makani and may think the cupboard is bare. Others see the preseason losses and figure HPA is vulnerable — or worse.

“I’ve heard rumors everybody’s calling us pushovers,” Lum said.

Not if new-look HPA has anything to say about it.

The Ka Makani usually try to enforce their will on teams with their power running game, and this year is no different. Many vital cogs are gone, but the offensive philosophy remains the same.

“Not really worrying about (being called pushovers). We’re definitely going to keep the intensity,” lineman Keenan Greenbaum said. “We’re always going to be pounding, pounding, pounding.”

Lum, a 195-pound junior running back, will take on a bigger role and deliver a lot of the damage. However, he and Greenbaum, a 275-pound junior, are the only returning starters on offense. It’s the same story on defense, and one of the two returning players who started last season, junior Lii Purdy, will focus on quarterback this season.

HPA went on an emotional roller-coaster ride last year. The Ka Makani pulled out a big home win against Kamehameha, but they twice gave up second-half leads in losses to eventual Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II champion Konawaena. Then before they could say goodbye to a talented senior class, they forfeited their final two games and finished 6-4.

Coach Jordan Hayslip isn’t focusing on rebuilding this season, just progress and improvement.

“We are playing with a lot of young guys,” he said. “But it’s fun, it brings a lot of enthusiasm and guys that are ready to play.

“We looked at preseason as a time that we had to get guys ready to go and get guys game experience. And we accomplished that.”

HPA will go with two quarterbacks — the other will see time at receiver when not under center — and Hayslip likes what Purdy and sophomore Koa Ellis can deliver as double threats in the running and passing game.

The plan is to play some I-formation and some one-back and also use the spread.

“It’s been going good, just have to get more in sync with the receivers,” said Purdy, a co-captain whose top targets will include junior Michael Nakahara in the slot and receivers Charlie Chavez, a senior, and Nicolas Palleschi, a sophomore. “Just got to stay calm in the pocket.”

Kaimi Stevens (210), a senior co-captain who had to sit out 2011 after transferring from Honokaa, figures to give HPA a spark on the offensive line and at linebacker.

Coming off preseason losses to Hilo and Oahu power Iolani, Greenbaum, a left tackle who’s working on a unit with four new starters, noted that its only natural that it’s taking time for the team to gel.

“We’re just going to pace ourselves, go out and do what we’ve been doing to get better,” he said. “Lineman need to get stronger, more in sync.”

Returning starter Eigoro Akai (175), a senior co-captain, brings speed off the edge at defensive line, and Greenbaum brings much-needed size to the unit and will play alongside senior Dylan Oakes (165) and junior Russel Laros (180).

The addition of Stevens could make the linebackers the strength of a 4-3 defense, and there’s depth with Nakahara, junior Joshua Ching and senior Micah Hanano.

Hayslip expects junior Kellen Gillins to provide good run support at strong safety, and Blake Hooser, a junior who will also spell Lum some at running back, and junior Joey Kailimai will start at cornerbacks.

As one of many on the team who are playing both ways, Nakahara can offer good perspective on how HPA’s progressing.

He doesn’t see a pushover.

“We’re getting there. Over the past few weeks, we’ve definitely improved, and as time goes on we get better,” he said. “Right now (the offense and defense) have to rely on each other.

“We’ve definitely heard the rumors. We’ve been told that throughout camp. We use that as motivation, definitely.”