If Jayme Carvalho has a few circles around his eyes at Honokaa Armory the next few days, it’s for a good reason.
Whatever you do, Carvalho tells his Honokaa boys basketball team at practice, make my job difficult. The easy way out for Carvalho would have been if some of the Dragons were slackers, making lineup choices a quick chore.
But, much to coach’s delight, that hasn’t been the case. Honokaa has given 110 percent, he said, and that’s made divvying up playing time a tall task.
“They’ve made it hard on me,” Carvalho said. “I’ve had a hard time sleeping. My wife noticed.”
He has approximately 17 preseason games to hone a finished product for the BIIF Division II title chase, starting with the Honokaa Boys Basketball Turkey Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The tourney previously was held in December, but the earlier dates give the Dragons and varsity squads from Keaau, Hilo, St. Joseph and Ka‘u the spotlight to themselves before full-blown tournament madness hits the island next week.
Carvalho, a Honokaa alum, also spends restless nights making sure he’s as accountable to his players as his former mentors were to him during his playing days. Entering his third year, he’s still trying to guide the Dragons to their first winning season since 2008.
“If it wasn’t a challenge, it probably wouldn’t be worth doing,” he said.
The Dragons sneaked into the BIIF semifinals the past two seasons before bowing out against the top seed, but with eight returnees, led by senior forward Jonathan Charbonneau, and ample height, Carvalho is looking for the Dragons to make a statement this season.
“We’ve finished where we were supposed to finish,” Carvalho said. “This year, I’m telling the boys we have to go out and get an upset.
“We have to take the next step.”
Offense doesn’t figure to be a problem for the Dragons, who can shoot and run the floor.
Charbonneau can play either spot down low or at small forward and averaged 14 points and eight rebounds last season. Junior shooting guard Kelvin Falk averaged near double-digits and senior Kysen Datuin transferred back from Laupahoehoe after making honorable mention all-BIIF the past two seasons, including two years ago at Honokaa.
Sophomores Gene Ansagay and Micah Lorenzo will handle most of the minutes at point guard, and Carvalho likes the court awareness of senior guard Cyrus Keju, who transferred from California.
The key for the Dragons will be defense and limiting opponents’ second shots.
“We have about five players 6-foot and above, and it’s the first time we’ve had that in a long time,” Carvalho said.
At 6-2, sophomore Kamuela Spencer-Herring offers a presence inside, as do juniors Kahakea Callihan and Koali Callihan. Juniors Austyn Ah Choy, Fernando Pancho and Werner Herry can use their bodies to bang inside as well.
In the feature game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Dragons can measure themselves against St. Joseph in a rematch of a BIIF play-in last season won by Honokaa.
“They’re one of those Division II teams where you can’t blink your eyes,” Carvalho said.
Of course, he won’t rest easy until the Dragons are competing with the BIIF elite.
“Of the past three years, this is my deepest team,” Carvalho said. “They are not the best yet, but if these guys stick it out they can get there.”
Honokaa Boys Basketball Turkey Tournament
At Honokaa Armory
Friday
JV: Keaau vs. Honokaa, 9 a.m.
JV: Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. Ka’u, 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph vs. Ka’u, noon
Keaau vs. Honokaa, 1:30 p.m.
JV: Ka’u vs. Hilo, 3 p.m.
JV: Hilo vs. Kamehameha, 4:30 p.m.
Ka’u vs. Hilo, 6 p.m.
Honokaa vs. St. Joseph, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
JV: Ka’u vs. Honokaa, 9 a.m.
JV: Hilo vs. Keaau, 10:30 a.m.
Ka’u vs. Honokaa, noon
Hilo vs. Keaau, 1:30 p.m.
JV: Keaau vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii, 3 p.m.
JV: Honokaa vs. Hiloi, 4:30 p.m.
St. Joseph vs. Keaau, 6 p.m.
Honokaa vs. Hilo, 7:30 p.m.
