WAIMEA — Albert Cummings isn’t in Waimea to be a salesman or to make any promises he can’t keep.
Cummings’ goal in his first year as Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s head coach is to deliver an honest message to the players — Ka Makani football is back and if you want on board grab a helmet and get to work.
He doesn’t talk win-loss records or how many carries his starting running back will get. The only promise he makes is that he and his staff will give the team 110 percent and leave it all on the field.
That’s all he wants back from his squad.
“I’m not a salesman. I don’t have a pitch I tell the boys. I’m not good at that,” Cummings said. “All I can do is tell them true stories about what they can expect as a part of this program. We are building something and aren’t going to make it easy for anyone this year. We are going to scrap.”
In just a short time, Cummings has built a rapport with his players and they know he’s not going to beat around the bush.
“Coach keeps it real and that’s the best thing about him,” sophomore Dean Connors said. “It makes it feel like family. We trust what he tells us.”
The last two years have been a rough go for Hawaii Prep. The program went winless in 2016 for the first time since 1987 and won just one league game last season before being outscored a combined 203-7 over the final four games, forfeiting the final game of the year.
Cummings knows he has his work cut out for him if he hopes to build Ka Makani back into the perennial contender it once was, but he’s game for the challenge.
“I’m not going to hold back on what we want to do. We want to win the division,” Cummings said. “These guys have pride. Their pride and heart is their strength. Us as football coaches have to give them the skill. As coaches we can’t teach heart and there’s plenty of that here. We are lucky to have this group of good young men that have the desire to get better.”
As is usually the case with Hawaii Prep, dealing with limited numbers — especially early in the season — is the No. 1 challenge. Ka Makani played and won its first game against King Kekaulike with just 21 players, with at least a half dozen boarding students that had just arrived the night before on the sideline without pads.
Cummings’ goal is to have 30 players on the roster for the opening game against Hilo on Aug. 31. Any more he would consider gravy.
That means just about every player will see the field and the new Ka Makani staff has noted that the position battles started as a clean slate.
“We all come in on an equal playing field,” senior Keawe Strance said. “No one is better than anyone else. We are all here to try to get better and win games.”
The majority of Ka Makani players will go both ways and that’s not something new to Cummings’ reign at Hawaii Prep – it’s been tradition in Waimea.
“I don’t think there will be one guy who’s limited to playing on one side of the ball,” Cummings said.
The Ka Makani players don’t seem to mind the heavy workload, but rather embrace it.
“It’s very tiring but fun,” Connors said. “I’d rather play the whole game han not get enough snaps”
“The games are in your hands if you are playing,” added senior Sheldon Aribal. “That’s the big thing for us.”
Aribal is one of six seniors on the roster and will contribute as both a linebacker and running back. In the team’s preseason win against King Kekaulike, he rushed for 114 yards, which included a 70-yard touchdown.
“There are different ways of leading. Sheldon does a lot of his leading by showing, not talking,” Cummings said. “He was one of the returning players who bought into the system early. He wants to go out on a good note his senior year and he’s showed us he is willing to fit in wherever we need him.”
Connors is just a sophomore but will play a similar role, getting carries and playing linebacker. However, he’s dealing with a hand injury and wasn’t able to see the field in the preseason.
“We have some great running backs,” Cummings said. “I’d be a fool not to use them.”
Manning the QB spot out of the spread shotgun set is senior Seth Beach. It won’t be a pass-heavy playbook for Ka Makani, but Beach has proved he can pick his spots when he needs to. Against King Kekaulike, five of his completions were for at least 10 yards, with three going for 25 or more.
“It’s the first time he’s going to be asked to pull the trigger, but he’s a solid talent for us,” Cummings said.
The wide receiver corps is young for Ka Makani, with sophomore Justin Lina and freshmen Cache Van Tassell and Braden Samura emerging as solid targets for Beach. Strance — at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds — can make things happen after the catch if given the opportunity, as can juniors Todd Hill, Jaysen Bragado and tight end Kai Bram.
“It’s going to look like a bunch of things,” Cummings said of his offense. “The main thing for us is that we need to be able to get the ball off and have an opportunity. I’ve seen the tape from last year and every team all-out blitzed HPA. The pressure was too much. We are going to try to alleviate that.”
Junior Kukila Lincoln (6-5, 260) is the biggest blocker on the offensive line for Ka Makani. Also in the trenches will be Hawaii Prep basketball and volleyball standout Matija Vitorovic, who gives the team some additional size on the line at 6-3, 200.
“We got blessed with a couple big guys,” Cummings said with a laugh.
One of the more interesting prospects Hawaii Prep has is senior Hans Limstrom. Against King Kekaulike, he was all over the field, bullying defenders on the offensive line one series of downs, and flying around as a linebacker the next. But most importantly, he plays with a raw enthusiasm for the game, which was on display after he broke up a pass in the second half against Na Alii. After the play, Limstrom flexed for the crowd, clinched his fist and jumped in the air.
“Quick, strong, smart and likes to hit,” Cummings said. “Those are the kind of guys we like.”
Things start in a hurry for Ka Makani, who open the season against defending Division I state champions, Hilo. But just by being on the field, it already feels like a win.
“A lot of people count us out but we just need a chance,” Connors said. “We are ready to play. We want to get out there.”
At a glance
2017 record: 2-6 overall, 1-6 BIIF
Coach: Albert “Paki” Cummings (1st year)
Returning starters: Offense 3, Defense 3
Number to know: 1 – BIIF wins the past two seasons.
Quotable: We are building something and aren’t going to make it easy for anyone this year. We are going to scrap.
Schedule breakdown
Aug. 10, 20-19 win over King K
Ka Makani reeled of 20 second quarter points and that was enough to down the visiting Maui squad, which saw its losing streak extended to 33 games.
It was the first home win for Ka Makani since 2015.
Aug. 31 at Hilo
Nothing like starting the BIIF season on the road against the defending D-I state champions. The last time Hawaii Prep won a game against the Viks was 2011.
Sept. 8 vs. Waiakea
Ka Makani’s lone league win over the last two years came last season against the D-I Warriors, 14-13. Both sides have new coaches but Waiakea will likely be hungry for revenge.
Sept. 14 at Keaau
Hawaii Prep gets its third D-I opponent to start the season in the Cougars.
Sept. 20 at Konawaena
Hawaii Prep heads to the jungle in Kealakekua on a Thursday to take on the three-time defending BIIF D-II champs.
The last time Hawaii Prep won on Wildcat turf was 2011 in a 42-0 rout.
Sept. 29 vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii
The long week ends back in Waimea as the D-II contending Warriors come to Waimea. Last season Kamehameha scored 62 points against Hawaii Prep — its largest total of the season.
Oct. 5 at Honokaa
The North Hawaii squads renew their rivalry. The Dragons have won the last two convincingly.
Oct. 12 vs. Kealakehe
Ka Makani close out the season with the Waveriders, who haven’t lost at Hawaii Prep since 2004.