CHANGE IS GOOD
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU SPORTS EDITOR
Saturday, February 28, 2009

Western’s ouster from the CIF playoffs can’t diminish the groundwork they have laid for future success.

Photo by MIEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo
Junior guard Jordan Hamamoto helped Western to its first Orange League title since 1992, when Tiger Woods led the Pioneers to a golf championship.

ANAHEIM.–Emerging from the locker room after Friday’s second-round playoff loss, Jordan Hamamoto probably didn’t feel too heroic. He got a hero’s welcome anyway.

His girlfriend and several other pals had traveled to watch the junior guard play in Western High School’s CIF Div. IIAA game against North Torrance. Hamamoto scored the first two points of the game. It was all North from there, as the deeper, more experienced Saxons ended Western’s season with a 79-64 victory.

It didn’t seem to take long for Hamamoto, as well as the other Western players, to realize what they’d accomplished this season. It was nothing less than the first Orange League title in any sport since 1992, when a skinny kid named Tiger Woods led the Pioneers to a golf championship.

Western head coach Joseph Aihara, in his eighth season at the helm, said despite being eliminated far earlier than they would have preferred, the team fulfilled all their preseason goals and more.

“This was a dream season. I am so proud of these guys, all of them,” Aihara said as the gymnasium lights were being shut off after Friday’s game. “They shed a few tears. I told them it hurts because they’ve invested so much time and effort.”

Several changes came to Western this season, both in personnel and in attitude. Hamamoto transfered from Kennedy High to pay on the team coached by his father’s longtime friend and former teammate.

“When I first came during the summer, I was a little hesitant,” Hamamoto recalled in an interview prior to the start of the playoffs. “You know, coming in as the new guy, you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. You kind of want to ease your way in.”

Encouraged by what he saw during the summer with his new Western teammates, Hamamoto was immediately on board with Aihara’s mantra of defense and a team attitude.

“It helped that when I was playing, we went undefeated in summer league here. At that point, we realized we could be pretty good if we play together,” he said.

“Jordan’s done everything we’ve asked of him,” Aihara said of his young guard, whom he has known since Hamamoto’s first playing days as a toddler in the Orange County Optimist League.

“He’s made the adjustments and the other guys have welcomed him. He’s really assimilated.”

Aihara said the season has been magical in terms of success, with Western finishing 21-6 and a perfect 10-0 in league.

“We’ve seen this group of 10 young men come together,” Aihara said. “They’ve really bought into their roles. Each guy has a role. We’re a family, taking pride in the roles, that’s why we’ve had success.”

The coach added that a major difference this season was having a solidly shared understanding of how this team could play well–and win.

“At whatever level, be it the NBA or whatever, your players have to believe in what you’re teaching them,” Aihara explained. “Our system is based on defense and based on effort and everybody doing his role.

“As a coach, no matter the sport, you’re a salesman and your players have to believe in the product you’re selling. These kids have bought in.”

As a painful enforcement of that philosophy, it was the pressure of the North defense that was the Pioneers’ undoing, forcing them into countless turnovers and poor quality shots. Matt Umekubo had the hot hand early for North, hitting three shots from three-point range to finish with nine points.

He said in spite of the win, North didn’t play at their best.

“We like to shoot the ball a little better,” Umekubo said. “They went into a zone and that’s something we have a little trouble with, but I think we did okay.”

North (21-7) moves on to host third-seeded Santa Margarita tonight.

For Western–notably for the seniors who previously had no chance to play in the postseaon–the season may be over, but they can take pride in establishing a culture of winning that figures to make itself evident for years to come.

“Winning solves a of issues,” Aihara said. “It started with our freshman group last year, who were 22-3. This year, the freshmen were 22-1. Our lower levels have had success
where many of our seniors haven’t had that much success at the Varsity level.”

For Hamamoto, he can now focus a bit more attention to the 3.5 grade point average he’s maintaining, taking classes that include Japanese. He said that if the team stays on track with what brought them together this season, they should be fine next year.

“We all have a role,” he explained. “We don’t need a guy to score 30 points by himself each time. If we play together and play within our limits, we do pretty well.”

In the eyes of Coach Aihara, this season was a success that will live indelibly in school history.

“Our ultimate goal was to win a league championship and put a banner up,” he said following their Friday loss. “I told them that like your education, that’s something that can never be taken away.”