Less than 18 months ago, it would have been hard to imagine Noa Cravens as a starter for the Kahuku water polo team this spring. As a newcomer to the sport, she didn’t quite envision it for herself, either.<\/p>\n
\n“Playing goalie is kind of like being a quarterback. Sometimes it’s stressful, but I enjoy it.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI’d never played any water sports,\u201d said Cravens. \u201cI’d played basketball, but I never really liked it. I started play- ing water polo because a cousin of mine was playing and it looked really fun. It turned out I was pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
In retrospect, her basketball skills have served Cravens well. She’s been a quick study in the pool and has had a big impact at goal-keeper on a team already full of playmakers.<\/p>\n
\ufffc\u201cMy quick reflexes have helped, I’m pretty sure, and I’ve learned a lot and give a lot of credit to my coaches,\u201d said Cravens, who has three shutout wins to her credit so far. \u201cPlaying goalie is kind of like being a quarterback. Sometimes it’s stressful, but I enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added former Mililani head coach Aaron Waldrip, now on the Kahuku coaching staff: \u201cShe’s an outstanding goalkeeper. She’s one of the few sophomores I’ve ever coached who was capable of stepping into a starting role and going up against seniors. She has an increased maturity level for her age. When all else fails, she’s the last line of defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kahuku entered last Thursday’s OIA tournament as the league’s last unbeaten team at 10-0. The team was seeking its sixth straight OIA title (and 13th in the last 14 years) in addition to gaining momentum for this week’s state girls water polo championships.<\/p>\n
Despite a proud water polo tradition, one goal has eluded the Red Raiders to date \u2014 bringing home a state title.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely have a chance. We’re ready. We’ve done a lot of training and hard conditioning.\u201d<\/p>\n
For all their talent, the Red Raiders’ cohesiveness has been their strength, according to Cravens. \u201cWe definitely have a special bond,\u201d she said. \u201cWe’re all really close, and we<\/p>\n
Pairings for the state championships were to be announced Sus Wednesday- Saturday at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
\njackster.1969@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Less than 18 months ago, it would have been hard to imagine Noa Cravens as a starter for the Kahuku..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windward-oahu-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n
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