Damien Lady Monarchs Basketball? Yes, you heard right. Damien High School is now represented in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu in girls basketball.
This was the inaugural year for the Damien girls basketball program. (Actually, this was the inaugural year for Damien girls, period.)
And the team — entering in the ILH’s intermediate division — did very well, thank you.
It posted a 7-1 record after the regular season.
But the seven wins and one loss only hint at the tough season the Lady Monarchs experienced. With only 10 members on the team, the players were challenged with not practicing or playing games with the whole team because of injuries.
Nevertheless, with the support of their parents, the faculty, the student body and especially the boys varsity, junior varsity and intermediate teams, the Lady Monarchs played an exciting and high-quality brand of basketball.
In fact, they were the top-ranked team going into the post-season playoffs. However, their injuries caught up with them and they lost in the quarterfinals ending in fifth place. But the life lessons and skills they learned this season will be a great foundation for the years ahead.
Watch out! The Lady Monarchs are up and coming!
Full disclosure: If Paul Tanaka sounds a little partial it’s because he coaches the Lady Monarchs (even though he is a Saint Louis grad). He said that next year the girls may even go junior varsity or varsity, “depending on the turn out.”