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Twenty-five points, eight rebounds is one way to break in the new season.
Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola’s senior year is finally here, a chance to play for Kahuku for the first time since 2020, when he was a first-time starting guard as a sophomore. Back then, he was a wing with a feathery perimeter shot and a penchant for hitting the boards hard.
Now, his ferocity on the offensive glass is unmatched, and his array of skills on the perimeter has expanded. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior simply took control in a 74-44 win over Kaiser, not with a torrent of 3-pointers, but the old-fashioned way.
“We went big, so he’s a guard in that lineup,” Kahuku coach Brandyn Akana said. “When I took him out, he’s the one that told me, ‘Coach, let me go inside,’ and that’s where he was a monster for us.”
He is the rare athlete who will do an unpopular task without being told.
“It’s a habit. I don’t like losing at all, so I’ll do anything to help the team win. Sometimes, I don’t like playing big because in college I won’t play there, but I’ll do anything to win,” he said. “I had a lot of putbacks. We did a high low and Coach put me on the bottom, so I got a lot of layups.”
Westmoreland-Vendiola’s defense is another key factor. After Kaiser opened the game with an 8-0 lead, Akana assigned him to cover Kaiser’s talented scorer Micah Ah See. Kahuku rallied to take an 11-point lead by halftime.
“He has that extra quick jump and he gets up. He plays above the rim now. He had a couple of rebounds where he went up and basically took it off the rim. I looked at my assistant and I was, ‘Wow.’ You don’t see that in Hawaii unless you’re Tolu,” Akana said, referring to former Kahuku player Tolu Smith, now a standout Mississippi State forward.
Akana also draws a comparison with versatile wingman Samuta Avea of Hawaii.
“He’s kind of like Samuta, but I think he does a little bit more. Samuta went inside, but he wanted to stay outside. Amari loves being inside. He loves mixing it up,” Akana said.
It’s not just the intensity and aggression. Westmoreland-Vendiola’s bounce is insanely quick. He owns a Dennis Rodman T-shirt, but he is a version of Rodman who possesses a smooth 3-point stroke. Last summer, Westmoreland-Vendiola hit 65 3-pointers in a five-minute shooting drill — in the dim light of dusk on a windy day outdoors.
In other words, he’s just getting started.
“Everybody thinks he’s a transfer. A lot of people been calling him one,” Akana said. “We livestream our games, but they never saw him last year. Nobody knows who’s who because of last year.”
To be fair, Kahuku has had its share of homegrown talent, from Avea to Kawe Johnson to Junior Ale, to returning or incoming talent like Jessiah Villa, Smith, Daniel Fotu and Oscar Cheng.
Technically, Westmoreland-Vendiola, who went to Kahuku Elementary and Intermediate schools, is a transfer of sorts. The born-and-raised Kahuku guard left in January 2020. When the winter season was canceled, he boarded a plane and headed to snowy Colorado Springs, Colo.
“It was Jan. 24,” he said. “I was homesick once the plane landed.”
Snow was everywhere. The average temperature was 20 degrees. No beaches. He lived with his father, Winford. He stayed two months, playing for Sierra High School, averaging more than 20 points per game. School was strictly online. His only new friends were his teammates. He was named the team MVP at the team’s postseason “banquet,” which was a Zoom conference.
Westmoreland-Vendiola got back on the plane and headed home. From the airport, a quick pit stop at home, and then directly to Castle Beach, a short walk away, with cousin Kahler Vendiola. No jet lag. No naps. Just home.
“There was snow the whole winter season. Heavy snow. I got used to it. It’s very cold, like 10 degrees. One time I think it was 4 or 5,” he said. “I missed the beach for two months.”
The return wasn’t about starting vacation early. He was still doing virtual learning with Sierra through the spring semester. Since that April morning, he has been in warrior mode, working on every aspect of his game, training daily with Chris Parker, a North Shore resident. Parker trained Westmoreland-Vendiola, Kahler Vendiola and another teammate, Ben Holaketuai, vigorously.
“I’ve known Coach Chris since I was very young. He’s very simple. That’s what everyone needs, not all the extra stuff. The simple fundamental stuff, a lot of IQ stuff, shooting, all of that,” he said.
Since restarting the training regimen with Parker, he has gained 4 inches on his vertical.
“It’s 40 or 41 inches now,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said.
There’s no secret, he noted. Just a lot of sweat.
“We train at the beach or go to his house and do a recovery workout. Hit the sauna after the gym,” he said. “The only weights we do is with a weight vest. Jumping drills. It’s hard. Jumping on boxes, 250 jumps a day when we started.”
The weight vest is 45 pounds. During those 250 jumps, there are occasional breaks.
“It really helped me get jumping higher and increased my vertical. I can’t really complain,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said.
Akana, a former player and assistant coach at the college level, believes it’s just a matter of time before Division I programs hone in. Westmoreland-Vendiola has a 3.2 grade-point average.
During the offseason, he traveled for tournaments and camps three times. Twice, he traveled with his grandmother, Pualani Vendiola, one of his biggest supporters.
“I’ve got to give credit to coach Chris. I saw the difference in his tournaments and competitive play when we went (to the mainland) in July. His level of play really improved,” she said.
“Uncle Chris does the training with us out of his heart,” Westmoreland-Vendiola added. “He doesn’t charge (money). He really cares about our success.”
Dino Vendiola, an uncle of Westmoreland-Vendiola, was an OIA all-star and was a teammate of future pro football player Junior Ah You.
“My dad, Alberto, was the one who really took him in, was there when he was born,” said Westmoreland-Vendiola’s mother, Amanda. “Amari always cleans yard with him. My parents helped raise him and his sister (Aaliyah), always getting them to practice and all their functions.”
The homemade backboard and basket in front of the house was made by Alberto three decades ago. They repaired the base when it wore out, and Uncle Patrick Bolt gave it a Kahuku-flavored paint job.
Growing up, Westmoreland-Vendiola would take 100 practice free throws for each one he missed in a youth-league game.
“I would say, ‘We have all night,” said Westmoreland-Vendiola’s mother, Amanda. “Free throws are free, so make it count.’ “
The daily repetition has built a level of confidence across the board for Westmoreland-Vendiola.
Hawaii, where Akana once was an assistant coach, is showing interest, he said.
“He’s totally a D-I prospect. He can play outside and he can play inside. He’s got skills. He can handle it, shoot it, his defense has gotten better and better. I think he could play the 2 or the 3. He could be a very good 2. Nowadays, they’ll play a point guard with two 2s and he fits that perfectly,” Akana said.
“He’s still really young. He’s a young senior, so that’s what’s intriguing. He should be a junior now. He’s going to fill in if you look at the dad and the mom’s side,” Akana added.
Now, after missing so much time, Kahuku is making up for it. Despite having no preseason games, they may be the favorite in the OIA East. Mililani, with Trey Lieb — who played with Westmoreland-Vendiola on the same team in a Las Vegas tournament with the Las Vegas All-Stars last fall — is another strong contender.
“I feel like we have a great team this year and we can go all the way,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said. “We just have to lock in mentally and physically. We can win the OIA and states. Right now, I feel like we’re not there yet. As the season goes on, we’re going to get better.”
Kahuku visits Kalani on Wednesday.
AMARI WESTMORELAND-VENDIOLA’S FAVORITES
Favorite movie: “King Richard”
Favorite shows: “All-American,” “On my Block”
Favorite food: fried poke plate
“From my uncle’s food truck (The Bald Guy in Kahuku).
Favorite snack: peanut butter and jam sandwich.
“Before I go to practice, my grandma (Pualani Vendiola) makes me two PBJ sandwiches. I’ve got to have that. She makes it with guava (butter) jam.”
Favorite class/teacher: Fifth-grade English, Mrs. Wong (Kahuku Elementary).
“She was very nice and a great teacher. She really cared about the kids. Everyone thought she was mean, but she was a good teacher. She passed away, though. She taught for 50 years.”
GPA: 3.2
Smartest teammate: “The smartest in the classroom are Jamerus (Tai Hook) and Desmond (Cheng). The smartest on and off the court is Brock (Fonoimoana).”
Funniest teammate: Leonard Ah You
“He’s the funniest and he brings energy. When it’s game time, he’s focused, he’s serious. He’s loud and makes a lot of noise. He’s just energetic.”
Kahuku’s sleepers: Ben Holakeituai and Brock Fonoimoana
“They play like starters. Ben can handle the ball well and doesn’t panic against the press. He just plays his role and that’s what we need. Brock is a very good defender and hustles a lot.”
Coach (Brandyn Akana)’s mantra: “Coach always says, ‘Do the little things. Do your job, don’t try to do too much. Just do your part and as a team we’ll succeed.’ For me that means rebound, execute on plays. Working as a team.”
Hidden talent: cooking
“I can cook. I can make great quesadillas. It’s the frozen kind. I just put cheese on it and all the stuff.”
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