Mililani quarterback Trent McKinney takes a snap from teammate center Chase Yamada and drops back to pass on a sizzling summer late afternoon. McKinney looks around then spots receiver Hassan Richardson streaking across the middle and passes the ball to him for a 15-yard completion. The reception was just one of the several drills that football teams around the Oahu Interscholastic Association are sharpening during volunteer practices while preparing for the upcoming season.
 
“It’s a good experience for me,” McKinney said. “Being a quarterback is a huge responsibility, so as much work as I can get in working with my receivers, getting them to know their routes and the timing, helps.”
 
McKinney says practicing during the summer helps a player analyze mistakes. “You can make mistakes when practicing. The key is learning from them and making yourself better …The more reps you get, the better you get at understanding what you need to do to properly execute plays.”
 
Under the guidance of new coach Rod York, the Trojans plan to be an offensive-minded team this season. “We are hoping to be multi-dimensional. The offense that we’re running right now is more like a run and gun.” McKinney said. “It’s has been effective for us thus far. In practicing our offense we seem to be more ahead then we were last year.”
 
During the 2009 season, McKinney threw for more than 1900 yards and 20 touchdowns. His main targets this season will be Richardson, a 6-4 senior, and Ervan Jeanpierre, who is also listed at 6-4.
 
Several colleges has shown interest in McKinney, who says his goal is to win the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state title. “Of course, a goal of mine is to win states. But I know winning will take hard work. That’s why I’m out here practicing as often as I can.”
 
Richardson says the summer practices helps him maintain focus. “It’s just mental preparation more than anything. We get a chance to bond and learn what the other does in certain situations without the pressure of a real game.”
 
Richardson also is a highly regarded basketball player for Mililani. He averaged double figures in scoring to help the Trojans finished in the first place in the OIA Red West regular season with a 10-2 record.
 
Yamada, a three-year starter, says he is looking forward to playing his final year of high school football. I think everyone is looking at this season as a fresh start for our team,” Yamada said. “Coach York is very familiar with the capabilities of the players on this team. And he always encourages us to do better.”
 
Yamada credits the support of the coaching staff in helping him accomplished high-quality achievements in the skills competition at the O-Line Big Men’s Camp recently held at the University of Hawaii. “From constantly practicing good posture in my workouts, I was able to translate those techniques into good performances at this camp,” Yamada said.
 
“I’m hoping my teammates will get better from the teaching of our new coaching staff. They seem to really care about us as people. Being one of the leaders on this team, I can see how much our players enjoy working with our coaches,” added Yamada, who hopes to advance his football career at a small college.
 
“It’s a new season,” York pointed out in discussing the team’s schedule. “We’re going to try to get off to a good start, but as always the OIA West Division is tough,” said York, who played football at Iolani. After graduation York accepted a walked-on position for the University of Hawaii and two years later earned both a scholarship and starting position in the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He has served as a assistant coach at Mililani for the past three seasons.
 
To do so York emphasized that he and his staff will work in every way they can to help the players perform at their peak levels. “Our coaching staff is going to pound the pavement looking for the players who want to truly put forth the effort to do well not only in the field but in the classroom as well.”
 
Putting the best players on the field and getting maximum execution is a prime objective of coach York. “We are continuously evaluating the performance of our players and the summer practices are just one of the tools that we use to monitor the progress our players,” York said. “But it’s still too early to determine who can actually do what. We just have to wait until game time to find out.”
 
Mililani opens the season on August 20th against defending Division II state champions Iolani in a non-conference game on their home field.
 
York says the most important factor of his job is helping mold his players into productive persons. “Yes, football is important to me. But most of all I want to see each of my players be successful in their school work as well,” said York, who works with special needs persons during non-coaching hours. “We are going to put our players through a full schedule of activities during the season designed to help them become winners in life.”