Kubasaki senior running back Deon Lewis has been named Stars and Stripes boys Athlete of the Week for Oct. 10-16. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Deon LewisFootballKubasaki, Okinawa
Last week — Played a primary offensive role as the Dragons qualified for the Far East Division I playoffs for the first time since winning the D-I title in 2005. Kubasaki beat Nile C. Kinnick 37-6 in Saturday’s DODDS Pacific-first play-in game for Division I second-place teams in Japan and Okinawa.
Lewis, a senior, rushed 14 times for 178 yards, including first-half touchdown runs of 6 and 14 yards on back-to-back possessions, and a 5-yard TD scamper in the fourth quarter which capped Kubasaki’s scoring. He helped the Dragons’ balanced attack amass 324 yards on 48 plays.
“He’s an explosive athlete,” coach Fred Bales said of Lewis, a two-year Dragons veteran who missed much of last season with injuries. During the spring and summer, “he really worked on his strength and conditioning. He was obviously committed to being the best player he could be and it’s really showed. He’s really become a force.”
Alexis VermeireCross countryGuam High
Last week — Captured the gold medal for the second straight year in the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam’s season-ending All-Island meet on the 3.1-mile course at Nimitz Hill Golf Club, site of the 2002 DODDS Pacific Far East meet.
Vermeire, a sophomore team captain, was timed in 21 minutes, 11 seconds in Thursday’s All-Island meet in which the Panthers girls took second place as a team. It was her fourth gold medal of the season; she won three races during the Panthers’ dual-meet season, with junior Meagan Speck winning the others.
Coach Joe Taitano credited Vermeire’s achievements to “her unwavering commitment to the sport. Her diligence and the ability to listen and learn and preserve are above and beyond expectations. She is a very good student and is well-liked by her peers. She’s a respectable, enthusiastic, well-mannered and mature young lady.”