Kubasaki junior running back Ethan Ferch will get escort in the form of senior lineman Isaiah Thompson. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
First in a series of preseason previews detailing DODEA-Pacific football teams.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – What does a defending champion do when its three key scorers and yardage-gainers graduate?
“Next man up,” said Tony Alvarado, coach of 2024 Far East Division I champion Kubasaki. The Dragons will turn to Maurice Brown, Ryan Hater and Ethan Ferch to replace three players who were responsible for 85 percent of the Dragons’ points and yards.
“We’re younger, but they’ve been taught a lot,” Alvarado said of his new “Big Three,” plus the linemen charged with the responsibility of clearing space for them as Kubasaki tries to follow its unbeaten 2024 season with an encore.
“There is a target on our backs,” Alvarado said. “We have to come out just as hard. Kadena wants it. Humphreys wants it. (Nile C.) Kinnick wants it. Are we ready? We’ll find out at 6 p.m. Aug. 30” when the Dragons host Humphreys.
Kubasaki is one of only four D-I programs this season; American School In Japan is no longer in the picture. Each D-I team plays the other three two times, with just a championship game between the top two regular-season teams at the end of the road; no semifinals are scheduled this year.
Much like the Dragons of 2024, Kubasaki doesn’t have much interior size, but is built for speed, quickness and deception. Brown and Hater learned at the feet of their predecessors, Carlos Cadet and Haustyn Lunsford, while Ferch transfers over from Kadena where he played running back last season.
“We have Ryan, who’s just champing at the bit to get going,” Alvarado said. “Ethan’s coming over, which is good. And Mo (Brown) learned a lot from Carlos. We’ve had so many of our players come through the program and now, it’s next man up. We just have to go with what we have.”
Kubasaki junior fullback Ethan Ferch steps into the shoes worn last season by Lukas Gaines. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki football hopes that players such as seniors Jayden Rivera and Ryan Hater can give the Dragons a leg up on their opponents. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Senior Jayden Rivera will line up at several positions as an all-purpose back for Kubasaki. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Junior quarterback Maurice Brown steps into the shoes of 2024 starter Carlos Cadet. Brown says Cadet taught him much about leadership and responsibility playing the key position on the field. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki senior Ryan Hater is doing what he can to keep his legs in tip-top shape following a hamstring injury suffered during track last spring. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
More than what quarterbacks should do on the field, Cadet also imparted on Brown a sense of responsibility, the latter said before Thursday’s practice.
“Leadership,” Brown said. “Whenever you step on the field, you lead by example. Show what has to be done on the field, instead of with your mouth.”
Hater is rebounding from a severe hamstring injury suffered during last spring’s track season, and said he was still feeling it a little during Thursday’s practice.
“It’s starting to come back some,” he said. “I’m going to take it easy today and rehab it some more on the weekend.”
Ferch could be forgiven if he felt a bit jet-lagged; he returned from Harlingen, Texas, a couple of days earlier from after four weeks at a Marine military academy.
“It was a really good experience,” said Ferch, his head shorn from the required haircut and his upper body showing signs of working out. “Discipline. It’s kind of like basic training. It teaches you how the military works.”
Coming over from Kubasaki’s arch-rival Kadena, Ferch said he’s trying to “stay focused, making sure everybody is comfortable with me, trying to show everybody that they can count on me as a teammate.”
With the new pieces falling into place, Alvarado said he’s hoping the 2025 season can mirror 2024. “We’re not going to bulldoze anybody, but we’re going to try to be successful with our skills,” he said.
Kubasaki Dragons
2024 season record — 7-0 overall, 1.000, beat Kadena 13-0 in DODEA D-I championship on Oct. 25.
Head coach — Tony Alvarado, fifth season as head coach (has been part of Dragons program for 11 seasons), 17-8 overall.
Championships — Three D-I titles (2005, 2013, 2024).
Returning players — 13.
Returning starters — 7.
Key performers — Ryan Hater, Sr., RB; Maurice Brown, Jr., QB; Ethan Ferch, Jr., RB; Isaiah Thompson, Sr., L; Mateo Solano, Jr., L; James Johnson, Jr., L (transferred from States); Jayden Rivera, Sr., slot-RB-CB; Sho Okuhara, Jr., WR; Alexander Opel, Jr., WR (transferred from States); Josiah Good, Sr., LB-FB.
Strengths — Key skills players who were understudies to last year’s big three of Carlos Cadet, Lukas Gaines and Haustyn Lunsford; now stepping up in their place. Small but experienced core of returning linemen.
Drawbacks — Younger, mostly juniors instead of seniors. Replacing Cadet, Gaines and Lunsford won’t be easy.
Overview — Reloading. Not a great deal of size, but good speed and quickness. It’ll take mastering an offense designed around speed and quickness; if they can, the Dragons could return to the D-I football final, as they have the last two seasons.
2025 Season schedule
Saturday, Aug. 30
Humphreys at Kubasaki
Friday, Sept. 5
Kubasaki at Kadena
Saturday, Sept. 13
Kubasaki at Humphreys
Friday, Sept. 19
Nile C. Kinnick at Kubasaki
Friday, Oct. 3
Kadena at Kubasaki
Friday, Oct. 10
Kubasaki at Nile C. Kinnick
Postseason
Saturday, Oct. 26
Championship, pairing and site to be determined.
Friday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 18 is a makeup weekend in case of inclement weather or other difficulties.
