Musings and mutterings as Ornauer counts down the days to Far East wrestling (14), Far East basketball (18) and the first official day of spring sports practices (26):

-- To compete at a higher level, Kadena's boys basketball team needs that "ability to sustain," coach Robert Bliss said after the Panthers led Oroku by 10 points in the third quarter, only to fall 76-61 in Sunday's championship game of the 3rd Okinawa-American Shootout. Kadena played well in the first half, just as it did the second half of tis semifinal victory earlier Monday. At 21-11, the Panthers remain competitive but need to "find that consistency," Bliss said.

-- Five individual gold medals and the overall team title in Saturday's E.J. King Invitational Wrestling Tournament doth not a Far East champion make, Yokota's Brian Kitts said. "Far East is the big one for a reason," he said.

-- Speaking of that tournament, pretty cool, seeing all three DODDS-Korea teams traveling to Japan to face the five DODDS mat entities there for an in-season tournament for the first time. Osan, Daegu and Seoul American coaches and wrestlers got a good look at the Japan opponents they'll face in next month's Far East Tournament on Okinawa, and also picked their brains about Okinawa powers Kubasaki and defending Far East champion Kadena. Great preparation.

-- So, they lost Leyna Arbour and Monica Kusaka to graduation? Coach Kurt Rose left with his cupboard bare? Hardly. Behind the scoring touch of Arbour's sister Hannah -- who appears completely recovered from knee reconstructive surgery last spring -- the International School of the Sacred Heart Symbas appear alive and well and leading the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls basketball standings. Evidence: Tuesday's 54-43 home win over Yokota. Maybe this year, with Faith Academy moving up to Class AA, this could be the year Rose & Co. reclaim the Far East Class A Tournament title they last won in 2004.