By: Annaliese Gumboc
Trey Dacoscos spent most of his sophomore season on the sidelines. This marked his debut year at Pearl City, following his transfer from Mililani. It was also his first chance to engage in a high school season since COVID had prevented any HHSAA football games during his freshman year. During the offseason, Trey’s efforts paid off as he secured the starting quarterback position over two senior competitors for the Chargers. However, his time in this role was short-lived, lasting only a couple of weeks due to an injury.
Early in Trey’s sophomore season, the Chargers faced PAC-5 in a non-league match. The game began on a positive note for Trey and his team, as they scored during the opening drive. However, in the second drive, while executing a routine play, Trey was tackled while attempting a rollout after stepping up into the pocket.
“He took me to the ground and I tore my knee, and I just felt my knee pop,” Trey recalled. “And I knew something was wrong right away, because I grabbed my knee…And I just felt a shock through my knee, and it just started heating up.”
At first, fueled by adrenaline, the injury didn’t seem too severe to Trey. He was eager to return to the field, but the trainers didn’t give him the green light. As a result, he was unable to play for the rest of his sophomore season, once again disrupting the beginning of his high school journey.
Thankfully, if there’s anyone capable of bouncing back from a significant setback, it’s Trey Dacoscos. Raised by a former Farrington player, Trey was immersed in football from the age of four, consistently showcasing a remarkable determination to put in the effort and achieve success.
From a young age, football has remained a constant in Trey’s life. “It was an everyday thing,” he said, when discussing his childhood. “Because everyday practices, and then you have games on the weekend, and then I remember me and my dad would always put in extra work at the park or in the backyard all the time.”
Trey’s unwavering dedication to football, his aspiration for a scholarship, and, above all, his deep gratitude for his family were powerful sources of motivation. “I just really want to prove them right and all the work that they put in for me and what they do for me, all their sacrifices,” he said. “I just want to show that all of this is not for nothing. There’s a reason for everything.”
Subsequently, as Trey got older, he dedicated more and more time to the gridiron. He’s the kind of guy that’s always on the field, putting in work when no one else will. He stated, “it’s an everyday thing with practice, and I’m always watching film 24/7 to better myself, and even when I’m not at practice, I’ll be at the field or at the gym, trying to improve and better myself.”
Trey’s commitment remained steadfast even after he suffered a knee injury during his sophomore year. He diligently underwent rehabilitation and collaborated with a personal trainer to recuperate. Despite the injury, he stayed engaged with the team, aiding coaches, analyzing game footage, and contributing to play strategies. By the onset of his junior year, Trey had fully recovered and was enthusiastic about making his comeback on the field.
Finally given the chance to start, Trey excelled in his junior year, leading the Chargers to an impressive 4-1 record at the commencement of the 2022 season. However, during their sixth game against Kaiser, Trey sustained an ankle injury while striving for extra yardage close to the endzone. Despite the injury, he persevered and continued to play, contributing to Pearl City’s fifth victory of the season, “but the aftermath of the injury was really bad,” Trey stated.
Following the ankle injury, Trey found himself back on the sidelines. Yet, he didn’t give up. Instead, he pushed himself to recuperate before the playoffs, determined to ensure his team wouldn’t be without their starting quarterback. “When I get hurt, it really affects the whole team,” he said.
Trey’s absence undeniably had an impact on the Chargers’ offense. During the season, Trey had successfully thrown 22 touchdown passes, whereas without him, Pearl City only managed three. Nevertheless, the Chargers admirably concluded the regular season with a 7-2 record, securing the second seed in the OIA DII playoffs.
In the semifinal stage of the OIA playoffs, the Chargers were once more pitted against Kaiser. Although Trey’s ankle had not fully healed, he recognized the importance of his return to bolster his team’s prospects of progressing to the finals. “I still had a little bit of pain, but I just had to push through,” he said. “Because it was win or go home.”
Despite the challenge posed by Trey’s injury, Pearl City managed to maintain a lead over Kaiser during the first half. The Chargers fought with determination, yet were unable to retain their advantage, resulting in a 31-24 loss to the lower-seeded Kaiser team.
Trey was devastated by the loss. “That one really hurt, ’cause all the hard work throughout the season, preseason, during summer. It just ended off on a bad note, that we weren’t able to go to a championship. And I was really hoping to bring Pearl City their first OIA championship because they haven’t won one yet,” Trey said. “I felt proud of myself that I really pushed my limits. But we weren’t able to come out with a win, so that was really devastating for the team, and I felt really bad for the seniors especially, because that was basically their last game.”
Now, with his senior season just beginning, Trey has one last opportunity to prove himself and secure a championship. While he’s yet to remain injury-free for an entire season, he holds a firm conviction that this year will hold something exceptional, both for himself and the Chargers. “I think we have a really strong squad,” he said. “Everyone’s really connected and we have a special bond together. All the coaches are bonding with the players and we’re all on the same path and we all share the same goal. So I think we’re a really strong force this year.”
Despite his evident skill and remarkable character, Trey’s career has been hampered by injuries, which might explain the lack of college offers. Nonetheless, Trey remains undeterred; in fact, his motivation has only intensified. “I know it just takes one good season for the offers to start rolling in. So I’m just waiting for them to come in. And I just have to strive to do my best this year and we’ll see what happens.”
Regardless of the hardships he has faced, Trey loves football. “I don’t know what it is,” he said, “but just the atmosphere of the Friday night lights, and walking down on the field, you get that–that burst in your body.” No matter the injuries, or the unlikely odds, Trey will always give his all under those Friday night lights.
Trey’s story is far from over. His performance was remarkable in Pearl City’s inaugural game of the season. He completed 24 out of 35 passes for 244 yards, throwing 4 touchdowns and no interceptions, leading his team to a resounding 42-12 victory over Kaua’i and the Chargers came away with a win over Kaiser in the second week of play. This could very well be just the start of something great.
