WAIMEA — Senior forward Joel Soriano nailed a 3-pointer with seconds left to give the Menehune the lead. That lead would hold up as time ran out.
Waimea High School’s varsity boys basketball team defeated Kauai High, 38-37, Friday evening at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
“That one felt like déjà vu for me,” Soriano said, referencing a game-winning 3-pointer he had last season.
“Once it left my hand, all I thought was, ‘I hope I make it,’” he continued. “I’m just happy I made it. That was for my team.”
Soriano’s 3-pointer to give Waimea (3-4 KIF, 2-1 2nd round) a one-point lead was the only time the team led. That score dug the Menehune out a late six-point deficit.
In the fourth quarter, the Menehune erased a double-digit deficit from and outscored Kauai High, 18-9.
“We looked at this game. We knew we had to win,” said Waimea head coach Dino Pabre. “We were backed into a corner. We had no other options but to win. We worked hard in practice. We talked about it a lot, about the mental and strategic part of the game, to prepare them for Kauai High because we had to get past them. We had to get past them to get another day.”
With Friday’s win, Waimea stays in contention for the season’s second round.
“It’s surreal. I’ve been waiting for all my years for this,” Soriano said of contending for a league title. “It’s coming down to this, but still looking forward to the next game.”
Kauai High (6-1 KIF, 2-1 2nd round) led after three quarters, 28-20.
Tied at 30-30 later on and with the bonus situation, the Red Raiders were 6-6 from the free throw line down the stretch. But Kauai couldn’t hold on to its lead.
After Soriano’s go-ahead 3-pointer, Kauai had the last possession with three seconds remaining. Red Raiders junior guard CJ Cromartie took a desperation 3-point attempt as time ran out, but his shot bounced off the rim.
“I saw a team outplay us. I saw a team that out-hustled us,” said Kauai head coach Ipo Yoshioka. “Credit to Waimea. It’s their game tonight, and they deserved it. Give them all the credit in the world. We did not do what we were supposed to do.”
Had Kauai High won Friday’s game, the Red Raiders would have clinched its second-consecutive Kauai Interscholastic Federation varsity boys basketball championship and would have stayed unbeaten in the season.
“(I told the team), ‘You got to work harder. Any team can work harder than you. In the back of your mind, you got to work harder than anybody else.’ We didn’t,” Yoshioka said. “We got to go back to practice and work harder than anybody else. Not only the players, but the coaches, too.”
Friday was Waimea’s senior night. Nine Menehune seniors were recognized following the contest.
“You’ll probably not get another (class) like this. These guys are special,” Pabre said. “You can see their character on and off the court. They play the game with humility. They play the game it’s supposed to be played.”
He added: “You can’t ask for more. This senior class, they’ve been through a lot. For four years, most of them played together. This is a great win for them. This is the memory that they’ll have for their senior night. But tomorrow morning, it’s a new day.”
Soriano finished with seven points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block. Menehune senior guard DJ Pabre led Waimea in scoring with 11 points and also had six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Sophomore guard David Sabo Jr. had 10 points — all scored in the final period — five rebounds and two assists.
Cromartie finished with eight points, one assist and one rebound. Red Raiders senior guard Christian Manera totaled 10 points, two steals, a rebound and an assist. Junior guard Kaimani Tecson had two points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Kauai won the junior varsity game in overtime, 51-50. Kauai’s Keane Tibon scored 21 points. Waimea’s Elion Jamoraban scored 20.
Waimea will next play at Kapaa High School (1-5 KIF, 0-2 2nd round) on Tuesday. The JV game will begin 5:30 p.m. and the varsity will follow.
Kauai will host Kapaa on Friday to close out the KIF regular season.
