Kapa’a hosts Waimea Tuesday with the KIF title and a state berth at stake, and you thought Game 7s were reserved only for the NBA postseason. Shame on you. The end of a lengthy season series is slated to unfold
Kapa’a hosts Waimea Tuesday with the KIF title
and a state berth at stake, and you thought Game 7s were reserved only for the NBA postseason.
Shame on you.
The end of a lengthy season series is slated to unfold February 13 at Kapa’a Gym when the Warriors host Waimea. The winner goes to the state tournament. The loser starts running beaches in preparation for next year.
Tuesday will be the seventh meeting of year between the squads, including two preseason games. Kapa’a carries a 4-2 edge into Tuesday’s title tilt. It also has the advantage of having won the last meeting, February 2, 50-44.
“As coaches, we’re kind of lost as to what to tell the boys at this point,” Warriors coach Michael Ban said. “Whether as a coach or player, I’ve never in my life played one team this many times in a season.”
In the Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation season, each team is 2-0 against the other at home, 0-2 on the road. Kapa’a’s average victory has come by five points, Waimea’s by 10.5.
“It goes without saying that we’ll know each other pretty well by game time,” Ban said. “We’re just going to show the kids past game tapes to get them ready.
“Regardless of anything, the game still has to be played. We’ve got to come out and do it.”
Waimea lost 56-52 at Kapa’a in the KIF season opener on January 2. The Menehunes lost to Kaua’i a week later, but their confidence did not waver. Six-foot-2, 260-pound sophomore Austin Alquiza made his debut in that game against the Red Raiders, and Waimea showed signs of the kind of damage it could do.
Along with forwards Keola Karratti, the league’s leading rebounder (6.7 per game), and Jordan Dizon, the Menehunes discovered a three-headed attack in the post. They unveiled the product in a 67-58 victory over the Warriors on January 12. The score was not indicative of the Menehunes’ dominance.
Three days later, Kapa’a downed Kaua’i by eight to seal the KIF first-round title.
The Menehunes then trounced the Warriors to open the second round, and Ban looked the part of a lost soul.
“As I’ve said before, we really hit rock bottom there,” Ban said.
The team was dealing with internal struggles. It had just lost two players from its roster for undisclosed reasons. Coaches and players also were suffering the emotional strains spawned by the passing of Kapa’a Elementary School principal Cliff Bailey.
“That was hard on everybody,” Ban said. “It was a stressful time.”
The real bottom was found three days later, on January 26, when the Warriors lost to visiting Kaua’i, effectively eliminating their chance to win the KIF without a playoff.
Meanwhile, Waimea hit a peak about that time, crushing host Kaua’i 50-32 on January 30.
But Kapa’a managed to turn the corner. Though a hard-edge attitude remained, the Warriors seemed to retain a bit of the family aura that carried them early in the season.
They followed a home win over Waimea with an emotional road victory at Kaua’i February 6, and now appear to be playing solid ball.
“We’ve had some really good practices lately,” Ban said. “I’m really proud of my kids for bouncing back from all the turmoil and staying strong.”
Waimea, on the other hand, has cooled a bit of late. The Menehunes looked a step slow in their February 2 loss to Kapa’a, as they struggled to get into an offensive flow.
The difference appeared to be the Warriors’ defense, which sewed up the middle that Waimea had become accustomed to exploiting.
The Menehunes also had trouble getting the engine started Friday night against Kaua’i. But they managed, and now Tuesday’s showdown is set.
The Warriors will need a strong effort from senior Rhyan Greenleaf. The forward is leading the KIF with 11.3 points per game.
As for the Menehunes, they must find a way to get production in the paint from the likes of Karratti, also the league’s fourth-best scorer at 9.5 ppg, Alquiza and Dizon. Success will force Kapa’a to pack its defense into the key area, allowing Waimea guards Winnie Arios (8.6 ppg), Nikko Naumu, Byron Vea, Micah Bermoy and Darwin Tutop to fire from the outside.
The Skinny
-What: Waimea at Kapa’a
-When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
-At Stake: Winner goes to state tournament
-Season series: Kapa’a lead 4-2; series is 2-2 in KIF season
Sports editor Jason Gallic at 245-3681 or mailto:kauaisports@pulitzer.net
