Coming on the heels of the Kaua‘i High School girls golf team who captured the HHSAA/David S. Ishii Foundation state golf team title last Thursday, three more KIF representatives will make their bid for state titles in baseball, boys golf,
Coming on the heels of the Kaua‘i High School girls golf team who captured the HHSAA/David S. Ishii Foundation state golf team title last Thursday, three more KIF representatives will make their bid for state titles in baseball, boys golf, and girls basketball this week.
The Kaua‘i High School baseball team (9-3) will be the first to see action as they take to the field at the Les Murakami Stadium on O‘ahu Tuesday afternoon starting at 4:30 p.m.
Unseeded in state play, the Red Raiders will be going up against Pearl City with Kaua‘i residents able to get play-by-play action from Anahola Joel Pahukula who will be broadcasting on KQNG Am570.
“They’re going to have to hit the ball,” said Jabba Garcia, one of the parents at the Lihu‘e Baseball League games Saturday. Garcia is already making plans to be on O‘ahu for the baseball team’s state bid.
Kaua‘i unleashed its lumberyard in the KIF finale against Waimea, driving a total of 12 runs across in the first inning.
In a radio interview, baseball head coach Hank Ibia said that Alec Reichle, one of their starting pitchers who was sidelined throughout the season with a leg injury, is now ready to throw after getting a doctor’s release.
Reichle will join starter Kirby Yates who finished the KIF season a perfect 6-0 as well as a solid defensive force.
A‘iea is the top seed for the baseball championship followed by Waiakea, Mid-Pacific, and Baldwin rounding out the top four.
On Wednesday, the Kaua‘i High School girls basketball team (8-1) under coach Dennis Aquino and assistant coach Angela Lopez will open their bid in a 4:30 p.m. game against Kalaheo at the Stan Sheriff Center on O‘ahu at the 2004 HHSAA/Hawaiian Airlines Girls State Basketball Championships.
Unseeded Kaua‘i will have to have all its players show up said one parent who will not be going to states due to the expenses involved with upcoming graduation and college.
“They’ve got some tough teams to face,” he said. “It’s going to come down to who’s going to show up.”
Konawaena picked up the first seed for the girls basketball championships followed by Kahuku, Punahou, and Baldwin.
Over at the Wailua Golf Course, Kaua‘i High School boys golf coach Winston Ogata is hoping to repeat the girls’ feat of last week.
Kaua‘i High School will be fielding eight of the nine golfers who qualified for the state championships.
Allan Baab, Bret Netzer, Cory French, Chad Nonaka, and Kellen Watabu make up the first five while Layne Morita, Jordan Cox, and Abraham Akutagawa round out the Red Raider qualifiers.
Sean Ogawa of Kula School will round out the field.
“If the boys shoot their averages, there’s a good chance we can win this,” Ogata said Monday while waiting on his golfers to arrive for one more practice round before competition begins on Wednesday.
“The (Kaua‘i) girls shot a little better than their average so they walked away with the title. If our Top Five can hit their averages, we might be doing a picture with the trophy on Thursday.”
Already on Monday, golfers from Waiakea as well as the University Lab School were on the course in preparation for the Wednesday morning tee-off.
Golfers will follow the same format as last week’s girls’ championships with a practice round on Tuesday followed by competition taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.
There is no admission fee to watch the golf action.
