PUHI — Kaua‘i High School boys basketball made a strong statement on Saturday when the Red Raiders junior varsity and varsity teams posted wins over the Island School Voyagers at the Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus.
This was the team’s inaugural appearance in the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys basketball arena after its first appearance against the Voyagers was called off. The KIF “pause” followed, and Saturday’s contest was the first boys basketball contest of the 2022 season.
During the JV contest, Kaua‘i High School posted a 56-30 win behind a barrage of long-distance balls, eight from Kaua‘i compared to a pair from the Voyagers.
The varsity Red Raiders held off a strong second-half effort from Island School, and went to the high-point shooting of Mareyon Cromartie, who finished with 24 points to walk off with a 54-44 win over the Voyagers.
In the victory, the varsity Red Raiders again peppered the hoop with the long ball, Kaua‘i finishing with five, four coming from Cromartie. The Voyagers equaled the shots from outside the three-point arc with five, led by Josh Dobashi launching a pair in the final quarter.
Mikey Manera sparked the strong start by the Raiders, where the redshirts outscored Island School, 15-4. Manera fueled the surge by dropping eight of his game-total 14 points in the frame.
But the Voyagers responded in the second quarter, outgunning the Raiders 15-9 and limiting the Kaua‘i production to just two shooters, making just a five-point deficit at the break.
Cromartie dropped 16 of his game-total 24 points in the second half.
Dobashi topped the Voyager scoring with 15 points, including a pair of treys. He was followed by Braden Viohl, who netted his seven points in the second quarter. Freshman Lucas Summerhays ended with six-for-eight at the charity stripe in the third quarter.
Brian Brown from the JV Raiders dropped a dozen points, including a three-ball in the second quarter, to cop high-point honors in the JV win. Issac Mirey followed with 10 points, six dropping in the second half, and Kala‘i Esteban ended with seven points in the win.
Kahi Apao led the JV Voyagers with 10 points, followed by Garret Hadley adding five points, including a third-quarter trey.
With the win, Kaua‘i next makes the trip to the Clem Gomes Gym today for a match against Waimea. Island School heads to the Bernice Hundley Gym for a matchup against Kapa‘a.
The JV games tip-off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the varsity contest starting 20 minutes following the completion of the JV contests.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
