LIHU‘E — Reasons to celebrate filled the Tuesday night air as the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation hosted boys basketball at both the Wilcox Gymnasium on the Island School campus, and at the Kaua‘i High School gym.
With just one more game scheduled Saturday, the Kapa‘a High School varsity team coached by Kamahalo Kauhane picked up its eighth win, 68-51 over the Voyagers to effectively lock up the KIF boys title. Earlier, the Junior Varsity Warriors ended with a 44-25 victory over the JV Voyagers to wrap up the Kapa‘a sweep in Voyagerland.
Over at the Kaua‘i High School gym, the Red Raiders celebrated Senior Night by sweeping Waimea, 42-29 in the JV contest, and 65-20 in the varsity matchup.
Tresten Scully fired off four bombs from outside the three-point arc to lead the JV Kapa‘a win on 14 points. Kapono Sullivan continued to lead the JV Voyagers with 10 points balanced in the game where Orion Magaoay fired off a pair of treys toward his eight points.
Kala Rall and Mikey Questin led the undefeated Warrior varsity with 19 points apiece, Kala getting a pair of treys toward his game total, and Keaka Kauhane added 13 points, including a trio of treys to the win.
The Voyagers went to the three-ball to come from an 18-39 halftime deficit to outscore Kapa‘a 33-29 in the second half. Joshua Dobashi led the effort with a game-total 17 points, including three bombs from long distance. He got help from Lukas Myers who finished with 13 points, including a third quarter three-ball. Braden Viohl fired off three second-half three-balls to end with 11 points.
Kaua‘i High School fans had more than just six seniors to celebrate as they raised the roof on stuff attempts and scores from the bench as well as court performances from the team’s Junior Varsity upgrades.
Camren Hoh-Ho topped the JV Red Raider 42-29 victory with 16 points, and Josh Rego added 10 points to the win, two of the marks coming from three-balls.
Daniel Kaohelauli‘i-Kala raised eyebrows from the stands when he took the floor for the JV Menehune, leading the effort with seven points followed by Rhenz Punzalan nailing six first-half marks and Vincent Lizzia adding five second-half points, including a fourth-quarter trey.
The six graduating seniors — Ethan Smith, Ridge Serraon, Mikey Manera, Kailen Salud, Mareyon Cromartie, and Tyrus Duran made their marks on the game by forming the Starting Five and had ample playing time to the delight of the large home stand. The senior-led contingent also limited the Menehune to just 20 points throughout the contest.
Manera topped the win on 15 points, including a three-ball, Smith had a huge night under the boards and added four points, Doran added four points, Cromartie hustled for six points, Salud came off the bench for three marks, and Serraon finished with 13 points, including a trey, and dropping eight marks in the opening stanza.
Tresten Shigematsu, Kelani Lewis, and Damien Akita topped the Menehune effort with five points apiece.
With the victory, Kaua‘i travels to the Bernice Hundley Gym, Saturday for a match against Kapa‘a while Waimea hosts Island School at the Clem Gomes Gym. Tipoff for the JV games are at 5:30 p.m. at both sites with the varsity games to start 20 minutes following the completion of the JV games.
Scoreboard
Wilcox Gymnasium
Kapa‘a 68, Island School 51
Kapa‘a JV 44, Island School JV 25
Kaua‘i High School gym
Kaua‘i JV 42, Waimea JV 29
Kaua‘i 65, Waimea 20
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
