LIHUE — Kauai High School boys basketball clinched the Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic boys basketball championship on Friday with a convincing 58-45 victory over Kapaa High School during the KIF games played at the new Kauai High School gymnasium where the Red Raiders hosted about 100 King Kaumualii Elementary DANCE students to the Kauai High School Senior Night.
The excitement was not limited to just the varsity fight for championships as over at the Wilcox Gymnasium, the Island School Voyagers prevailed over the Waimea Menehune by two points.
During the Junior Varsity matchup at the Raiderdome, the name assigned to the Kauai High School gym by its students, the JV Raiders held off a strong JV Warrior squad to win by five points, 28-23 behind the pace set by Jose Mikemund who finished with eight points, including a threeball in the third quarter.
Kapaa was looking at a 6-14 hole coming out of the first quarter before coming back with a 12-4 run in the third period when Kaleo Gonsalves poured in seven of his points. Gonsalves finished with the team’s high scoring honors.
Over at the Wilcox Gym, the Menehune held at 28-21 lead at the half until Island School outgunned Waimea, 19-10 in the final stanza for the win by two points. Garrett Hadley, who ended with a game-total 14 points, marked 10 points, including a pair of long distance bombs, in that explosive frame. He got help from Lucas Summerhays who poured in eight points, including a pair of treys. Summerhays finished with a game-high 18 points in the win.
Waimea scoring was led by Rhenz Punzalan who ended with nine points, all threeballs, Brayden Mira dropping eight points, and Mar Ruiz finishing with six points.
On the Must-Win-For-Title floor, Kauai High School’s Reese Jenkins exploded for a game-high 25 points, including five scores from outside the three point mark. Camren Holt-Ho added 11 points, and Barkley Gilmore finished with 11 points coming off the bench.
Austin Green topped the Warriors’ scoring with 20 points, including a sole trey that dropped in the final quarter. Guard Reimel Camacho added 14 points, including a fourth quarter trey.
With the CPB KIF title, Kauai High School boys basketball will represent the KIF at the 2025 Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II boys basketball state championships that will contest Feb. 19 through 21 on Oahu.
