Papalina, Team Lihu‘e roar into Division 1 hoops

KALAHEO — Luke Hunadi and Cole Taba combined for 12 points to lead Papalina, coached by Matt Taba, to an 18-4 win over Westside, coached by Dino Pabre, Tuesday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.

Papalina and Westside were two of the Boys Division 1, or boys in the third and fourth grades, who took the floor in the county’s Youth Basketball League hosted by the Department of Parks and Recreation with help from the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association.

Matthew Taeza and Harley Ragasa dropped a pair each to account for the Westside scoring.

“The games were low-scoring with a lot of traveling and double-dribbling as the third and fourth graders learned the fundamentals in this County of Kaua‘i educational and recreational program,” said Karen Matsumoto of KYBA who coordinates the floor officials as well as scorer’s table. “It was nice to see the younger siblings of high school players being supported by their parents, grandparents and friends.”

Following a period where Coach Franny Constantino led the Supersonics, the team from Kaumakani re-emerged as Coach Franny’s son came of age.

Micah Agtunong came up with six points and Xaerys Dela Cruz added four points to lead Team Lihu‘e, coach Max Manera leading the crew, to a 15-6 showing over the Supersonics.

Mayson Broyles, Kylan Constantino and Asa Chelius each bucketed a pair to account for the Supersonics’ scoring.

Following two boys Division 2 games scheduled for Thursday starting at 6 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, the program moves to the Kilauea Neighborhood Center Saturday with three games on tap starting at 9 a.m.

Eastside, a Division 2 team, will match up with Hanakila, a team comprised largely of boys from the Hanalei and Kilauea area, starting at 9 a.m.

The Kamikaze will field its Division 2 boys team against Team Central’s Division 2 boys squad at 10 a.m.

Kapa‘a will close the day’s action with its Division 1 team against Hanakila in the 11 a.m. tipoff.