LIHU‘E — The Kapa‘a Warriors could have coasted. They could have sat on their round 1 win and Round 2 standings lead. They could have played soft, resting on the fact that the Red Raiders would have to beat them
LIHU‘E — The Kapa‘a Warriors could have coasted. They could have sat on their round 1 win and Round 2 standings lead. They could have played soft, resting on the fact that the Red Raiders would have to beat them three times in order to win the KIF title.
They didn’t, and now they’re KIF champions yet again.
The Warriors slammed shut the Red Raiders’ window of hope and the title with a 80-62 win over the Red Raiders at Kaua‘i High School.
Heading into the game with a 3-0 round record and Round 1 all ready in their pockets, the Warriors knew they had quite the cushion heading into the game with the 2-1 Red Raiders. But Kapa‘a coach Philip Baclayon didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He wanted that title, and he wanted it to happen Friday night.
“We wanted to end it tonight,” Baclayon said. “With how close it’s been all year, we didn’t want it to carry out for another game. It had to end tonight.”
The Warriors led after all four quarters, with a 13 point lead at halftime. But the Red Raiders wouldn’t go away quietly, as a Donovan Harrison three-pointer at the buzzer brought Kaua‘i within 10 heading into the final quarter. But that was the closest the Red Raiders got, as the Warriors made sure they were crowned at the final whistle.
In the fourth, the Warriors exploded for 25 points, with 9 points from Willis Batol and 8 from Lance Miyashiro in the quarter.
Miyashiro led the Warriors with 24 total points, with Batol right behind him with 21.
“To win today was very important for us,” Batol said. “We wanted to win this year and have time to get ready to go play in state.”
The Warriors finished with four players scoring in double figures. They took advantage of the Red Raiders —who were missing Ricky Tommy and center Mikal Moranz, who fouled out early in the third quarter — in the paint, converting on many close shots.
“Those little knick-knack shots that you don’t often look at, they capitalized on and we didn’t,” Kaua‘i head coach Ipo Yoshioka said. “They’re capable and they’ll do a good job at the state tournament and I wish them luck.”
The Red Raiders, although down by double digits most the game, received a strong effort from senior Donovan Harrison.
Harrison led all scorers with 30 points — 21 in the second half — and capped off his final high school game with a dunk in traffic in the fourth quarter.
“Donovan Harrison is Mr. 110, Mr. 120, Mr. 130 percent,” Yoshioka said. “In the fourth quarter I told him to flush it. That was his senior present. It was his senior game and he had a chance and what a bang.”
Kerwin Morano added 12 points for the Red Raiders.
The Warriors advance to the state tournament next week on O‘ahu, something that Baclayon said he and his team haven’t put much focus toward yet.
“We didn’t look past this game,” he said.
While the Warriors are sure to take advantage of the extra practice time focus on the state tournament, for the time being the Kapa‘a boys will revel in a successful defense of their KIF crown.
“It feels great,” Batol said. “It can’t get any better than this.”
