KALAHEO — Na Koa fifth grade boys held off a strong comeback by the Warriors, and Kaulupono fifth grade boys swarmed the ball to claim championship trophies for their respective divisions Thursday night during the finale of the youth basketball summer league games at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Na Koa turned to the service of its low post, Ty Kamoku, to lead the charge Kamoku finished the night with 10 points followed by Omar Perez who dropped his six points in the first half when Na Koa turned to the long ball to help the Eastside boys build a 25-17 bulge at the break.
Piko Vaughn and Kamalei Gonsalves tickled the net from outside the three-point arc for Na Koa and was matched when the Warriors’ Cody Udarbe found the bucket from the outside for the Warriors’ sole trey.
Warriors’ coach Max Manera settled the blueshirts at the break, and the Lihue team mustered a nice rally behind the hand of Zyren Wade Padilla, who took command of the stick by netting nine of his total 11 points in the second half. Coach Manera was on his feet in the final ticks of the game with spectators ignited to thunderous levels of enthusiastic cheer.
Peeling against the eight-point halftime deficit, Padilla found the bucket from outside the Na Koa defense of Koikoa Kanakaole, Kamoku, and Gonsalves to swish the net from the outside. Manera jumped up from the bench and the crowd going crazy with 1:30 showing in the game. The Warriors were within a bucket of deadlocking the match, 33-31.
The seconds ticked down amidst loud cheering, turnovers from both sides and missed free throws to give the win to Na Koa, who held on to the ball at the final buzzer. Both teams had an opportunity for the game at the charity stripe, but Na Koa ended with just a CJ Jenkens mark in eight tries while the Warriors saw Padilla finish 3-8 at the foul line.
Following the lead of Kamoku and Perez, Na Koa got five points each from Gonsalves and Vaughn, four marks from Kaikoa Kanakaole, and a first-half digit from CJ Jenkens.
Padilla finished with a game-high 11 points to lead the Warriors’ performance, nine falling in the second half. Kyzen Bisarra did his damage in the first half with eight of his game-total 10 points dropping. Telven Borales added four points, Udarbe finished with the sole trey and Randy Ragasa and Kanaloa Yasutake each paired.
With the crowd stoked from the boys’ title game, Kaulupono swarmed the ball and held the Westside White to just 10 points while netting 17 points for the girls fifth grade championship medals.
Strong guard Kiaura Ortiz-Rita led the charge that included a trio of third grade girls with nine points, and low post Ari Acosta added four points in the win that saw Westside white being held to just a pair, 11-2, at the break.
Similar to the boys’ game ahead of them, Westside White coach Jason Peralta settled the whiteshirts and came back with a 6-6 second half performance that kept parents on both sides cheering their players.
Following the leaders, Kaulupono’s win got help from Cyani Bagaoisan-Rita and Taira Samiano. Samiano came into the fray for the final Kaulupono games. Each player netted pairs.
Kaylen Lewis and Xyrah Kua topped the Westside White effort on four points apiece.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
