HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WRESTLING

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Bailey Ball of Lahainaluna, bottom, beat McKinley's Patrick Eglinton last night in the boys 140 final, one of three individual championships for the Lunas.

Kahuku boys win as a team

By Paul Honda
phonda@starbulletin.com

Midway through the boys finals, contending coaches had already conceded.

The highly anticipated drama between evenly balanced title contenders was done early. Kahuku, they knew and confessed, ruled the roost. The Red Raiders, without a single individual champion, rolled up 188.5 points to win the Chevron/HHSAA Wrestling State Championship last night at Blaisdell Arena.

"It's good to win as a team. They've worked so hard," longtime coach Reggie Torres Sr. said.

"Some of them lost (in the finals), and it was heartbreaking, but it was ultimately a team effort."

Punahou, champion of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, was runner-up with 166 points. Saint Louis (144.5), Lahainaluna (130) and Kamehameha (117.5) rounded out the top five.

"Between us, Saint Louis, Punahou, Lahainaluna and Kahuku, everybody could have won," Kamehameha coach Chris West said. "It was just a matter of who showed up. Reggie Torres is an incredible coach."

Kahuku got second-place performances by Daniel Morita (130 weight class), Richard Torres (135), Nevin Kamakaala (145) and Clellan Aalona (189).

Daymon Carr (152) and Kaeo Alo (215) placed fourth in their divisions to fill out a balanced Red Raider performance.

Punahou fared well after winning its first ILH boys crown in 28 years.

The Buffanblu crowned individual champions Bryson Fukushima (103), Daniel Chow (135) and Mike Egesdal (171).

Brandon Low of Saint Louis was spectacular, becoming the first wrestler to win four championships in four different weight classes. Low took the 130-pound championship with an 8-4 decision over Morita.

Low finished the season with a 30-1 record.

"Now I can eat a plate lunch," he said of the battle to stay at 130 pounds. "I want barbequed chicken from Yummy's, and some birthday-cake ice cream from Coldstone."

Dylan Rush became a three-time state champion by outlasting Russel Fisher of Pac-Five/Mid-Pacific in the 275 finals. Rush was a two-time champ at 215 while at Konawaena. He transferred back home to Ka'u for his senior wrestling season because he didn't have a training partner to work with at Konawaena.

Rush fought off the previously unbeaten Fisher and scored the winning points in the final minute for a 3-1 decision.

Rush became Ka'u's second individual champion ever. The first was Andrew Louis, who won the state 119 title in 1978, and was present for last night's Trojan win.

Lahainaluna enjoyed the efforts of Travis Okano and Bailey Ball, who won titles in the 119 and 140 divisions.

Team standings

1. Kahuku, 188.5; 2. Punahou, 166; 3. Saint Louis, 144.5; 4. Lahainluna, 130; 5. Kamehameha 117.5; 6. Pearl City, 63; 7. Waipahu, 58; t8. Mililani, Waiakea, 51.5; 10. Iolani, 48; 11. Castle, 45; 12. Konawaena, 42; 13. McKinley, 41; 14. King Kekaulike, 40.5; 15. Maui, 39.5; 16. Molokai, 35; 17. Baldwin, 32; 18. Moanalua, 30; 19. Roosevelt, 28; 20. Kealakehe, 27; t21. Aiea, Kau, 26; 23. Mid-Pacific, 25; t24. Damien, Radford, 21; 26. Nanakuli, 20; 27. Campbell, 18; 28. Hilo, 14; 29. Kaiser, 10; 30. Farrington, 9; t31. Kapolei, Leilehua, 8; 33. Pahoa, 6; t34. Kalaheo, University, 5; t36. Hawaii Baptist, Honokaa, Kalani, Kamehameha-Hawaii, Kamehameha-Maui, Waianae, Word of Life, 4; t43. Maryknoll, Waialua, 3; t45. Hawaii Prep, Kaimuki, 1.

State Champions

103 Pounds

Bryson Fukushima
Punahou

Championship match
Bryson Fukushima (Punahou) def. Bryson Morita (Iolani) 3-0
Fukushima was utterly defensive, outdueling Morita in a battle of the ILH's top sophomores.
Fukushima had a simple game plan.
"My strategy was just going all out," the ILH 103 champion said.

Third-place match
Kirk Shiraki (Mililani) def. Jordan Lau (St. Louis)

Fifth-place match
Robert Herbst (Baldwin) def. Roger Ramones (Kahuku)

112 Pounds

Brandon Mina
Waipahu

Championship match
Brandon Mina (Waipahu) def. Reid Oshiro (Punahou) 5-4
Mina trailed 2-0 before pulling out a thrilling win in the final minutes against Oshiro. With 35 seconds left, he went ahead for good.
Mina, a junior, faced Oshiro in preseason action and won then as well.

Third-place match
Michael Kamiya (Kahuku) def. Nick Matayoshi (Iolani)

Fifth-place match
Mark Caberto (Saint Louis) def. Cody Gomes (Kamehameha)

119 Pounds

Travis Okano
Lahainaluna

Championship match
Travis Okano (Lahainaluna) def. Kelii Palencia (Kamehameha), pin
Okano (24-3) posted the lone pin in the boys finals, defeating Palencia of Kamehameha with 1:03 left in the second round.
"I just worked hard. I used a low fireman, then I half-nelsoned him," said Okano, a sophomore.

Third-place match
Richard Okinaga (Waiakea) def. Bobby Thompson (Saint Louis)

Fifth-place match
Royce Madarang (Waipahu) def. Maika Nagata (Punahou)

125 Pounds

Landon Kurata
Waiakea

Championship match
Landon Kurata (Waiakea) def. Mike Viloria (Lahainaluna), 9-5
Kurata (23-0) continued to defy the odds that have followed him all his life, winning his second state title.
"I can't believe we did it," said Kurata, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age. "I just went off medication a little while ago."
He won the 119 title last year.

Third-place match
Kiani Nishigaya (Saint Louis) def. Jaysen Patao (Baldwin)

Fifth-place match
Sadrian Chee (Kahuku) def. Young Sub Suh (Moanalua)

130 Pounds

Brandon Low
Saint Louis

Championship match
Brandon Low (St. Louis) def. Daniel Morita (Kahuku), 8-4
Low (30-1) came out of his win over Morita bloodied and bruised, but smiling. "He's been chasing me since freshman year," Low said.
Morita went on to win titles at 125 and 135, while Low had three titles in all going into last night's final.

Third-place match
Brenden Whitt (Punahou) def. Lee Inouye (Roosevelt)

Fifth-place match
Jordan Tanoue (Castle) def. Matthew Higa (Aiea)

135 Pounds

Daniel Chow
Punahou

Championship match
Daniel Chow (Punahou) def. Richard Torres Jr. (Kahuku), 5-0
Another Buffanblu sophomore, Chow, was superb in a win over Torres Jr, the OIA champion.
"I knew he likes to do a spadle, and I know how the move works, so to stop it I took my head to the outside," Chow said. "And he had no control over me."

Third-place match
Michael Fujiuchi (McKinley) def. Kamaehu Matsuoka (Konawaena)

Fifth-place match
Reynell Transfiguracion (Kealakehe) def. Shane Ahlo (Saint Louis)

140 Pounds

Bailey Ball
Lahainaluna

Championship match
Bailey Ball (Lahainaluna) def. Pat Eglinton (McKinley), 11-8
Ball, a senior, capped a perfect season with a decision over Eglinton.
Ball (29-0) won their previous match in preseason, 8-7. "Last time, I got caught in a head-arm (lock). He kinda tried to throw it again, and this time, I slipped out," Ball said. "He was probably waiting 'til I got tired."

Third-place match
Vincent Domingo (Kahuku) def. Josh Plechaty (Punahou)

Fifth-place match
Michael Feliciano (Konawaena) def. Chris Kardos (Saint Louis)

145 Pounds

Nicholas Pait
Pearl City

Championship match
Nicholas Pait (Pearl City) def. Nevin Kamakaala (Kahuku) 7-6
In one of the most dramatic comebacks of the night, junior Pait (16-3) rallied for a go-ahead point with 7 seconds left to down.
Kamakaala had gone ahead, 6-5, with 23 seconds left before Pait came through.

Third-place match
Lake Casco (Lahainaluna) def. Kekoa Rosales (Kamehameha)

Fifth-place match
Kenny White (Punahou) def. Fernand Baldonado (Maui)

152 Pounds

William Smythe
Mililani

Championship match
William Smythe (Mililani) def. Jonathan Los Baños (Maui) 4-1
Smythe, a three-time OIA champion, captured his second state crown. Smythe won at 145 last year.
"We used to wrestle together at Waikele when we were little," Smythe said of his foe. "I used my underhooks and two-on-ones."

Third-place match
Lowen Tynanes-Perez (Campbell) def. Daymon Carr (Kahuku)

Fifth-place match
Garrett Cockett (Moanalua) def. Cole Loewen (Lahainaluna)

160 Pounds

Bryson Vivas
Kamehameha

Championship match
Bryson Vivas (Kamehameha) def. Clinton Manley (Molokai) 3-1
Vivas fought off Manley in sudden-death for his first state title.
Vivas nearly won in regulation with a takedown at 9 seconds to go, but was ruled out of bounds. With 26 seconds left in sudden-death, he took the tough Molokai junior for a wallop, and Manley suffered an ankle injury.

Third-place match
Ira Casey (Kahuku) def. Christian Pavo (Pearl City)

Fifth-place match
J.J. Dollopac (Maui) def. Kapena Roy (Kealakehe)

171 Pounds

Mike Egesdal
Punahou

Championship match
Mike Egesdal (Punahou) def. Landon Kerbow (King Kekaulike), 6-5
Egesdal, a senior, scored on a breakout with 2 seconds left to win 6-5 over Kerbow.
Egesdal fought back into the match after trailing, scoring a point with 1:10 left to tie after an illegal hold was called on Kerbow.

Third-place match
Chas Albino (Molokai) def. Kelii Ahquin (Castle)

Fifth-place match
Truman Chun (Kamehameha) def. Charles Burd (Moanalua)

189 Pounds

Gerritt Vincent
Kamehameha

Championship match
Gerritt Vincent (Kamehameha) def. Clellan Aalona (Kahuku), 4-1
Vincent, last year's 171 champ, capped a strong senior season with a win over OIA champion Aalona.
It was Vincent's second win over Aalona this season.
"It was my toughest match all season," Vincent said.

Third-place match
Brandon Martin (Nanakuli) def. Justin Akau (King Kekaulike)

Fifth-place match
Nelson Fernandez (Roosevelt) def. Harrison Flores (Aiea)

215 Pounds

Jared Silva-Purcell
St. Louis

Championship match
Jared Silva-Purcell (Saint Louis) def. Kazden Ikehara (Kamehameha) 5-4
Silva-Purcell edged his longtime foe, Ikehara.
Silva-Purcell won all four of his battles with Ikehara this season, but none were easy.
Silva-Purcell scored the winning point with 10 seconds left.

Third-place match
Reid Moser (Lahainaluna) def. Kalani Rios (Castle)

Fifth-place match
Kaeo Alo (Kahuku) def. Kristopher Palea (Hilo)

275 Pounds

Dylan Rush
Ka'u

Championship match
Dylan Rush (Ka'u) def. Russel Fisher (Mid-Pac/Pac-Five), 3-1
Rush (23-0) brought home the school's first wrestling title since 1978, when Andrew Louis was the state's 119-pound champion.

Rush defeated ILH champion Fisher (17-1) in a thriller.

"Man, a lot of it was just scrambling around," Rush said. "He got tired out eventually."

Third-place match
Shannon Saili (Waipahu) def. Tyler Laulifi (Pearl City)

Fifth-place match
Edward Williams (Damien) def. Kyle Otineru (Saint Louis)