Prep Beat
STATE PREP TOURNAMENTS
Boys’ volleyball final
By Stan Atkins
decided today
Special to the Star-BulletinIt will be the Interscholastic League of Honolulu against the neighbor islands in the semifinals of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state boys' volleyball tournament this afternoon at the Waiakea High School gym.
Top-seed Punahou and Kamehameha of Oahu, against Seabury Hall of Maui and Konawaena of the Big Island, respectively.
The Buffanblu rallied to beat an inspired Pearl City team, 11-15, 15-9, 15-1. Punahou rebounded after losing its first set of the tournament, weathering a point-penalty midway through the second set and a partisan Pearl City crowd throughout the contest, to defeat the Chargers.
"We got off to a slow start, sitting around waiting for the game," said Punahou coach Scott Rigg. "But it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
Konawaena also took three sets to repel rival Waiakea, 9-15, 15-13, 15-5, at the Warriors' home court. The Wildcats were led by senior Daniel Rasay's 20 kills and junior Nick Berry's 17, sending the Big Island Interscholastic Federation's third-place team to the semifinals.
At Waiakea High School, Hilo HHSAA BOYS' STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinals: Seabury Hall vs. Punahou, 2 p.m.; Konawaena vs. Kamehameha, 3:30 p.m.
Third place: 5:30 p.m.
Championship: 7:30 p.m.
"We were coming back in the first game but lost," said Konawaena head coach Guy Enriques. "We gained momentum and used it to propel us through those last two sets.
"These kids are all friends so it's tough to get them up to battle their pals."
Konawaena meets Kamehameha in today's second semifinal at 3:30 p.m.
Kamehameha, in search of its first title since 1993, rolled past Kalaheo, 15-8, 15-7. The Warriors have yielded just 30 points in six tournament contests, while blitzing the Mustangs with nine-unanswered points to come back and win Game 2 going away.
Coach Pono Maa said his Warriors are playing well.
"We don't have any individual play, everyone is doing their part on defense," he said. "We do have some offensive firepower, but right now the 'D' is turning on the 'O.' "
The first semifinal at 2 p.m. will involve Maui champion Seabury Hall, a 15-12, 15-8 winner over Hilo.
The Spartans received 12 kills from senior Luke Brown to turn back the Vikings in a close contest before a vocal Hilo crowd.
But Punahou will be the opponent, and no neighbor island team has won the championship since Hilo in the inaugural year of 1969. The Spartans have the height and the potent offense, but experience makes the difference at this time of the year.
"I think our kids showed great character after the penalty," said Rigg.
"That ignited us and gave us the momentum to win that last game 15-1. That was satisfying to beat a team that deserved to be the OIA champions. We're hungry again."
Chang, Philipp win
Star-Bulletin staff
cross-country titlesThe third time was the charm for Punahou's Victoria Chang.
Chang, the runner-up in the past two state cross-country meets, won the girls' individual title yesterday in the Honolulu Marathon State Cross Country Championship at Wailuku, Maui.
The boys' title went to Mililani's Robby Philipp.
Chang finished the two-mile course in 12 minutes and 27 seconds -- 47 seconds ahead of runner-up Pippa Macdonald, also of Punahou. Ironically, Chang finished second to Macdonald's older sister Eri, a four-time state champion, the last two years.
Philipp also improved on last season's runner-up finish by winning by six seconds over Aiea's Brad Beruan, in 16:35.
In the team competition, Kamehameha edged Punahou, 52-66, for the boys' title.
Although it is the third consecutive championship for the Warriors, it is considered an upset because Punahou had won all eight of the meets during the regular season.
Punahou easily won the girls' title over Kamehameha, 27-94.
At Lihue, Lutheran's Shaye Okutani and Redemption Academy's Stephen Babcock won individual titles yesterday at the Hawaiian Airlines State Bowling Championships at Lihue Lanes. BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Okutani's nine-game total of 1,768 is 104 pins better than Roosevelt's Tiffany Gois.
Babcock, a senior, is in his first year of high school bowling, as this is Redemption Academy's first year in the ILH.
In team competition, the Hilo girls and Aiea boys were successful in defending their state titles.