RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Top-ranked Iolani's Kawika Shoji and No. 2 Punahou's Scott Otake tangled for a rebound in the second period of last night's game.
Iolani fends off Punahou
The Buffanblu put up a good fight,
but the Raiders prevail to clinch
the ILH championship
Not many expected this much resistance.
No. 1 Iolani beat No. 2 Punahou 63-58 last night to capture its fourth straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu basketball championship. But the victory was far from easy for the Raiders, who improved to 13-0. The Buffanblu (11-2) showed they were ready and nearly accomplished what would have been a shocking upset.
"We can't be happy that we lost," Buffanblu post Kasey Ko said as the large home crowd at Hemmeter Fieldhouse filed for the exits. "But we can say we tried our hardest. We did about as much as we could do to prepare for this game, and we felt confident when we took a three-point lead late, so we know we can do it."
Punahou may get another chance against Iolani in the state tournament in two weeks. Most likely, they'll be in opposite sides of the bracket and could potentially meet in the final.
The two-time defending state champion Raiders talked about how calm they were in the face of defeat, and how it got them through.
"I guess the thought of losing was in the back of my mind," said Iolani floor leader Derrick Low, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half. "The sign of a great team is how you respond to tough situations. We kept our heads cool and focused and we stuck with it and made it back in. It was a good win."
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Scott Otake and Iolani's Sean Carney (30) went after a loose ball in the first period of last night's showdown at Punahou School.
Hitting 13 of 14 free throws in the final period helped offset a horrible night of shooting for the Raiders.
"Two things really stand out in my mind about the game," Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said. "Punahou did a fantastic job of adjusting after the last time we played them (a convincing Iolani win). They created all kinds of matchup problems for us. Secondly, we had a really poor shooting night, hitting some awfully low percentage. But I'm pleased with the kids for pulling it out."
Punahou's Brenton Lee scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the first half as the Buffanblu went on a 12-2 late run to take a 30-27 lead at the break. Reid Fowler capped the run by hitting a running 3-pointer from just over the half-court line at the buzzer.
Led by Low, the speedy Ryan Hirata and the aggressive inside work of Kyle Pape, the Raiders went on an 11-3 spurt early in the second half. Pape, who finished with a game-high 17 points, also had a 3-pointer in that span.
The lead changed hands five times in the quarter and the Raiders took a 46-45 lead into the final eight minutes.
Ko's six fourth-quarter points and the potent rebounding of Spencer McLachlin kept Punahou in it as the lead changed four more times the rest of the way. At one point, the Buffanblu led by three, 49-46, before the Raiders' final comeback.
With 2:50 left, Low weaved through a crowd in the lane for a layup and Iolani went up for good, 52-51. Pape and Hirata both hit four free throws down the stretch to wrap it up.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Kasey Ko tried to get ahold of a rebound in front of Iolani's Todd Blankenship.
"Every time we play them, it's a big game," Lee said after the loss. "We came out firing on all cylinders and that's what you have to do to beat them. Am I happy? Yes and no. We had the game, but Iolani made all their free throws and did whatever they had to win. That's why they're the number one team in the state."
Word of Life in: The division II Firebrands defeated Academy of the Pacific last night to clinch a spot in the ILH's third place tournament which starts next week. The winner of that tournament earns a spot in the state D-I tournament the following week.
At Hemmeter Fieldhouse
Iolani--Ryan Hirata 10, Vinny Nip 0, Todd Blankenship 7, Jon Yasuda 6, Derrick Low 14, Jon Takamura 0, Zach Tollefson 9, Kawika Shoji 0, Kyle Pape 17, Sean Carney 0, Wes Eberlin 0, James Street 0.
Iolani (13-0) 18 9 19 17 -- 63 Punahou (11-2) 13 17 15 13 -- 58 Punahou--Jeremiah Ostrowski 8, Storm Bridgewater 0, Danny Cho 2, Reid Fowler 6, Scott Otake 2, Brenton Lee 16, Robbie Scklov 0, Morgan Ellsworth 4, Kaohu Berg-Hee 0, Spencer McLachlin 11, Kasey Ko 9, TJ Zabriskie 0.
3-point goals: Iolani 2 (Pape 2), Punahou 3 (Fowler, Lee, McLachlin)
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iolani's Kawika Shoji put up a shot over Punahou's Spencer McLachlin (50) and Danny Cho (22) in the second period.
Win over Punahou
gives Raiders titleIolani blanks the Buffanblu
behind Adam Inaba's goal to clinch
the ILH soccer championship
It is a measure of respect, ultimately, to Punahou's chagrin that Iolani head coach Ric Miller left no stone unturned before yesterday's pivotal battle with the Buffanblu.
"My wife has seen me watching video over and over again 'til 2 in the morning," the first-year coach said. "Punahou changed positions since the last time we played them. We decided to switch positions and use different formations and personnel."
That extra preparation didn't hurt, as Iolani clinched the Interscholastic League of Honolulu boys soccer championship with a 1-0 win over Punahou yesterday afternoon at Kapiolani Park.
The Raiders, alone in first place, were not in a comfortable place by any means. A loss to the hottest team in the league could have been the beginning of the end. Instead, Adam Inaba came through with a clutch goal deep inside the box midway through the second half for the Raiders.
Iolani is now 10-0-3 (33 points). Punahou, winner of four straight and unbeaten in its last nine games, fell to 9-4-1 (28 points) and will not play in the state tournament. That's because Kamehameha and Pac-Five were in position to surpass the Buffs and battle for the final state tourney berth allotted to the ILH.
On the field, the Raiders did it with sweat and a relentless, swarming defense. Off the thick grass of Kapiolani Park, however, Iolani's tactics and strategy were worthy of a crown.
Miller could hardly believe his fate. "I'm a 1976 Iolani grad, and to come back and be part of this, winning the ILH in my first year is awesome," he said. "(Punahou head coach) Bob Clague is a helluva coach and a great man. I'm familiar with some of the Punahou players. Stephen (Carlson) and Callum (Trigg-Smith) are two of the best players in the state."
Punahou's season is over, despite losing just once in the last 10 games.
"It's gotta be heartbreak for Punahou. They deserve to be in states," Miller said. "They're a class act."
Clague expected nothing but a great effort from Iolani. "I'm not surprised. It's typical of a Punahou-Iolani game. It's very intense," he said. "Iolani was very quick, and they beat us to the ball. We took too long. They never allowed us to settle down and move the ball. They were going after everything."
Inaba's score came in typical Iolani fashion, with teammates providing the means. Scott Perske sent in a free kick from 25 yards out, and forward Chris Faulkner, positioned on the right side, headed the ball across to the left. That's where Inaba got a clean look and slammed the ball in from about 5 yards out. Iolani got the only goal of the game at the 60-minute mark.
Iolani withstood several Punahou attacks the rest of the way. In all, Iolani had 12 shots on goal. Punahou had nine.
"They came out hard and we had to match their intensity," said Inaba, a senior fullback who remembers last season's frustration very well. "After last year, we worked so hard."
Iolani goalkeeper Jason Keanini was a major factor. The senior injured a foot in the first game of the season, and yesterday's key battle was only his second since returning to the field.
Punahou struggled to get a clean shot off in the second half until the 68-minute mark. Aaron Mun missed a 35-yarder from the left side. The shot ricocheted off the middle of the crossbar, and Stephen Carlson missed on the rebound.
The Buffanblu didn't back down. One minute later, Tory Hanashino broke away for a one-on-one against Keanini, but the Iolani keeper stepped up and stopped the attempt. He then smothered the next try off the rebound at pointblank range.
"I was reading the play and reacted with my instincts," Keanini said.
That was as close as the Buffs got for the rest of the game. In the final minutes, Carlson got a free kick from outside the box and missed. Kirkland Lozada got the rebound, but Keanini stopped him, as well.
"All the pressure (Punahou) put on me, I expected it," Keanini said. "Our coaches prepared me so well. Our team chemistry is high right now."
Miller held nothing back. "Jason was clutch. He's money," he said, noting Keanini's first-half injury. "He's playing on guts. He keeps getting hit in the foot, but you want a keeper who wants to be in there so badly."
Clague, who is in his 28th or 29th season at the helm, he can't remember for sure, will remember this Buffanblu team for its quiet tenacity.
"We had so many people injured at the beginning of the season. One of our players was gone for two weeks with his family to Venezuela," he said. "We were 1-3, and one day at practice, we changed it around."
Clague admired the way the team remained composed. "In high school, it's how they react to adversity. There was no bickering. They just knuckled down," he said. "They showed a lot of character."
The guru is looking forward to next season. "We've got 18 returnees. Three of them are freshmen, and they were on the field today," he said. This season, however, may be a sign of the future parity.
"It's getting harder every season," Clague said. "Not just Iolani, Kamehameha and Pac-Five, but Mid-Pac, even HBA. Every team is tougher."
ILH
VARSITY BOYS
TEAM W L T PTS x-Iolani 10 0 3 33 Kamehameha 9 2 3 30 Pac-5 9 2 2 29 Punahou 9 4 1 28 Mid-Pacific 6 6 2 20 Saint Louis 3 10 1 10 Hawaii Baptist 2 10 2 8 Damien 0 14 0 0
x-clinched championship
Yesterday
Iolani 1, Punahou 0
Kamehameha 5, Mid-Pacific 1
Pac-Five 5, Hawaii Baptist 1
Goal scorers--Iol: Adam Inabe. Kam: Makena Protheros 2, David Gualdarama, Jesse LeStronge, Logan Sauer. MPI: Pablo Lee. PF: Tom Culver, Ryuta Iinuma, Justin Katto, Jeremy Wittig, Reid Woodward. HBA: Cameron Holm.
