[ YEAR IN REVIEW: HIGH SCHOOLS ]
D-II proved to
be a successThe experiment that was Division II
provided added excitement
High school sports in 2003-04 will be remembered as the year Division II became a reality at the statewide level.
Previously, classification was limited to a few sports at the league level. Now, two state champions are crowned in three high-profile sports -- football, softball and girls basketball.
Classification is most likely here to stay, though anything can happen when Hawaii's athletic directors meet next month. The ADs may decide to keep it the same, increase the number of sports with two-tiered championships or drop Division II altogether.
But no matter what they do, 2003-04's experiment was a success, especially in the eyes of the athletes on the Aiea football team, the University High softball team and the Roosevelt girls basketball team. All three squads won D-II titles and all three would have had little or no chance at the D-I level.
Football, the state's most popular high school sport, had two highly exciting championship finals. With Saint Louis leading late in the D-I game, Kahuku's Toriano Taulogo returned a punt 62 yards and Darren Magalogo scored from 3 yards out with 19 seconds left to give the Red Raiders a 27-26 victory.
Baseball all-star game tomorrow at stadium
Sixty-six senior players from around the state are playing in the SportStan Aloha Sugar Mill Baseball Classic tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.Kamehameha's Kanekoa Texeira and Kauai's Alec Reichle are the probable starting pitchers in the annual duel between the Aloha Stars and the Hawaiian Stars.
The probable defensive starters and team rosters appear at bottom
2003-04 state team champions
Air riflery
Boys: Saint Louis. Girls: Sacred Hearts.Baseball
PunahouBasketball
Boys: Iolani. Girls Div. I: Konawaena. Girls Div. II: Roosevelt.Bowling
Boys: Kapolei. Girls: Moanalua.Cheerleading
Large-division: Kamehameha. Medium-division: Moanalua.Cross country
Boys: Iolani. Girls: Iolani.Football
Div. I: Kahuku. Div. II: Aiea.Golf
Boys: Kauai. Girls: Kauai.Judo
Boys: Pearl City. Girls: Kahuku, Farrington.Paddling
Boys: Iolani. Girls: Kamehameha. Mixed: King Kekaulike.Soccer
Boys: Mililani. Girls: Punahou.Softball
Div. I: Kapolei. Div. II: University.Swimming and diving
Boys: Iolani. Girls: Iolani.Tennis
Boys: Punahou. Girls: Punahou.Track and field
Boys: Pearl City. Girls: Punahou.Volleyball
Boys: Iolani. Girls: Punahou.Water polo
Girls: Punahou.Wrestling
Boys: Kahuku. Girls: Farrington.
In the inaugural D-II title game, Aiea was down by four to Damien, but scored on Kali Kuia's 34-yard touchdown toss to Alden DeMello late in the fourth quarter for a 9-7 win.
In another exciting fall state final, Todd Blankenship and Sean Carney led Iolani past Kamehameha by two points in the third and final game of the boys volleyball title match.
Likewise, the girls volleyball final was decided by a mere two points, as Aneli Cubi-Otineru spearheaded Punahou's victory over Kamehameha.
Iolani dominated the state cross country meet, winning the boys and girls titles, while the Raiders' Jon Yasuda and Seabury Hall's Tia Ferguson captured the individual races.
In the winter, Iolani's Derrick Low was the state's biggest story. He guided the Raiders to a third straight boys basketball championship while winning his third Star-Bulletin Mr. Basketball award in a row.
He signed to play point guard at Washington State next season, and he leaves as perhaps the best high school player Hawaii has ever had.
Sam Wilhoite and the Kalaheo Mustangs nearly spoiled the Raiders' hoops party, playing well enough for a tie game early in the fourth quarter before Iolani fended them off.
The two soccer state championship games were decided on penalty kicks after two 10-minute overtime periods. Goalkeepers Darren Smith of Mililani and Allison Lipsher of Punahou made key saves to secure the boys and girls titles.
Kapolei was the talk of the island in softball, riding the pitching of Tajia Acierto and a powerful batting order to the state title. University proved too strong for Kalaheo in the D-II finale.
In the water, Aleia Monden of St. Andrew's Priory and Drew Wallace of Punahou set 1-meter diving marks and Iolani's Mark Eckert broke the 100-meter backstroke record at the state swimming and diving meet. On the team level, the Raiders swept the boys and girls crowns.
Water polo entered the state championship scene in the spring, and Punahou rallied in the second half to break a 3-3 tie and beat Kamehameha in the final.
In baseball, Punahou was a 20-game winner en route to its first state title since 1989. The Buffanblu got plenty of pre-tournament preparation by battling against powerful Mid-Pacific, Kamehameha and Saint Louis all season long. They placed second to the Owls in the four-team Interscholastic League of Honolulu race, but got revenge by beating them in the state final on Jared Pate's three-hitter.
Konawaena put on a show in the first half of the D-I girls basketball finale, taking a 20-point lead over Kahuku. But the Wildcats had to fend off the inspired Red Raiders -- who cut the lead to three points four times -- for the Big Island's first state girls hoops championship since Waiakea did it in 1986. In the end, Nancy Hoist's six late free throws made the difference.
Roosevelt, successful against D-I competition all year, didn't finish in the top four in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's East Division and was forced to drop to D-II, where the Rough Riders beat St. Andrew's Priory for the title. Chelsie Kadota's four 3-pointers in the first quarter put Roosevelt on the winning path.
In track and field, the Punahou girls won the state meet despite no individual winners. On the boys side, Nathaniel Nasca's victories in the 110-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash led Pearl City to its first team championship.
Individually, Joseph Locey of Kapaa and cross country champ Tia Ferguson were among the biggest hits at the meet. Locey set the event's 200-meter dash mark in 21.9, while Ferguson ran to wins in the 800-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs.
In tennis, defending champions Robbie Lim of Punahou and Heidi Kaloi of Kamehameha both suffered the same fate in their attempts to repeat, retiring from incomplete matches with severe heat stroke. Lim was treated at a Big Island hospital and Kaloi received medical care at the Mauna Lani Resort tennis courts.
The unfortunate events overshadowed the efforts of new state champions Andy Narido of Hilo and Kalei Gora of St. Francis. Punahou swept the team titles.
Home-course advantage at Wailua Golf Course helped the talented Kauai boys and girls teams to win state golf titles. Individually, Damien's Kurt Nino and Leilehua's Britney Choy rose to first-place finishes.
Off the playing fields, a new six-team Division I format passed through the Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive board to replace the old eight-team bracket. In addition, the board also voted to classify Kauai Interscholastic Federation football teams in D-II. It means the KIF won't have a D-I football representative for the first time.
The decision appears to be based on convenience rather than performance, because the KIF (3-5) has had more success than either the Maui Interscholastic League (2-5) or the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (0-5) at the D-I state level.
The football coaching carousel continued to turn. Darnell Arceneaux stepped down as Saint Louis coach after one year and was replaced by Delbert Tengan -- the man he replaced a year earlier. At Kailua, Darren Johnson was cleared of allegations of wrongdoing, but quit anyway and was replaced a few weeks later by Gary Rosolowich.
BACK TO TOP |
Aloha Stars
P: Kanekoa Texeira, Kamehameha
C: Avery Kagawa, Waiakea
1b:Noah Phillips, Punahou
2b: Michael Lam, Punahou
3b: Matthew Patterson, Waiakea
SS: Randy Rundgren, Mid-Pacific
LF: Mark Veneri, Punahou
CF: Travis Young, Kamehameha
RF: Ryan Asato, Mid-PacificOthers -- Damien: Ranson DeCosta. Iolani: Shaun Agustin, Galen Komo, Bert Mitsunaga, Eric Muraoka, Kelly Teramoto. Kamehameha: Spenser McCready, Dayne Ogawa, A.J. Satele. Mid-Pacific: Chris Freshour, Chris Goya, Harrison Kuroda. Pac-Five: Paul Nishimura. Punahou: Justin Ariki, Shaun Kiriu, Robert Kurisu. Saint Louis: Edwin Apostol, Johnny Gentry, Danny Lee, Jowen Murray-Thornton, Marc Nobriga. Waiakea: Myles Ioane, Ronnie Loeffler, Owen Otsuka.
Coaches -- Paul Ah Yat, Joey Meyer.
Hawaiian Stars
P: Alec Reichle, Kauai
C: Aaron Asher, Aiea
1b: Kepa Wong, Aiea
2b: Shevis Shima, Baldwin
3b: Leonard Zalopany Jr., Waimea
SS: Milton Loo, Molokai
LF: Matthew Haasenritter, Hilo
CF: Matt Bell, Farrington
RF: Spencer Omalza, LeilehuaOthers -- Aiea: Bryson Tajiri, Blake Lamug, Dylan Libadisos. Hilo: Jeremy Kaaukai, Jesse Yoshida. Kailua: Michael Kealoha. Kaiser: Michael Heu. Kalaheo: TJ Meyer, Jacob Myking, Cody Racoma. Kalani: Randy Kitagawa, Ty Sarchet. Ka'u: Clarence Alcoran. Kauai: Jake Oketani. Leilehua: Jesse Matsuura. Pearl City: Anthony Ganigan, Corey Giammalvo, Michael Higa, Blake Kaneshiro, Rex Yamaguchi. Roosevelt: Joshua Danz, Ricky Eusebio, Jared Furtado, Justin Goo.
Coaches -- Sid Fernandez, Scott Murray.
