High School Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
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Iolani coach sees many teams 'Among' ILH contenders
Sometimes coaches are as intrigued by the game as fans.
Take Mike Among, boys volleyball coach at Iolani. His young Raiders are well represented in the Star-Bulletin Top 10 at No. 3, but he knows the Interscholastic League of Honolulu inside and out.
"I think Punahou will naturally rise to the top with their three returning first-team all-state players, (Spencer) McLachlin, (Riley) McKibbin and (Erik) Shoji," Among said.
"The next five to seven spots in the ILH will be very interesting to watch. HBA and Maryknoll were playing well in the preseason. Kamehameha is very athletic and they have Jordan Inafuku, who does whatever his team needs.
"Mid-Pac will be tough with Reece Haine. I haven't really seen Damien or St. Louis, but I suspect they'll be tough and athletic, too.
"Our boys are beginning to find their roles on the team and we're improving every day," he added. "It looks like Kalaheo will be tough coming out of the OIA. Roosevelt and Waianae both looked good in the Longy tournament."
Six of the top-10 teams are from the ILH.
Back in the saddle:
For a second time, the Leilehua football team finds itself searching for answers. The Mules fell to third-ranked Saint Louis 20-0 in late August, leaving coaches, players and fans scratching their heads.
Then came wins over Radford and Mililani, as the offense racked up 60 points. Waianae put a stop to the Mules' attack with a 24-0 win at Hugh Yoshida Stadium. That certainly spoiled homecoming night.
"I am still trying to recover. I guess Waianae is on a mission," Mules coach Nolan Tokuda said.
"I was very impressed on how prepared their defense was on Friday night. Their offensive guards are good, too."
Waianae's earlier loss to Farrington, a 38-point rout, is virtually worth forgetting.
Since that early game, the Seariders tested defending ILH champion Punahou in a 21-12 loss, went to Mililani and won 28-13, and then edged Campbell 16-14.
With the win on Leilehua's home turf, there's little question that the Seariders are a clear, definite contender for the OIA crown.
"I'm happy for Danny (Matsumoto)," Tokuda said of Waianae's coach. "He's a nice guy, and I wanted him to quiet down the critics in Waianae."
A Leilehua loss may not have been what Tokuda had in mind, but for now, even those critics are smiling about Searider football.
Monarchs hire Coito:
A selection committee has approved the hiring of
Mike Coito as the new varsity basketball coach at Damien.
Coito, who coached junior varsity and varsity hoops at Mililani for several years, was involved with Damien's intermediate program last season. He succeeds Abe Kamanao, who was released after last season.
Royal defense:
Damien's football team didn't have it easy over the weekend, either. The Monarchs, one of the younger, more inexperienced teams in the ILH, found themselves down 10-0 to a tough Pac-Five squad on Friday.
"I told the guys, 'Keep it up, don't give up.' When we get it going, we can do unbelievable things," senior defensive end Lesao Lakopo said.
Damien rallied for a 21-16 win, a crucial victory in the Division II battle. The ILH's D-II teams -- Damien, Pac-Five and Iolani -- are probably the three best D-II teams in the state.
Athletes of the week
BOYS
Justin Lord, Radford football: passed for 383 yards and four touchdowns in a loss against Aiea. The senior also added a 1-yard touchdown run.
GIRLS
Haley Abing, Maryknoll cross country: paced the ILH girls race at MPI with a time of 19 minutes, 36 seconds.
Honor roll
AIR RIFLERY
John Rosales, Leilehua: shot a 253 in a win over Waialua.
BOWLING
Chris Besas, Waipahu: posted a high game of 276 as the Marauders shut out Pearl City.
Chevas Miyashiro-Phillip, McKinley: carded a 289 high game in a win over Kaiser.
Cody Gibo, Hawaii Baptist: rolled a 269 high game as the Eagles blanked Punahou.
Jesse Thommes, Kamehameha: rolled a 257 high game against Punahou.
Joshua Tajiri, Mililani: rolled a 289 high game as the Trojans beat Campbell.
CROSS COUNTRY
Scott Motobu, Mid-Pacific: won the ILH boys race at MPI with a time of 17:28.
FOOTBALL
Joe Abell, Waianae: ran for 116 yards on 18 attempts and scored once as the Seariders toppled Leilehua.
Kama Bailey, Damien: rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries, scoring three times in a win over Pac-Five.
Kyle Blair, Radford: caught eight passes for 137 yards, including scoring plays of 10 and 30 yards against Aiea.
Caleb Fore, Waialua: passed for 290 yards and four touchdowns (15-for-22) without an interception in a win over Kalani.
Jordan Helle, Baldwin: passed for 293 yards and five first-half touchdowns (16-for-25) in a win at King Kekaulike. The junior did not throw an interception.
Bronson Kaneao, Keaau: ran for 103 yards on nine carries against Kamehameha-Hawaii.
Lowen Kahooilihala, Roosevelt: passed for 251 yards (11-for-19) and ran for a touchdown in a win over Nanakuli.
Dustin Kimura, Kalani: rushed for 132 yards on 20 attempts at Waialua. Also scored on an 8-yard pass.
Isaiah Lawelawe, Mililani: rushed for 129 yards on just 10 carries, scoring on runs of 1, 4 and 55 yards in a win over Kapolei.
Daniel Liilii, Aiea: The junior ran for 181 yards on only 11 tries and added a 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as Na Alii outlasted Radford.
Donovan Matas, Waialua: rushed for 164 yards on 10 attempts, scoring on runs of 37 and 69 yards, against Kalani.
Chase Nakamura, Baldwin: caught seven passes for 157 yards, including first-half touchdowns of 22, 19, 8 and 36 yards against King Kekaulike.
Edwin Rubio, Waialua: caught touchdown passes of 9 and 2 yards, and also returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score against Kalani.
Scott Ruehl, Radford: caught three passes for 128 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, against Aiea.
Isaac Saffrey, Kaiser: rushed for 102 yards on 14 carries, including two touchdowns, in a win over Anuenue.
Jordan Torres, Mililani: The OIA West's leading rusher gained 119 yards on 16 attempts with one touchdown against Kapolei.
Kolten Wong, Kamehameha-Hawaii: rushed for 255 yards on 20 carries, including three touchdowns, in a win over Keaau.
To nominate ...
To nominate an athlete of the week, contact the Star-Bulletin Sports Department by 11 p.m. Sunday:
Phone: 529-4782
Fax: 529-4787
E-mail: sports@starbulletin.com
To nominate ...
To nominate an athlete of the week, contact the Star-Bulletin Sports Department by 11 p.m. Sunday:
Phone: 529-4782
Fax: 529-4787
E-mail: sports@starbulletin.com
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