One of the most exciting parts about state tournaments is watching a school that usually is out of the normal powerhouse conversation make a serious run at the title.
The excitement coming from the team, coaches and especially the fans is contagious and adds a different dimension to the tournament.
Right now, that team is Lahainaluna.
The Lady Lunas are in the girls basketball semifinals for the first time in the tournament's 33-year history. And they made a big statement yesterday that they indeed are a championship contender.
Roosevelt was coming off a near flawless performance against Waiakea in the first round, but ran into an even hotter team yesterday. Lahainaluna, led by 6-foot center Milika Taufa, took away much of the Rough Riders' inside game that was able to score so many easy baskets on Tuesday.
She dominated the post, scoring 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking five shots. Taufa even had five assists, not counting the many outlet passes she had off eight defensive rebounds to start an impressive transition game.
Kelsea Cabrera (12 points) converted several of those fast-break layups, and Rachael Rickard (nine rebounds) helped out on the boards. Sophomore guard Maiki Viela had six assists and steadied the backcourt.
My two concerns about the Lunas were answered in the fourth period:
• I wondered about their conditioning, since the starters never played a full game throughout the entire MIL season. With every victory (they went 14-0) coming by at least 20 points, they usually ended every game with reserves on the court.
• Along those same lines, I wondered how they would handle tight situations late in the game. In the MIL, the outcome usually was decided with several minutes to spare. Last night, Roosevelt cut it to 42-41 with six minutes to play.
But the Lunas answered the call, ending the game with a 16-3 run.
My main concern tonight is how they can handle Punahou's full-court pressure. If Taufa can dominate the post again and control the defensive glass, that will help because they can then get out on transition before the Buffanblu have a chance to set up the press.
I also didn't see much of a perimeter offense, although Lahainaluna didn't really need it last night.
Either way, it should be interesting to see how the Lunas chart this new territory.
Taufa admitted to being nervous last night, with Lahainaluna coming in with big expectations and pressure to live up to the hype.
Tonight is an even bigger stage, at Blaisdell Arena with a lot of alumni sure to come out of the woodwork hoping to see them make history. (Their cheering section of about 50-60 fans last night at Farrington was loud and very spirited)
I can't wait to find out if they can do it, as well.
‘Aiea senior guard Crystal Tagudin said she's tried that kind of shot in practice many times. Na Ali‘i coach Mike Yen said last night was the first time he saw it go in.
Good timing.
Kalani was up, 38-37, with just over a minute remaining in the state tournament first round game at Farrington. Tagudin had the ball in the right corner and saw an open lane along the baseline.
She drove until finding herself directly under the basket, then jumped. But with her back to the baseline, the only way to shoot was an underhanded flip in midair. The ball went straight up, then right down through the net.
That put ‘Aiea up, 39-38, and although Kalani took the lead back 35 seconds later on a layup by Jamie Higa, Tagudin's shot kind of gave you the feeling that this was Na Ali‘i's night.
After all, it was a wonder they were still in the game at that point. This is the same team that lost to Kalani by 20 points less than two weeks ago. Their best player and most reliable ball-handler, Natasha Helsham, fouled out on a close blocking call with 3:57 remaining.
Their top post player, Carol Sio, was suffering from leg cramps. They made only 9 of 25 free throws.
But unlike the loss to Kalani two weeks ago, when ‘Aiea lost control of the game by surrendering a 17-0 run in the third period, this time Na Ali‘i stuck around despite the rough spots. The Falcons helped by going cold from the field (just 4 of 25 from 3-point range) and the line (4 of 12).
So after Higa's layup, Tagudin answered with a 12-foot jumper with 13 seconds left to win it.
It was a strange game, the kind where you knew an upset might happen, and sure enough it did.
And despite the poor shooting, it was exciting to watch.
ROOSEVELT 69, WAIAKEA 52
This game was surprising, too, not so much because Roosevelt won but because of by how much.
The Rough Riders shot lights-out, but that's largely because of many easy baskets underneath and several wide-open looks from the perimeter.
Mikela Thoemmes (26 points) might be playing the best basketball of anyone in the state right now. She even drained a 3-pointer from the corner in the first half.
Waiakea guard Kamie Imai may be the most talented player in the state, but she had an off night shooting, and fellow guard Kanisha Bello — another one of the state's best — didn't really find her groove until the fourth quarter.
But Roosevelt's young guards have improved tremendously, and Nicole Ramirez showed she is a deadly 3-point threat when she's on.
If the Rough Riders can sustain that inside-outside consistency, watch out.
Breaking from tradition, Saturday's girls and boys wrestling state finals were held together simultaneously for the first time.
In the past, the girls introductions would be held at 4 p.m., then the entire girls competition would be held and completed by about 5:45 p.m.
Then there would be about a 20-minute break before the boys introductions, and then the boys finals would start around 6:30 and end around 8:30, 8:45.
This time, they did all the introductions — girls and boys — starting around 3:25 p.m. and then they conducted one long, continuous finals session with alternating girls and boys matches beginning at 4.
I was told the change was made this year after the Officials Tournament in December went with the intertwined matches and got favorable reviews.
As someone who had to keep track of things and write up results from start to finish in Saturday's finals, it was a little more stressful because it was basically boom-boom-boom with no real break for almost four hours straight. And then a mad rush to interview wrestlers and coaches and get an overall story filed to make our Neighbor Island editions.
The only significant break, unfortunately, came when a girl got injured on the championship mat and the action was stopped for about 10 minutes.
I haven't received much feedback from others as far as which format they prefer: Doing the girls tournament all at once and having a 20-minute break before starting the boys tournament, or just doing the girls and boys finals together in one continuous deal with alternating matches all the way through.
If you were a wrestler, coach, official, tournament volunteer or fan on Saturday, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the change.
Had the honor and privilege Friday morning of being a guest speaker at Kaiser High School's 'Career Day,' where people from different walks of life are brought in to give students an idea of what it's like to work in their respective fields.
I remember similar days in high school when I listened to engineers, doctors, architects, etc.
I wasn't interested in any of those fields, but at least listening to their first-hand accounts confirmed that I did not want to head in that direction.
Only a few of the kids in each of the two small classes at Kaiser showed real interest in journalism, which is fine. A few others looked like they were not too interested in thinking about any kind of career just yet, which is understandable.
At age 16 or 17, there are more immediate concerns — like a baseball game that afternoon or a basketball game that night. I was lucky enough to decide on my career choice in the second semester of my junior year, but still my immediate attention was steered more toward basketball.
The 'real world' could wait, as far as I was concerned. And part of me wouldn't change that mentality even if I could go back to those days again. You're only in high school once, after all.
But that being said, I think occasional doses of reality like 'Career Day' can be valuable even if the high school kid doesn't appreciate it right at that moment. Sports are fun and important, as are other school activities and social life.
But at some point — and the sooner, the better — a student should spend some serious time thinking about life after high school, and what they would like to do with it.
Basketball was my priority, but I still remember one of my JV coaches (who later became my college counselor) telling us after a game, "Nobody on this team is going to play in the NBA."
He was right, obviously, and only one guy even played in college (one season of NCAA Division II).
There were no professional athletes as guest speakers for Career Day when I was in high school, and there were none on Friday at Kaiser. In fact, I've never seen any pro athlete at any of the Career Day events I've participated in at more than a half-dozen schools over the past seven years.
Despite the astounding success of our former high school athletes now at the pro level, the fact remains that only a very tiny percentage of all Hawai‘i high school athletes will eventually sign a professional sports contract.
So to all you high school athletes out there, I would say continue to work hard in your sport, put in the time and train as hard as you can, try to be the best you can be.
But also don't forget: There's life after sports, too.
And one day, you'll probably be making a living doing something else.
I wrote in this space here last October how Punahou athletic director Tom Holden has made a very tough job look relatively easy.
Well, Jeaney Garcia — who was announced Tuesday as Holden's replacement when he officially retires this summer — will soon find out first hand just how tough this job can be.
From various accounts, she certainly appears capable. She has 18 years of experience as an educator, plus a master's degree in athletic administration. She graduated from Kansas State, so she's seen up close what an NCAA Division I program in a major conference (back then it was the Big Eight) is like.
Garcia's resume seems solid, with experience as an AD at a prominent K-12 private school in West Los Angeles. She also was the local coordinator for the LA chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization that promotes good values and is well-respected for its influence especially at the youth sports level.
Word is that Garcia also seems very personable and friendly, which always is a plus especially for those of us in the media.
She will need all of those positive qualities and more, because the job she is stepping into is enormous. Just in case Garcia didn't already know, here are some of the major challenges she will face:
• Being an "outsider": I joked with ‘Iolani headmaster Val Iwashita on Tuesday night that "It was bad enough when (‘Iolani) hired a guy from Radford (Eddie Maruyama, in 2004) ..." As Iwashita pointed out, "that Radford guy turned out to be pretty good."
But it's no secret that bringing in someone without strong ties to a school that is largely built on its strong ties can raise some eyebrows. Maruyama at least knew co-AD Carl Schroers and several ‘Iolani coaches through his years as Radford AD and as a basketball coach at Moanalua.
In Garcia's case ... to my knowledge she's coming to Punahou pretty much as a stranger to most of the staff. Some may know her through PCA, but she doesn't have a history of coaching against Punahou, or working with their AD/associate ADs at the annual HIADA conference.
There will be a lot of people to meet for the first time.
• Local knowledge: Though an outsider to ‘Iolani, Maruyama was no stranger to the ILH, and in fact his OIA background and understanding of the local high school sports dynamic probably was a big plus in his getting hired.
This place is unique, with its own unique high school sports history and dynamics. It's sometimes hard enough for a local person to understand why certain things are the way they are, the personalities and mentalities and attitudes that affect decisions, reactions, etc.
It'll take some time and patience and listening and understanding for Garcia to make sense of it all.
• Parents: With her 18 years of experience as an educator, especially at a prominent private school, Garcia no doubt has had to deal with parents before. But warranted or not, Punahou parents have a reputation of being influential, in more ways than one.
She will have to be ready to expect the unexpected, and be prepared for some delicate situations.
• Volume: Garcia's current school, Brentwood, has sports programs for grades 7-12, just like Punahou. But Brentwood's total enrollment (K-12) is 990. Punahou has more than 1,000 athletes in grades 9-12 alone.
Punahou has 114 teams, some in sports that Brentwood probably does not have (like outrigger canoe paddling).
The activities are nonstop from August through May, and they include state tournaments in almost every sport.
She'll need a good day planner and white board to keep track of everything without going dizzy.
• Expectations: The first thing I told Holden when he announced his retirement was, "Going out on top, eh?"
The plus for Garcia is that she is taking over the nation's No. 1-ranked high school athletic program, according to Sports Illustrated. As great as Punahou athletics has been in the past, it's never been better than it is now.
So, for Garcia, where is there to go from here? Poor thing, if Punahou should only win one or two state titles next year, some people might think she's a jinx. Or worse.
And that wouldn't be fair.
But all these challenges notwithstanding, Garcia has a lot of positives to look forward to. The culture at Punahou is such where people will offer help. The current staff is outstanding, and Holden was quick to point out that the achievements certainly were not only his doing.
There's a reason 100 people – from across the country — wanted to be his successor.
And remember, Holden himself came to Punahou pretty much as an "outsider" from Ohio.
Fortunately for him, he had about 13 years on campus to get comfortable and prepare for the enormous task ahead before taking over.
A lot of thoughts must run through a head coach's head while preparing a team for the state championship game.
In less than 24 hours, there's the opponent's personnel to review (through game film, if available), a game plan to construct, your own personnel to review, a pregame routine plan ...
So probably one of the least of your worries is what set of jerseys to bring.
Supposedly, that should be the first thing (or one of the first things) decided on as soon as the semifinal game is over. It's pre-determined and announced at the coaches meeting on Wednesday morning, usually two hours or more before the first game is played.
When looking at the bracket, the team on the top side of the matchup is always supposed to be the home team and wear white. The team on the bottom side of the matchup is the visitor and wears dark.
Sounds simple, but I can see how there is the possibility of confusion.
The brackets are set up with the higher seeded team at the top of each matchup, so when No. 4 seed Kapa‘a upset No. 1 seed Seabury Hall in Friday's Division II boys soccer semifinals, Kapa‘a slid into the No. 1 seed's spot on the matchup sheet.
That put them in the top side of the championship matchup and in the position as home team, wearing white.
But since Hawai‘i Prep was the No. 2 seed, it might have thought that since it was the higher seed than No. 4 Kapa‘a, HPA would be the home team wearing white. So that's what set of jerseys they brought.
Amazingly, nobody from HPA noticed that Kapa‘a was also wearing white until 10 minutes before the scheduled 5:05 kickoff. That's when the officials were alerted about the mixup, and the start time got pushed back about 35 minutes while someone was assigned to bring Ka Makani's red jerseys from their hotel in town to Waipi‘o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in Waipahu, some 15 miles or so away.
In the meantime, to make sure the game started no later than that, HPA busted out the El Marko or Sharpie pen and drew jersey numbers on the backs of each red practice T-shirt.
Ironically, when the real jerseys arrived and were changed into around 15 minutes into the game, the numbers were actually harder to read from the press box.
In any event, there was much discussion up there about why HPA brought the wrong jerseys in the first place. It's not the first time I've seen it happen, but the first time in a state championship game.
The obvious solution would have been to always bring both sets of jerseys, just to be safe.
Can't go wrong, there.
There also could be confirmation immediately after the semifinal game from both finalists (if their games ended at the same time) and/or the tournament officials.
"We're wearing white tomorrow, right?" is all you need to ask.
But, as stated earlier, there's a lot of other things for a coach to think about once his team wins a semifinal game.
Fortunately for HPA, the only penalty was a yellow card on the head coach, which really did not put Ka Makani at any real disadvantage and had no impact on the game.
Hopefully, coaches around the state — in every sport — will learn from this rare mix-up and it never does impact a state championship game again.
Here is a telling sign of how far the Kamehameha boys basketball team has progressed this season: Pi‘i Minns scored only six points last night, on only one field goal (an uncontested layup with 14 seconds left), Auwae DeRego scored only two points (on a first-quarter basket), and yet the Warriors still scored 70 and beat Saint Louis by 13 points.
That's saying something. It says this team is truly a team, with many weapons and many contributors and many different ways to beat you.
As Crusaders coach Dwight Moniz said, "They pass the ball well, they play defense, they're well-coached ... They're a great team, they played a great game, and my hat's off to them."
The Warriors' performance last night was almost a textbook example of team basketball: If someone was open, he was located quickly and received the pass. If he had an open, high-percentage shot, he took it. And usually made it. If he missed, someone crashed the boards for the rebound.
This was true both in the halfcourt sets and in transition.
On defense, Kamehameha got back quickly and always seemed to have hands and arms in the passing lanes, then challenging every shot in the paint.
The Warriors even appear to have solved their problems at the free throw line, sinking 20 of 27 (74 percent).
If there is a sophomore in Hawai‘i with better all-around skills than Micah Christenson, I haven't seen him. He can score from inside or the 3-point line, he rebounds, blocks shots, forces turnovers, brings up the ball and finds the open man on the break ... and always looks smooth and fluid in the process.
On one play in the second quarter, a teammate missed a runner in the lane, and Christenson sailed in out of nowhere on the right side, caught the rebound and switched the ball to his left hand in one motion, then lightly banked it in on his way down.
But he wasn't the only one who impressed. Chaz Bajet seems to be getting better every game, even jogging my memory of UHS' Kimo Bajet back in the 1980s. With Minns struggling from the field early, Bajet scored eight points in the first period, on fast break layups or open mid-range jumpers.
He also kept things steady in the backcourt when Minns had to sit with his third foul early in the second quarter.
Then there is Blake Viena, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He's not a real flashy player, but he does all the little things that add up to make a big difference.
As well as Kamehameha is playing, coach Jesse Nakanishi knows this is no time to sit back and relax. Not with the Warriors on the brink of their first ILH championship since ... hmm, 1992?
"We're going right back to practice tomorrow morning," Nakanishi said after the game. "I told the guys that a championship team is the one that works the hardest. We've still got to get better."
As one commenter mentioned after the previous main post, it pretty much has been East dominance so far in the OIA girls basketball playoffs, as Thursday night proved again.
The four teams advancing to the third round (can't really call it the semifinals yet, because the tournament is "modified double-elimination") are East champ Farrington, East No. 3 Roosevelt, East No. 4 Kalani and — surprise! — East No. 6 Moanalua.
Sent to the losers' bracket are West champ ‘Aiea and West runner-up Mililani. Both need to win tonight (against East No. 2 McKinley and East No. 5 Kailua, respectively) or their seasons are done.
Then all six state tourney representatives would be from the East. Wow.
We've talked about some of the possible reasons why the East seems to have such a big edge on the West, not the least of which is access to clinics and youth leagues. But this year, timing and just plain bad luck had something to do with it, too.
For the East, the timing was good especially for Kalani and Roosevelt. Kalani was not expecting 6-foot post (and Cal State Northridge signee Violet Alama) to play at all this season after she tore an ACL last summer. Such an injury often can sideline a player for nine months or more.
But Alama returned four weeks ago, thanks to "amazing rehab," according to Falcons coach George Weeks. She came back to action in the second half of a 62-61 loss to Moanalua on Jan. 13. That dropped Kalani to 1-3.
They are 7-3 ever since.
"It's nice to have her back; we weren't really expecting her to play this season but it was a promise she made to herself to try," Weeks said. "We're lucky and blessed."
Kalani already had a great perimeter scorer in Ashlyn Onaga and other solid players in the backcourt, but Weeks said Alama "opens things up more with her inside presence and her rebounding."
That was evident last night, when the Falcons swished 10 3-pointers including five by Onaga. ‘Aiea coach Mike Yen said Alama's presence also made a big difference on defense.
"With her shot-blocking (ability), their guards can gamble freely" and try for steals, Yen said, knowing that Alama is waiting in the key for anyone who gets by.
As for Roosevelt, the Rough Riders already had a strong post presence with Tasia Kamakawiwo‘ole and Joshy Noga but got an added boost last week with the return of Mikela Thoemmes, who had been out four weeks with a broken right (shooting) hand.
Thoemmes scored 24 points last night and said the hand "feels like I never even broke it."
Like Alama, Thoemmes' return came sooner than expected.
"At first (the doctor) said it would be eight weeks, but I said I was playing basketball so they said they would check on it every two weeks," Thoemmes said. "So after four weeks, they said I could play. I was so happy, super excited."
Mililani coach Pat Basilio wasn't so excited about what Thoemmes' return meant for his team's matchup.
"When I saw them go out there with the three bigs, I knew we were in trouble," said Basilio, whose backup center happens to be in Las vegas for a club volleyball tournament this weekend.
With three strong posts, Roosevelt was able to control the boards and that prevented the Trojans from getting defensive rebounds and starting their reliable transition game. As one Mainland coach said earlier this season, "It's hard to get outlet passes when you're always taking the ball out of the net ..."
This was a good win for the Rough Riders also because they were challenged early (down 13-4) and responded, then learned patience and ball control when they had the late lead. Their young and inexperienced backcourt appears to have grown a lot in the past month.
And in the postseason, with the competition level raised a notch, strong guard play is a must to survive.
Which brings us to more bad luck for the West teams. Turns out Pearl City reportedly lost two starters at the last minute due to injuries. The Chargers went 7-5 in the West and were seeded No. 3, but fell to Moanalua in the first round and are done.
The West's only consolation is, well, the consolation bracket (which technically is not a consolation bracket anymore).
Basically, it's now a one-game season for ‘Aiea and Mililani, and the West. Mililani will be facing a Kailua team that had some bad luck of its own, losing a top player to a freak injury during PE class on Tuesday.
‘Aiea will face a McKinley team that started out 4-0 in the East but is 4-5 since.
Besides tournament and season survival, a lot of pride will be at stake tonight.
As if the ILH boys basketball race needed any additional drama, more interesting developments unfolded Tuesday, starting with Saint Louis' 53-50 victory over Punahou.
It was a long-awaited and highly anticipated matchup to begin with, since the teams had yet to play each other. Wishful thinkers even looked forward to perhaps seeing Manti T'o finally suit up for the first time this season.
Well, that didn't happen, and now it looks like it probably won't anytime soon — if at all — according to Buffanblu coach Dan Hale.
But the real surprise was not seeing Dalton Hilliard and Henry Cassiday, who have been playing and mostly starting all season. Hilliard suited up but was out due to undisclosed reasons and Cassiday is still nursing a tooth that was knocked loose in the Jan. 31 loss to Kamehameha.
The result was a lot of playing time from unusual sources: Malik Johnson getting a rare start, Shane Yoshiyama getting a lot of PT at guard, Casey Shibuya making a rare appearance and Josh Taylor virtually coming out of nowhere to score 14 points.
Still, gotta give these guys a lot of credit as they rallied from a 12-point deficit in the third period to eventually take the lead at 50-49 with 1:45 left in the game.
The Crusaders helped a little by sinking only two of nine free throws in the fourth quarter until Micah McClinton swished both shots from the line with three seconds remaining. They also gave Punahou four straight free throws to cut it to 43-41 after a foul and a technical.
But Saint Louis presents problems for any team, especially at home. They play very hard and very physical, not afraid to mix it up in traffic and give and take bumps.
They're also very athletic, able to play at a fast pace and finish layups off steals and fast breaks.
Friday's Saint Louis at Kamehameha matchup suddenly looks to be even more compelling, and should the Crusaders pull off the upset, things will really be up for grabs again.
‘Iolani update: Kainoa Chu (concussion, fractured facial bone) returned to action Tuesday night and scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Trevyn Tulonghari's academic progress will be evaluated Friday, and his status will be determined soon after.
Kamehameha remains in the driver's seat, until Friday, at least.
First of all, I apologize for lagging behind on the main posts this past week: There's been a lot of other things going on besides the normal nightly game coverage, like Signing Day (starting work at 6 a.m. and finally going home at midnight), a rare live guest appearance on the Channel 2 Morning News less than eight hours later, scrambling around town to get four different things fixed for my car to pass a belated safety check ...
And most significantly, attending meetings and reading up on data as our union prepared to vote on a long-awaited contract that includes a 10 percent pay cut.
The contract was ratified Sunday, so now we all can totally focus on our jobs, which is to bring you — the readers — news of Hawai‘i and beyond.
We've been doing our best throughout the past 20 months working without a contract, but I'd be lying if I said the negotiations (and layoffs and buyouts that came with it) were not a distraction. It's tough to stay focused day-in, day-out when you don't know what the future holds, for yourself and your peers and your company.
With this contract in place, there is some relief in knowing at least the negotiations are finally over with. But by no means does it guarantee our paper's survival or that our jobs are safe for the long term.
Newspapers around the country are in jeopardy. The Detroit Free Press has been reduced to a daily Web site with three home-delivered print editions weekly. Within a month, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer might be converted to a Web site only or shut down altogether. The Tucson Citizen is up for sale, and if no one buys it, it will shut down.
There's been much debate about why the crisis exists and what we can do to reverse the pattern, but ultimately our fate will be decided by you — the readers. We can do our best to put out a product worth reading, but if readership somehow drops anyway ... well, I'd rather not entertain that thought.
I'd prefer to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership these past years and for continuing to support The Honolulu Advertiser.
I got hooked on The Advertiser sports pages when I was about 11 years old, and I'm still hooked. I would hate to see it go away, and not just for the obvious reason of saving my job.
I think there is news and information and recognition we can provide that is of value to readers of all ages, and The Advertiser sports page has been a local tradition and part of our local culture for generations.
Hopefully, with your help it will remain that way for generations to come.
