Ka Makani claims island victory in BIIF water polo championships
Rewritten Article:
Hawaii's Big Island water polo enthusiasts gathered at the Nae'ole Aquatics Complex on the campus of Kamehameha-Hawaii for a thrilling Saturday showdown. The top four teams battled it out for the Central Pacific Bank/Big Island Interscholastic Federation Championship and three coveted spots in the HHSAA championships.
The semifinals went down on Thursday, with HPA triumphing over KSH by a score of 12-6, and Hilo edging out Kealakehe 11-6. These results set up a high-stakes championship match between Hilo and HPA, while KSH faced off against Kealakehe for third place and the final berth in the upcoming state tournament.
Having previously bested HPA 9-4 on March 29 and 9-7 on April 19, Hilo entered the title match with an undefeated record in BIIF competition. However, the Ka Makani girls were determined to shatter the sports adage, "it's hard to win three in a row against the same team."
The competition heated up as HPA executed their strategy almost flawlessly. A stunning crossing pass leapfrogged the Hilo defense, setting up senior Maile Imonen for the opening goal. Freshman Kai Wood added two more markers, with Rosy Wawner scoring one, giving HPA a commanding 4-0 lead after the first quarter.
Some top-notch defense and timely turnovers made it difficult for Hilo to get their offense going. Despite Noelani Moleni and Marisa Oishi each notching a goal for the Vik Queens in the second quarter, they trailed 7-2 at the break.
With adjustments at the half, Hilo managed a shutout in the third quarter, but their efforts were rivaled by HPA's extraordinary performance, as they allowed only one goal – the third from Oishi – leading to a 7-3 score heading into the final quarter.
The Vik Queens came out firing in the fourth, scoring two quick markers to cut the HPA lead to 7-5 with 3:36 left on the clock. However, Imonen responded in kind, eluding Hilo's Stella Raye to score her fourth goal and all but securing the championship for the Ka Makani.
With the game in the bag, the victorious HPA team celebrated traditionally by jumping into the pool alongside their coaches.
As coach Greg McKenna dried off, he told reporters, "Now we came in, we had a strong team spirit, our defense was solid, and we played the game our way." The triumph was attributed to dominating swims, winning crucial 50-50 balls, and smothering opposing shots.
Imonen led the scoring for HPA, contributing four goals to the win. Her tally also ranked her among the top scoring players for the season with 26 goals.
"This season, I wanted my final year on this team to be exceptional, especially after falling short in previous championship matches," Imonen mentioned. "With our team's amazing chemistry and our positive attitude, I just wanted to give my best on the field."
Wood showed her mettle on defense, fearlessly positioning herself for aggressive battles. When asked about the brutality of the underwater combat during defensive battles, she exclaimed, "It's intense – there's a lot of grappling and pulling. I thrive on the aggression!" Despite earning an ejection with thirty seconds left, she was upbeat as her team secured the BIIF Championship.
In the preliminary game, KSH claimed the third place spot for the state tournament from Kealakehe, largely due to a dominant fourth quarter. In the previous matches, the Lady Warriors had prevailed by scores of 9-4 on March 29 and 10-5 on April 19. On this occasion, a 2-0 early lead by Kealakehe gave way to a 5-3 KSH advantage at the break.
The third quarter saw Kealakehe holding its own, leading 6-4, but the fourth quarter belonged to KSH, who blanked the opposition while scoring four unanswered goals for an impressive 8-6 win. Oliliu Wise and Lauren Kamauu bagged two goals apiece for KSH, while Hannah White led the Waveriders with three markers.
- After securing their victory in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Championship, the HPA sports team, led by coach Greg McKenna, celebrated by jumping into the pool.
- In a thrilling interscholastic football match in Hawaii, the weather did not deter spectators from gathering at the Nae'ole Aquatics Complex on the campus of Kamehameha-Hawaii.
- Despite their undefeated record in BIIF competition, the Hilo football team faced a tough challenge from HPA, forcing them to work hard to secure third place in the upcoming state tournament.
- Freshman Kai Wood demonstrated her promising potential during the HPA team's interscholastic football game, excelling in defense and even earning an ejection due to her aggressive underwater battles.
