The year in a word: progress. Who knows if it lasts with the way the pandemic is trending, but it was progress, nevertheless.
Say what you will about 2021, but it was a return to normalcy – or the new normalcy, at least – for the local sports scene.
UH-Hilo athletics’ return to play in January provided a breath of fresh air, and a modified schedule featuring private schools and club teams brought many high schoolers back to the fields shortly thereafter.
The BIIF was back in full in the fall, though not until a Department of Education vaccine mandate delayed matters.
It wasn’t a full year by any means, but there was still plenty enough going on for the Tribune-Herald to list its top 10 stories of the year.
1. Hilo dethroned
During a delayed and shortened BIIF football season, Konawaena ended the Vikings’ Division I dynasty, denying them an eighth consecutive title.
The Wildcats beat Hilo at home in overtime to begin the season, and the title game in Kealakekua was even closer.
On a rainy December night, sophomore quarterback Keoki Alani engineered the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, connecting with Kamaehu Makanui for the touchdown and a 13-12 win.
“It’s amazing,” coach Brad Uemoto told West Hawaii Today. “To be Division I champions, for us to be a small school that took the leap a few years ago to play with the big boys, it’s something big for our school.
“One thing we kept hush was, throughout the 80s, we had an 11-year streak of BIIF titles. Alumni come up to me all the time and say, ‘Hey coach, Hilo’s on that verge. You’ve got to stop them.’ Some of it goes out to them too, just to keep that streak alive. That’s really who we play for: alumni, our community, everybody that cares about us and most importantly, these kids. Just proud of everybody.”
In Division II, Hawaii Prep beat Kamehameha 3-0 to win its first BIIF title since 2009.
2. UHH soccer success
Who saw the Vulcans making a run their first NCAA regional appearance?
Probably only coach Gene Okamura, high-scoring striker Daelenn Tokunaga and her teammates.
UHH earned a hallmark win in October in overtime against Point Loma, with Tokunaga’s goal ending the Sea Lions’ 34-match winning streak.
The Vuls shared their first PacWest title with Point Loma, and that OT win launched the program to its first West Regional.
Sonoma State overwhelmed UHH in the playoffs, but after the match, Okamura gave his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation: “We’ll be back.”
3. Surprise start
Who saw the UHH women’s basketball team beating Hawaii Pacific and Alaska-Anchorage?
Probably only coach Dave Kaneshiro, standout guard Mandi Kawaha and her teammates.
The Vulcans ended a 25-game losing streak against the PacWest powerhouse Sharks on Dec. 12, and a week later they edged the Seawolves, who were ranked Nos. 1 and 5 in national Division II polls.
UHH takes a 5-2 record to the new year.
“We’re definitely improving, and I’m happy about that,” Kaneshiro told the Tribune-Herald. “I’m happy for the players because they worked really hard and have come in with an attitude to get better every day.”
4. PacWest champs
UHH’s men’s tennis team made its third consecutive trip to the national championships, reaching the semifinals, and this time the Vulcans did it with pizzazz. They beat No. 7 Azusa Pacific at the PacWest finals for their first league title and the first for any program at the school since 2014.
5. Double aloha
UHH’s softball team said hello again to the West Regionals and then goodbye to Callen Perreira, the program’s all-time winningest coach.
A 16-8 PacWest record helped the Vuls return to regionals for the first time since 2013, and UHH pulled off big wins against Western Washington and Concordia before bowing out with two losses. Shortly after the season, Perreira retired after 25 seasons and 694 wins split over two stints. In June, Aisha Sueda was hired as Perreira’s replacement.
6. Welcome back
Spearheaded by Hawaii Prep and Kamehameha, the island’s private schools and club teams returned to the field in February. With contests in basketball and soccer, and meets in swimming and cross-country, it was the first high school competition on the island since the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020.
7. Delayed comeback
With high school teams gearing for BIIF competition, the Department of Education handed down a vaccine mandate Aug. 4.
Seasons for all sports were delayed and condensed, but once things got going a few months later, there were plenty of highlights: Kamehameha’s Colby Terlep claimed a state air riflery title. Kealakehe’s Levi Childers and Cozette Wood each grabbed bronze at the state cross-country meet after Waiakea ruled the regular season, with the boys winning their sixth BIIF title in a row and the girls taking their first title since 1992.
8. Fine debut
Kaniela Aiona’s first season at the helm of UHH men’s basketball saw the Vulcans start 10-1 and in contention for a berth to regionals before a season-ending loss at Chaminade.
9. HPU, again and again
Highlighted by Christian Sadler’s flirtation with a no-hitter, UHH’s baseball team finished 13-9 in a PacWest pod schedule that consisted solely of Hawaii Pacific. UHH advanced to the PacWest pod series, going 1-3.
Super soph
10. These days, Maela Honma is busy trying to help Kamehameha’s girls basketball team compete for the BIIF D-II title, and she’s already had a productive school year. Honma led the Warriors to the BIIF D-I volleyball title and was selected Player of the Year.
HPA rallied to beat Konawaena in for the D-II volleyball crown.
