The Warriors were thrown for a loop during their play-in game against Kalani High in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) state championship on Friday.
The Falcons, who flew in from O‘ahu to play the BIIF DI runners-up, got to Hilo just in time to eke out three-and-a-half innings of play before Friday evening’s deluge began.
With thunder and lighting in the sky, the game had to be delayed. Waiakea and Kalani were tied 1-1, and had no choice but to resume the game on Saturday — but on O‘ahu.
Despite all of the challenges and craziness, the Warriors prevailed — flying to O‘ahu and battling through eight innings to emerge on top, 2-1.
Up next, Waiakea will return to O‘ahu on Tuesday for the first round of the HHSAA state championship. The Warriors will take on unseeded ‘Iolani School (13-7), which fell in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) semifinals to runner-up St. Louis School.
On the other side of the bracket, BIIF champion Hilo High was seeded No. 4, received a first-round bye and will be matched up against the winner of a game between Baldwin High and Moanalua High. ILH champion KS-Kapalama got the No. 1 seed, Maui Interscholatic League champion Maui High is No. 2 and O‘ahu champion Kailua High is No. 3.