Another week of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) winter sports season concluded over the weekend across the isle with basketball and soccer matchups. Island playoffs will begin Monday for soccer and Jan. 26 for basketball. See the paper in the coming weeks to read the results.
Basketball:
HPA 52, Kea‘au 28
Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy boys basketball routed Kea‘au 52-28 on Saturday night at Castle Gymnasium.
The visiting Cougars put up a respectable fight against the hosts in the opening eight minutes, but Ka Makani began to break away after a 15-0 second quarter.
Cam Root led HPA with a game-high 15 points, followed by teammate Vander Eberhard with 14. Kea‘au had no double-digit scorers, but was led by Jermaine Cline with six points.
Ka Makani won its third straight, improving to 9-5 overall and 3-1 in league play. HPA averages 61 points per game while allowing 40.8. Ka Makani also played Honoka‘a late Monday night on the Hamakua Coast. See Wednesday’s paper to read the results.
The Cougars dropped to 5-2, averaging 55.7 points per game while allowing just under 39. Their next test will be against Konawaena at 5:30 p.m. tonight in Kea‘au. Junior varsity will tip off first at 5:30 p.m.
JV: Kea‘au 45, HPA 38
Waiakea 75, Parker 19
After dropping two consecutive, Waiakea boys basketball got back on track with a 75-19 beatdown of Parker on Saturday night in Hilo town.
The winning Warriors scored over 15 points in three of the four quarters, including a 32-4 second quarter.
Waiakea’s Josiah Amuimuia, the team’s leading scorer, dropped a game-high 15 points. Teammates Neikeias Une and Maika Kauhi combined for 18.
The Bulls, who dropped to a winless 0-9, had no double-figure scorers. Ethan Scmitt and Benjamin Dworkin had six each, while Kinloch Cantrell added five points.
The 6-6 overall Warriors (4-2 BIIF) will next host Laupahoehoe at 6 p.m. tonight at Waiakea High. Parker played St. Joseph’s on Monday night in Waimea. See Wednesday’s paper to read the results.
Kohala 52, HPA 15
Kohala girls basketball won its fifth straight game Saturday in Kapa‘au, blasting HPA 52-15 to improve to 13-2 overall on the season and 8-1 in the BIIF.
The Cowgirls’ Mahea Pang and Halia Perez-Bobek led both squads with 12 points each. Teammates Adriana Jayne-Soriano and Kalia Marquez combined for 15.
Gianna DeMille and Rosey Wawner led Ka Makani with six and five points each. respectively.
Kohala, who averages over 50 points per game, will next travel south to Kealakekua on Thursday to take on Konawaena at 7 p.m. in Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium.
HPA (3-5 overall, 3-4 BIIF) faced Kealakehe on Monday night in Kailua-Kona. See Wednesday’s paper to read the results.
Honoka‘a 57,
Kona 54
Honoka‘a boys basketball won a nailbiter over Konawaena on Friday inside Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium. The visiting Dragons escaped the hosting Wildcats 57-54 to improve to 7-1 in BIIF play and 7-5 overall.
Honoka‘a’s David Aiona, who averages 14.3 points per game, scored a game-high 17 points. Teammates Kukia Tagabi and John Carlo Juan combined for 22.
Kona’s Dylan Nonaka led his squad with 10 points.
Averaging nearly 71 points per game in the BIIF, the Dragons will next be tested against the island’s best in Kohala at 5 p.m. Saturday inside King Kamehameha Park Gymnasium. Junior varsity will tip off first.
The Wildcats fell to 8-10 overall and 5-3 on the island. Their next matchup will take place at 5:30 p.m. tonight at Kea‘au High against the Cougars. Junior varsity is set to tip off first.
KSH 59, Hilo 34
Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i boys basketball won its fourth straight after a 59-34 rout of Hilo on Friday night in Kea‘au. The Warriors sailed to 10-3 overall and 5-1 in BIIF play.
KSH’s Kawohi Huihui, who averages almost 19 points per game in 2024-25, scored 20 points to lead the group. Teammates Kiai Yasso, Kaikuakea Kahana-Rowe and Clay Ching combined for 28.
In this season’s BIIF slate, the Warriors average 64 points per game while allowing 45.3. They hosted Christian Liberty Academy on Monday night at home — see the paper Wednesday to read the results.
The Vikings fell to 3-7 overall and 2-3 in league play. Hilo hosted defending state champion Kohala late Monday night in its own gym. See the paper Wednesday for the results.
Pahoa 75, Ka‘u 45
Pahoa boys basketball routed Ka‘u on Friday by a score of 75-45 in Pahoa town. The victorious Daggers improved to 4-4 overall, while the Trojans sunk to 3-9 (2-7 BIIF).
Kyran Canete, one of the state’s top scorers at nearly 27 points per game, led the winners with 32 points. Pahoa’s Blayden Corda-Tolle and Jace Juan combined for 20.
Daeten Castillo led Ka‘u with 20 points.
The Daggers, who average over 62 points a game, will next travel to Waimea to take on HPA at 5:30 p.m. Saturday inside Castle Gymnasium. The Trojans will host SJS at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday inside Ka‘u District Gymnasium.
Kealakehe 69, SJS 14
Kealakehe boys basketball earned its fourth win in the BIIF after a 69-14 rout of SJS on Friday in Kea‘au. It was the Waveriders’ second straight win.
Kealakehe’s Michael Miller scored a game-high 14 points, followed by teammates Kamalu Pabre and DeMarion Olloway combining for 23. Offensively, the Waveriders average over 70 points per game in the BIIF.
Now at 7-4 overall, Kealakehe will host Parker on Thursday night in Waverider Gym. The Cardinals (2-4) played Parker on Monday on the road. See the paper Wednesday to read the results.
Soccer:
Warriors
sweep ‘Riders
KSH soccer had a successful business trip to the Kona side on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the hosting Kealakehe Waveriders in the boys and girls matches.
The boys kicked things off first, with the Warriors winning 3-2. KSH’s William Henderson, Landon Fukui and Iopa Quintana scored one goal apiece. Still unbeaten at 8-0-0 and out-scoring opponents 40-8, the Warriors will look to keep their streak going with their next match against Parker on Jan. 3 in Kea‘au. Kealakehe (3-2-0) will play Konawaena at 5 p.m. Thursday at Julian R. Yates Field.
The girls teams played next, with KSH winning in a 9-0 rout to improve to 7-1-1. The Lady Warriors’ Madisyn Meyers reached four goals, while teammate Kahalia Huddleston had two. Alohi Kalaola-Maruquin, Inalei Haunga and Alyssa Hudman scored one apiece.
Thus far in 2024-25, KSH has out-scored opponents 49-3, and hasn’t allowed a goal since Dec. 3, 2024. The Lady Warriors aimed to continue their seven-match win streak against Ka‘u on Monday in Pahala. See Wednesday’s paper for more. Kealakehe (1-5-0) faces Konawaena at 7 p.m. Thursday in Kealakekua.
Honoka‘a 8, Ka‘u 0
Honoka‘a girls soccer star Samantha Cabrera scored a hat trick to lead the victorious Lady Dragons on Saturday afternoon against Ka‘u at home. The Lady Dragons won 8-0.
Cabrera’s teammates — Ciani Macias (two goals), Brooke Ramos (one goal), Kaylie Hirayama (one goal) and Mistee Beaudet (one goal) — made up of the rest of the scoring. It was Honoka‘a’s first win of the year, moving to 1-5-1.
The Lady Dragons’ also faced HPA on Monday in Honoka‘a town. See Wednesday’s paper for more.
The Lady Trojans (0-5-0) faced unbeaten KSH on Monday in Pahala.
Hilo 4, HPA 2
Hilo girls soccer handled the visiting HPA Ka Makani on Saturday at Wong Stadium, winning 4-2.
Multi-sport phenom Kekaihulali Halpern of the Lady Vikings finished with a match-high two goals in the win. Halpern’s teammates — Teiya Santiago and Titahni Rupano-Parada-Kaawaloa — finished with one goal each.
Hilo, improving to 5-2-1, played Kona on Monday afternoon in Kealakekua. See Wednesday’s paper for more.
HPA (4-4-0) played Honoka‘a on Monday on the road.
Other scores (individual scorers not found)
• 1/11 Hilo 2, HPA 0 (boys)
• 1/11 Kona 1, Waiakea 1 (boys)
• 1/11 Waiakea 8, Kona 0 (girls)
