The takeover is complete.
Diesel Del Rosario went through the toughest bracket of the Texaco/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships at the Cannon Activities Center in Laie on Saturday night, becoming tiny Lanai’s first state champion.
“I was just so full of emotion, it means a lot for me and my island,” Del Rosario said. “People like to overlook us because we are so small. I’m really excited to go home and see everyone and feel the love.”
A Lanai boy had never wrestled in the state final and the entire island has collected only nine medals over the years. Del Rosario has two of them after taking third place last year.
He didn’t take the easy road, either. Del Rosario beat two-time champion Evan Kusumoto of Kamehameha, a senior who had never lost at the state tournament and made the final by beating fellow state champion Logan Lau of Mid-Pacific.
Del Rosario started things with a takedown in the first period, but both boys seemed to know that it would come down to the last minute. The Pine Lad got the points he needed with a takedown with 46 seconds left to double the score to 4-2. Kusumoto worked an escape with 27 seconds left but ran out of time. He slammed his headgear in frustration as the clock showed zeros and Del Rosario basked in the glory provided by the large crowd.
“Evan is the best, this match could have gone either way,” Del Rosario said. “I know how hard he works, I know how bad he wanted it.”
Kamehameha won the boys team title despite not having a state champion, taking the crown from the OIA. The Warriors scored 188.1 points to 135 for Saint Louis and 124 for Moanalua. Samson Paaluhi, Tauataina Tuikolongahau and Elvis Miller were the big scorers for the Warriors, who got points from 13 of their 14 wrestlers.
Hanalani’s Xander Erolin came up short of his third state championship, losing to a familiar nemesis at 157 pounds. Castle’s Keegan Goeas topped him 7-3 with a dominating third period after beating him at Officials. It is the first state title and third podium for Goeas, who is a junior and has established himself as one of the state’s elite wrestlers. Hunter Berger of Saint Louis repeated as a state champion, earning the crown at 126.
Other state champions were Kaihi Cobb-Adams of Saint Louis (150), Na‘i Hasegawa of Baldwin (165), Campbell’s Jensen Tanele (175), Jerusalem Jackson of Mililani (190), Christian Stephan of Kapolei (215), Sanalio Vehikite of Lahainaluna (285), Colt Kalaukoa of Castle (106), Kahuku’s Paiea Kamakaala (113) and Ryker Shimabukuro of Kapolei (132).
Moanalua’s Tyger Taam earned his third state title as a junior, dominating at 138 pounds and beating his opponent in 26 seconds in the final match of the evening. He will be going for the slam next year.
“All of the hard work and all of the cutting weight, everything I’ve done in my life has led to that moment,” Taam said. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but I really want to win (four).”
Kamehameha-Maui’s Mikah Labuanan, Del Rosario’s training partner, will also be going for the slam next year after the most satisfying win of his storied career. He pinned Bransen Porter in 5:37 after the Seariders senior led 5-3 going into the third period of the 144 final. Labuanan will attempt to become Maui’s first boy to earn the slam. He left a trail of tears on his way out of the arena after getting hugs and congratulations from the entire Maui wrestling community.
“I never cried like this after the first two,” Labuanban said. “Getting that pin, hearing the mat slap in that electric place, that may have been the best feeling of my life.”
Depending on how much they grow, Labuanana and Taam could wind up in the same weight class next year, with each trying to complete a slam. Both said they welcome that possibility.
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TEAM STANDINGS
1. Kamehameha 188; 2. Saint Louis 135; 3. Moanalua 124; 4. Baldwin 114.5; 5. Mililani 105.5; 6. Lahainaluna 99; 7. Kapolei 88.5; 8. Campbell 80; 9. Konawaena 72; 10. Kamehameha-Maui 63.5. 11. Waianae 61.5; 12. Castle 55.5; 13. Kalani 48. 14. Kamehameha-Hawaii, Punahou 46; 16. Pearl City 45; 17. Farrington 32; 18. Lanai 26; 19. Aiea, Kahuku 25; 21. ‘Iolani, Kealakehe, Waiakea 24; 24. PacFive, Waipahu 22; 26. Maui 20; 27, King Kekaulike, Molokai 19; 29. Mid-Pacific 17.5; 30. Radford 17.
106 pounds
Championship: Colt Kalaukoa (Castle) def. Ryder Armitage (Lahainaluna) fall 2:25
Third place: Koan Hotema (Kalani) dec. Ryder Loughlin (Mililani) 10-6
Fifth place: Ronson Murillo (Moanalua) def. Cole Kusumoto (Kamehameha) fall 4:00
113
Championship: Pai‘ea Kamakaala (Kahuku) dec. Irving Bicoy (Pearl City) 10-9
Third place: Kainalu Kaku (Kamehameha-Hawaii) def. Eli Suan (Saint Louis) fall 3:33
Fifth place: Jayzon Sheldon (Campbell) def. Cy Yasutake (Lahainaluna) fall 4:21 120
Championship: Diesel Del Rosario (Lanai) dec. Evan Kusumoto (Kamehameha) 4-3
Third place: Logan Lau (Mid-Pacific) def. Jona Dudoit (Molokai) Sudden Victory-17-5
Fifth place: Shawn Kato (Campbell) def. Charles Hao (Kamehameha-Hawaii) fall 1:52
126
Championship: Hunter Berger (Saint Louis) dec. Kulika Corpuz (Mililani) 12-2
Third place: Isaiah Torres (Kalani) dec. Dylan Landford (Kamehameha) 4-3
Fifth place: Rylen Gonda (Waianae) dec. James Sina (Konawaena) 11-8
132
Championship: Ryker Shimabukuro (Kapolei) def. Randy Esperanza (Baldwin) fall 0:26
Third place: Damon Gasilos (Farrington) def. Yuto Wang (Moanalua) 3:36
Fifth place: Logan Hackbarth (Mililani) def. Ethan Tabayoyong (Campbell) medical forfeit
138
Championship: Tyger Taam (Moanalua) def. Koen Shigemoto (Mililani) fall 0:55
Third place: Noah McKenzie (Kamehameha) dec. Ethan Baptista (Campbell) 12-4
Fifth place: Kanoa Iwankiw (King Kekaulike) dec. Bryce Young (Kapolei) 8-7 144
Championship: Mikah Labuanan (Kamehameha-Maui) def. Bransen Porter (Waianae) fall 5:37
Third place: Samson Paaluhi (Kamehameha) def. Akea Cariaga (Konawaena) fall 3:46
Fifth place: Richie Wolf (Waiakea) dec. Chayden Bertelmann (Kamehameha-Hawaii) 5-4
150
Championship: Kaihi Cobb-Adams (Saint Louis) dec. Justyce Mercado (Punahou) 7-0
Third place: Joshua Adiniwin (Moanalua) dec. Kia‘ikule‘a Kalipi (Kamehameha-Maui) 15-9
Fifth place: Darieus Pavao (Kamehameha) def. Bryson Adric (Baldwin) medical forfeit
157
Championship: Keegan Goeas (Castle) dec. Xander Erolin (Hanalani) 7-3
Third place: Zayvien Balisacan (Saint Louis) dec. Tony Passetti (Maui) 10-6
Fifth place: Hunter-Lee Paclib (Kamehameha) def. Niko Takitani (Baldwin) medical forfeit 165
Championship: Na‘i Hasegawa (Baldwin) dec. Mayhem Woolsey (Kapolei) 8-2
Third place: Kai Machida (‘Iolani) dec. Ikaika Gonzales (Lahainaluna) 16-10
Fifth place: Connor Furuta (Punahou) def. Ramsey Nishida (Kamehameha) medical forfeit
175
Championship: Jensen Tanele (Campbell) def. Tauataina Tuikolongaha (Kamehameha) fall 1:12
Third place: Raphael Dela Cruz (Aiea) dec. Race Moxley (Konawaena) 3-1
Fifth place: Jackson Hussey (Lahainaluna) def. Ethan Ito (Punahou) medical forfeit
190
Championship: Jerusalem Jackson (Mililani) dec. Kolt McCreedie (Saint Louis) 9-8
Third place: Nick Maira (Konawaena) def. Samson Edwards (Pearl City) fall 2:58
Fifth place: Kalei Harbottle (Kamehameha) dec. Chaser Boaz (Lahainaluna) 4-2
215
Championship: Christian Stephan (Kapolei) dec. Elvis Miller (Kamehameha) 10-4
Third place: Malakai Kaumavae (Moanalua) dec. Johnny Sailele (Waianae) TB-1 3-2
Fifth place: Toa Mata‘afa Grove (Baldwin) def. Marques Ramos-Horton (Radford) fall 4:52
285
Championship: Sanalio Vehikite (Lahainaluna) dec. Caleb Lauifi (Waipahu) 11-4
Third place: Pita Takafua (Baldwin) def. Nehasi Faleofa (Kealakehe) fall 4:47
Fifth place: Kaeo Catrett (Saint Louis) def. Elijah Peau (Waianae) fall 2:21
>> COMING MONDAY: Meet the state champions, with head shots, recap of their matches and their comments.
