Victorious cheers of "Imua!" rang out across the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex on Friday night.
It’ll take something special for that to happen again on Saturday.
Kamehameha’s reward for its 9-4 victory over Kahuku in the semifinals of the Stanford Carr Development/HHSAA Girls Water Polo State Championships? Just another high-stakes meeting with dynastic Punahou. The Warriors will try to end the Buffanblu’s streak of seven state championships at 6 p.m. at UH.
Four of those titles came at Kamehameha’s expense. Punahou also defeated them all three times this ILH season — but another opportunity is exactly what the Warriors wanted.
"We’ve played each other so many times and these girls have played them for six years, some of them," coach Keala O’Sullivan said. "What is it going to take? … I think man-to-man we’re just as good, but I think (the title) is going to come to heart and who wants it more."
Kamehameha (6-3) left no doubt on that Friday against OIA champion Kahuku (11-1). The Red Raiders’ talented senior twins, Kahea and Nohea Kahaulelio, commanded plenty of attention and were held to just one score between them.
The Warriors overcame a 2-0 deficit to start a windy game. Logan Kwak scored on a strong move from the hole to tie it at 2 early in the second quarter. Then senior center Kolby Kahahawai took over — muscling in a shot, then tipping in alley-oop passes from Madison Kauahi and Keylee Leong on consecutive possessions to give the Warriors a 5-2 halftime lead.
"We were able to recognize who was open and get passes there, and capitalize on the mismatches," said Kahahawai, who had a team-high four goals.
In the third, the Warriors kept their edge. Payton Bosque lobbed in a goal to beat the shot clock and Kahahawai pushed one through in traffic, followed by another goal by Bosque to make it 8-3 through three periods.
Kahuku romped through the OIA season, and handled Kalani 19-5 in Thursday’s quarterfinals. But the Red Raiders battled a different caliber of foe in this round.
"We got a little nervous at the beginning and we let the nerves get the best of us," Kahuku coach Larisa Luehrs said. "We just got beat by ourselves, pretty much. We psyched ourselves out. The game got the best of us, pretty much."
A non-ILH team has never won the title.
Goal scorers: Kahuku—India Pyzel 2, Kahea Kahaulelio, Lilli Lindgard. Kamehameha—Kayla Ganir 2, Kolby Kahahawai 4, Payton Bosque 3.
PUNAHOU 13, KAPOLEI 2
The Buffanblu seized on a 6-0 lead after the first quarter and an eighth straight appearance in the title game wasn’t in doubt from there. Punahou (8-0) has won the previous seven titles and nine of 11 since the tournament’s start in 2004.
Punahou ended the championship aspirations of Kapolei (12-2), the OIA runner-up, for the fourth straight season. Kelly Fricke scored three goals to lead the Buffanblu.
Goal scorers: Pun—Kelly Fricke 3, Natassia Dunn, Robbie Bickerton 2, Emma Choy, Saki Migliorato 2, Anuhea Ledesma 2, Malia Gacutan 2. Kapolei—Leilani Herrera, Mailani Wendt.
KS-Hawaii 10, Roosevelt 7
Goal scorers: Roos—Autumn Akia 2, April Gomes 2, Kacie Ann Mau, Laura Young, Taylor Brooks. KSH—Pua Wong 2, Kenisha Rowe, Lahela Rosario, Halia Nahale-a 6.
Lahainaluna 6, Kalani 5
Goal scorers: Kalani—Allisa Takahashi, Lisa Namatame, Erika-Ann Kim, Charity Lopes 2. Lahainaluna—Julia Bianco 2, Alicia Wintermeyer, Lara Claydon, Haleigh Berko 2.
Kaiser 9, Konawaena 7
Goal scorers: Kona—Kaulana Ruedy 2, Bailey Walters 4, Aaliyah Butler 1. Kaiser:
Ana Alumbaugh 2, Moon Jung (Luna) Kim, Kyla Fox 3, Jennifer Frommer 3.
