Sometimes, winning isn’t everything.
Take the case of Casey Nitta, for example. The Mililani wrestler went up against the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler on Friday and suffered a 2-0 loss.
His opponent in the quarterfinals of the Chevron/HHSAA Wrestling State Championships at Blaisdell Arena, Corey Cabanban of Saint Louis, is going for his third consecutive title and needs two more wins today in the 120-pound class to get it.
“I felt like I should have done better. I should have been executing what I’ve been drilling,” Nitta said. “He was able to do his game plan and come through. I should have kept going from one move to another instead of doing one or two and stopping. I think he can do it (third championship), but there’s other good guys in the state, too.”
Cabanban’s only points came via reversal early in the match. He won’t get to that third crown easily. In the semifinals today, he meets Kapolei’s Jayson Pagurayan (No. 5 p4p). Moanalua’s Logan Garcia (No. 6 p4p) is one of the other semifinalists.
Garcia’s Na Menehune teammate Chase Wusstig made huge strides at 145 pounds. The first-year wrestler — who has experience in judo — came out of nowhere to knock off second-seeded Jake Ballesteros of Lanai in the first round and then routed Izik Nakamasu of Hilo to advance to today’s semifinals.
“I wrestled like they were regular matches,” Wusstig said. “I wasn’t scared. I just focus and listen to my coaches and wrestle like I do in practice.”
Judging by the team scores through Friday’s quarterfinals, the boys’ battle looks as though it’s going down to the wire today. Kamehameha has 67 points, followed by ‘Iolani with 64 and Campbell with 60. On the girls’ side after the quarters, Lahainaluna is on top with 88 points, with Kamehameha at 72 and Pearl City with 60.
The Raiders boys and Warriors girls are looking to repeat as team champions, and the Lunas girls are trying to regain the title they won two years ago.
“We’re going to get tough competition from Kamehameha and Campbell,” ‘Iolani coach Walden Au said.
Warriors boys coach Rob Hesia and Lunas girls coach Todd Hayase both talked about the importance of the points from those individuals fighting in the consolation brackets.
Despite that, however, 15 boys from the top three teams in the standings are still alive for championships: Kainoa Torigoe (106 pounds), Colby Watase (132), Kaysen Takenaka (160), KJ Pascua (170, No. 2 p4p), Sai Fautanu (195) and Dane Yamashiro (285) of ‘Iolani; Kysen Terukina (113), Kamakanamakamae Tapia (152), Trever Kahunahana (160) and Amir Mirza (195) of Kamehameha; and Triston Santos (126), Zayren Terukina (132, No. 4 p4p), Noah Respicio (170), Alize Wright (182) and Micah Tynanes-Perez (225, No. 3 p4p) of Campbell.
The Lahainaluna girls have seven individuals still in the title chase: Ira Navarro (97, No. 8 p4p), Iverly Navarro (107, No. 3 p4p), Alexis Encinas (112, No. 6 p4p), Nanea Estrella (117), Taylor Pelegrino-Hayase (132), Kauanoe Keahi (138) and Shannon Jaramillo (145).
Kamehameha’s Brooke Kawamura (102), Ashley Gooman (107, No. 7 p4p), Paige Respicio (127), Zion Grace-Vierra (138) and Anela Kahuli-Apo (168) are in the hunt, too, as are Pearl City’s Mikayla Abe (122), Jacqueline Fuamatu (155), Michelle Tanuvasa (168) and Jennie Fuamatu (184, No. 9 p4p).
Although Cabanban is the only wrestler going for his third state championship, a bunch of boys and girls are going for their second — Iverly Navarro, Gooman, Roosevelt’s Macy Higa (112, No. 5 p4p), Radford’s Angela Peralta (145, No 2 p4p), Leilehua’s Kelani Corbett (155), Kahuku’s Teniya Alo (132, No. 1 p4p), Campbell’s Tynanes-Perez and Santos, and ‘Iolani’s Yamashiro and Pascua.
