It was a grand day for Kamehameha.
The Warriors took a gigantic lead in the Texaco/HHSAA State Boys Wrestling Championships, and unless there’s a major wobble today at Blaisdell Arena, they will secure their first team title since 2013.
“Oh man, it’s a collective effort,” Kamehameha coach Rob Hesia said. “And we’re getting to see the combination of all the hard work they’re putting in. The matches are only going to get tougher and we’re running into the teeth of some really good matches. But I like that. That’s what we’re here for — to challenge the best guys. The only time I get to see the best of my kids is when someone is pressing them.”
Kekoa Schatz came through in a big way for the Warriors. His regular weight class is 152, but he bumped up to 170 and made it all the way into today’s semifinals.
“The guy weighs 156 pounds,” Hesia said. “He’s a backup at 152, but there wasn’t a spot for him at 152 or 160. That’s the kind of tournament these guys are putting on.”
Kamehameha has 105 points after Day 1. Punahou (75 points), Baldwin (70) and Lahainaluna (70) are quite a bit back in second and third.
Schatz’s reward? A semifinal match against Kalaheo’s Rysan Leong, who won the 160-pound title a year ago and who is No. 2 in the Hawaii Prep World pound-for-pound rankings.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Leong said after a 14-6 quarterfinal victory over Punahou’s Andrew Canonico. “The semis — just one more match to go to finals. I’ll be wrestling as hard as I can.”
In addition to Schatz, the parade of Kamehameha wrestlers making it to the semifinals is a long one — Sheydon Tomisato (113 pounds), Brant Porter (120), Kysen Terukina (126), Kanai Tapia (138), Braden Akima (160), Kainalu Huddy (182), Laakea Ane (195), Brock Ai (220) and Cody Bollig (285).
Porter, who is No. 10 p4p, is in a loaded bracket. He got past Kaiser’s Koby Chun 12-6 and, if he can make the final, might be going against Moanalua’s Elijah Asuncion, who won states at 113 pounds last year and who is No. 8 p4p.
“I just gotta wrestle my best, wrestle like perfect, believe in my cardio, my conditioning and my moves,” Porter said.
“I really believe we can take it all,” he added about his team. “We need to wrestle our best and we can’t be screwing up.”
Earlier this season, Kamehameha won the Officials tournament, the Garner Ivey tournament on Maui and the ILH championship.
“I was impressed with Terukina (No. 1 p4p who is going for a third state title),” coach Hesia said. “He had a tough, tough match against the Baldwin kid (Kahilihiwa Joy) and he pinned him. That kid is the real deal. Huddy had a huge 6-4 win over (Moanalua’s Jaycen) Crisostomo, another guy who is the real deal.”
In addition, Bollig came through with a pin in what had been an ultra-close match against Kapolei’s Rafael Leapaga.
Punahou freshman Mason Stefanelli is looking to prove that getting a No. 3 seed at 106, instead of higher, was a mistake.
“The No. 1 seed should be able to beat everyone in the bracket, so we’ll see,” Stefanelli said after getting two pins to get into the semis. “Hopefully I can meet him (top-seeded Tobey Ravida of Baldwin) in the finals. I’m excited. I think it would be fun.”
Stefanelli, who placed seventh at the Fargo national tournament last year, beat Ravida at Officials and is undefeated this year, yet somehow didn’t get the top seed.
“A No. 1 seed would have been nice,” Buffanblu coach Yoshi Honda said. “But you still have to go out and beat all the top wrestlers.”
Aside from Leong and Asuncion, Baldwin’s Coby Ravida (113, No. 6 p4p), Moanalua’s Noah Wusstig (145, No. 4 p4p) and Kapolei’s Branden Pagurayan (152, No. 3 p4p) are going for a second state crown.
“It was pretty tough,” Wusstig said about his 5-4 victory over Kamehameha’s Manaia Wolfgramm. “We train together with Grapplers Hawaii. I knew it was going to be a good and close match. We were both equally sloppy. For tomorrow, I’m going to go home and get some rest, recoup, take my mind off wrestling and just relax.”
Three other p4p wrestlers are in the chase for a first state title — Moanalua’s Boltyn Taam (160, No. 5 p4p), Lahainaluna’s Kawehi Gillcoat (138, No. 7 p4p) and Leilehua’s Kaena DeSantos (138, No. 9 p4p).
STATE BOYS RESULTS
Team Standings
1. Kamehameha 105.0
2. Punahou 75.0
3. Baldwin 70.0
3. Lahainaluna 70.0
5. Moanalua 60.5
6. Kapolei 50.5; 6. Kapolei 50.5; 7. Leilehua 39.5; 8. Saint Louis 38.5; 9. Kalaheo 38.0; 9. Kealakehe 38.0; 11. ‘Iolani 37.5; 12. Kamehameha-Maui 35.0; 13. Waiakea 28.0; 14. Campbell 24.0; 15. Waianae 20.5; 16. Mililani 16.0; 16. Radford 16.0; 18. McKinley 15.0; 19. Mid-Pacific 14.5; 20. Lanai 14.0; 21. Hanalani 13.0; 21. Kamehameha-Hawaii 13.0; 23. Aiea 10.5; 24. Hilo 10.0; 24. Kailua 10.0; 26. Farrington 9.0; 26. Kahuku 9.0; 26. Kaiser 9.0; 26. Kalani 9.0; 26. Maryknoll 9.0; 31. Konawaena 7.0; 32. Honokaa 5.0; 32. Molokai 5.0; 34. Damien 4.0; 34. Kauai 4.0; 34. Pearl City 4.0; 37. Hawaii Preparatory 3.0; 37. Maui 3.0; 37. Nanakuli 3.0; 37. Waimea 3.0; 41. Hawaii Baptist 2.0; 41. Kaimuki 2.0; 43. Hana 1.0; 43. Roosevelt 1.0.
Semifinalists
106—Tobey Ravida (Baldwin) vs. Robert Frias (‘Iolani) and Mason Stefanelli (Punahou) vs. Nicholas Cordeiro (Waianae).
113—Coby Ravida (Baldwin) vs. Thomas Nitta (Kalaheo) and Alan Sanchez Jr. (Lanai) vs. Sheydon Tomisato (Kamehameha).
120—Brant Porter (Kamehameha) vs. Kobby Faeldonea (Kealakehe) and Branson Magsayo (Saint Louis) vs. Elijah Asuncion (Moanalua).
126—Kysen Terukina (Kamehameha) vs. Weiyi Zheng (Aiea) and Elijah Kaawa (Saint Louis) vs. Brady Hoshino (‘Iolani).
132—Ansen Ursua (Saint Louis) vs. Jedaiah Borge (Kalaheo) and Casen Watanabe (Punahou) vs. Jesse Dudoit (Lahainaluna).
138—Kawehi Gillcoat (Lahainaluna) vs. Elijah Diamond (Mililani) and Kanai’ Tapia (Kamehameha) vs. Kaena Desantos (Leilehua).
145—Noah Wusstig (Moanalua) vs. Devin Shimabukuro (Maryknoll) and Billy Treu (Baldwin) vs. Mark Butcher (Kalaheo).
152—Branden Pagurayan (Kapolei) vs. Kanoa Aruba-Starwood (Kamehameha-Maui) and Pookela De Santos (Leilehua) vs. Stone Franczyk (Hanalani).
160—Boltyn Taam (Moanalua) vs. Keaka Kuaana (Lahainaluna) and Jhael JB Jose (Leilehua) vs. Braden Akima (Kamehameha).
170—Rysan Leong (Kalaheo) vs. Kekoa Schatz (Kamehameha) and Zachary Genobia (Kamehameha-Maui) vs. Blaze Pascua (‘Iolani).
182—Kainalu Huddy (Kamehameha) vs. Lahaina Kane (Kailua) and Zander Manuel (Punahou) vs. Vance Keliihoomalu (Kapolei).
195–Laakea Ane (Kamehameha) vs. Anthony Gopaul (Kealakehe) and Tao Tuulima (Kapolei) vs. Darius Mynar (Kamehameha-Maui).
220–Legend Matautia (Punahou) vs. Austin Morris (Campbell) and Zion Lista (Farrington) vs. Brock Ai (Kamehameha).
285–Benjamin Tokanang (Baldwin) vs. Iulio Atonio (McKinley) and Cody Bollig (Kamehameha) vs. Marcus Lombard (Kahuku).
