Kailua Surfriders Capture First OIA Football Title Since 2001

Kailua Surfriders Capture First OIA Football Title Since 2001

Nov 8, 2025

Kailua Surfriders Capture First OIA Football Title Since 2001

BY HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 8, 2025

PEARL CITY – The Kailua Surfriders added another chapter to their storybook season with a 21–19 victory over ‘Aiea Na Ali‘i at Beno Neves Stadium, capturing their first OIA Division I football championship since 2001.

Under 12th-year head coach Hauoli Wong, Kailua delivered a hard-fought win to bring the title back to the Windward side — 60 years after their last outright championship in 1965.

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First-Half Battle

It took until midway through the second quarter for either team to break through.

Kailua utility Micah Sua capped an 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Surfriders the early edge.

‘Aiea answered quickly, as junior quarterback Caizel Jesus-Kapesi connected twice with receiver Legend Byrd-Tauala on explosive scoring plays of 56 and 45 yards, helping Na Ali‘i grab a 13–7 lead by halftime

Surfriders Rally in the Fourth

After a defensive stalemate in the third quarter, Kailua’s offense found its rhythm when Sua powered in for his second rushing touchdown early in the fourth to reclaim the lead.

Moments later, senior running back Marquez Mellor barreled through the defense for a 9-yard touchdown that extended the cushion to 21–13.

‘Aiea continued to fight — Jesus-Kapesi found Champ Colburn for a 68-yard touchdown to bring the score within two. On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, Kailua’s defense came up with a huge stop on Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo, preserving the 21–19 advantage and keeping the Surfriders in front.

Kailua’s defense held firm from there, forcing Na Ali‘i to turn the ball over on downs in the final minutes to secure the championship.

Historic Moment for Kailua

The victory marks Kailua’s first league crown since 2001, when the Surfriders shared the OIA title with Kahuku during a season shortened by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Their last outright title before that came in 1965, completing a three-year championship run.

Keaunui-DeMello earned Fun Factory ‘VIP of the Game’ honors for his performance and leadership for the Surfriders. Despite some dropped passes, he completed 15 of his 21 passes for 171 yards to engineer three scoring drives.

“It’s amazing,” said senior quarterback Isaiah Keaunui-DeMello. “Most of us grew up playing with each other so that chemistry and that bond has been there for years.”

Top Performers

Kailua Surfriders
– Micah Sua: 2 rushing TDs, 15-of-21 passing for 171 yards, plus 3 punts for 101 yards.
– Marquez Mellor: 17 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD; also had a 16-yard reception.
– Isaiah Keaunui-Demello: Efficient in the passing game, orchestrating drives with poise under pressure.
– Defense: Allowed just 30 rushing yards while controlling possession (30:12).

‘Aiea Na Ali‘i
– Caizel Jesus-Kapesi: 21-of-36, 316 yards, 3 TDs.
– Legend Byrd-Tauala: 6 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TDs.
– Champ Colburn: 6 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD.
– Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo: Contributed across all phases — handling kicking, punting, and connecting on an extra point, while adding 45 receiving yards and 13 rushing yards

What’s Next

Both teams advance to the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships in Division I.

  • First Round: Saturday, November 15

  • Semifinals: Saturday, November 22

  • Championship: Friday, November 28 @ Mililani High School

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LASQUERO

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Roosevelt Rolls to Third Straight OIA D2 Championship

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Nov 7, 2025

Photo by Michael Lasquero / Hawaii Sports Radio Network

Roosevelt Rolls to Third Straight OIA D2 Championship

BY HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 7, 2025

The Roosevelt Rough Riders continued their Division II dominance, defeating the Pearl City Chargers 31–14 on Thursday night to capture their third consecutive OIA Division II championship.

Behind a fast start, standout performances from Ioane Kamanao and Kaeo Bush, and a defense that swarmed all night, Roosevelt solidified its place as the class of the division once again.

First-Quarter Firepower

Roosevelt wasted no time jumping ahead. Quarterback Kaeo Bush found Ioane Kamanao for a 23-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Moments later, special-teams momentum swung the game further when Kona Siamani recovered a blocked punt and dashed into the end zone for a 14–0 lead.

Kamanao later added an 18-yard field goal to make it 17–0 before halftime — a start built on the Rough Riders’ trademark discipline.

“We put a lot of time into special teams at practice,” Kamanao said. “Our expectation is to dominate on that side of the field.”

Kamanao Leads the Way

The senior do-it-all playmaker once again proved invaluable.

In addition to his early touchdown and field goal, Kamanao ran for a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter, finishing with 91 receiving yards, 13 rushing yards, and 10 points.

Bush was sharp under center, completing 15 of 25 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, including an 18-yard strike to Kobayashi in the fourth that sealed the championship.

For Kamanao, who has transitioned from quarterback to multipurpose weapon, the night carried special meaning.

“Like you said, it’s a team game,” he reflected. “It doesn’t matter if I’m wide receiver or quarterback — I’ll play for my boys, and my boys will play for me.”

Chargers Fight Back Late

Pearl City showed heart in the second half.

Aidan Minami punched in a one-yard rushing score in the third quarter and quarterback Brydan Gaorian later connected with Bronson Abendanio for a 31-yard touchdown with just over a minute remaining.

Still, Roosevelt’s defense never relented, limiting Pearl City to three net rushing yards and forcing three interceptions.

Kamanao, who now contributes on both sides of the ball, said embracing versatility has been key.

“I love the game — I just wanted to run around at quarterback, but I couldn’t,” he said with a grin. “Coach let me move, trusted me, and I trust him and everyone on the field. We just came out and executed.”

Defensive and Special Teams Domination

The Rough Riders’ defense and special teams dictated the tempo from start to finish — blocking a punt for a touchdown, totaling 151 punt-return yards, and capitalizing on short fields to build an insurmountable lead. The unit also converted 10 points off turnovers while holding Pearl City to 2-of-16 on third downs.

Brotherhood and Bond

For Kamanao and the senior class, this three-peat was about more than trophies.

“Spending every day with my brothers is phenomenal,” he said. “Some teams spread apart after the season, but we like to keep our bond as close as possible. We’ve got this thing called spaghetti night before every game — it’s our way to stay connected.”

What’s Next

Both Roosevelt and Pearl City advance to the 2025 First Hawaiian Bank Football Championships presented by the Hawai‘i Army National Guard, which kick off November 14–15.

The Division II semifinals follow on November 21–22, with the championship game set for November 28 at Mililani High School.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LASQUERO

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Short-handed Hawai’i holds off Portland State behind young standouts

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Nov 4, 2025

Hawaii G Bailey Flavell lines up a 3-pointer during her first official game with the Rainbow Wahine. The freshman paced the team with 14 points on opening night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Short-handed Hawai’i holds off Portland State behind young standouts

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 4, 2025

HONOLULU – Welcome back, Wahine.

After a literal changing of the guard in the program during the offseason that saw nine players move on and eight new faces enter, the University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team continued the winning ways in Mānoa to open the 2025-26 season with a tidy 74-63 victory over Portland State inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Tuesday night.

Five different Rainbow Wahine finished in double figures, led by freshman guard Bailey Flavell’s 14 points. Teyahna Bond, Saniya Neverson and Danijela Kujovic each tacked on 11 points for UH while freshman Kyra Webb turned heads with a 10-point, 7-rebound performance in her college debut.

“Good, great home opener,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said following the win. “I looked at the court at one point and we had four freshmen and a redshirt freshman [to close the game] and we never lost confidence in what that group on the court was going to do.”

Already without the services of Jovi Lefotu, Jade Peacock and Ritorya Tamilo again, the Rainbow Wahine saw senior all-conference forward Imani Perez exit with some discomfort early in the first quarter against the Vikings and be held out for the remainder of the night.

Even without the all-defensive standout, Hawai’i held Portland State to 36% shooting from the field (20-of-55) and just 3-of-19 from behind the arc while forcing 17 turnovers. Last season, the Rainbow Wahine recorded 17 games with 15 or more turnovers forced.

UH started strong, jumping out to a 16-11 lead after one quarter of play behind a balanced scoring effort. Four different Rainbow Wahine scored in the opening five minutes and sophomore Kira-May Filemu helped grab some breathing room by the end of the frame with seven quick points off the bench.

Hawai’i extended the lead to six by halftime behind a defense that held Portland State to 30% shooting from the floor and forced nine turnovers during the opening 20 minutes of action. After pulling within two with 4:11 left before halftime, the Vikings went 1-for-7 to finish the frame.

Bailey Flavell and her fellow freshmen pushed UH’s advantage into double figures quickly into the third quarter as Kujovic, Bond and Flavell ripped off a 6-0 run after giving up the first basket of the second half. Punahou alum Laynee Torres-Kahapea pulled the Vikings within four with under two minutes to go in the third, but Kyra Webb free throw and Kujovic triple to close the quarter sent the Rainbow Wahine into the fourth up, 57-49.

Portland State G Laynee Torres-Kahapea looks up at the shot clock while handling the ball against UH. The Punahou alum had a game-best 22 points in her return to the islands with the Vikings. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Torres-Kahapea and Sophie Buzzard powered another Portland State rally to begin the final period, scoring eight of the first 10 points of the frame to make it a two-point game and force Beeman and Hawai’i to call timeout with 6:37 to play.

Needing to lean on the underclassmen with five key experienced rotational players unavailable down the stretch, the Rainbow Wahine showed poise beyond their years as they held the Vikings without a made field goal and didn’t turn the ball over a single time in the final four minutes of regulation to close out the 74-63 win.

“They have brought energy and effort since Day 1,” Beeman said of newest crop of Rainbow Wahine. “There are things as a freshman that you don’t know that a junior or a senior knows and I thought the last three minutes of this game, that group on the court became tighter, more efficient, more communicative and executed better understanding of time and score.”

Torres-Kahapea led all scorers with 22 points in her return to the islands, going 6-for-8 from the floor (2-for-3 3PT) and 8-of-10 at the free throw line to keep Portland State close throughout. Sophie Buzzard added 20 points and five rebounds while Kyleigh Brown finished as the other player in double figures in the loss for the Vikings with 12 points before fouling out.

The Rainbow Wahine return to action in nine days, playing host to Saint Martin’s before opening up the Bank of Hawai’i Classic the following weekend against LMU as part of a spaced-out November slate. The first road game of the year won’t come until the first week of December for UH, one of just two trips away from the Stan Sheriff Center in the team’s non-conference schedule.

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Kapaa Makes History with First-Ever State Volleyball Title for Kauai

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Kapa’a Makes History with First-Ever State Volleyball Title for Kaua’i

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PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2, 2025

The Kapa‘a girls volleyball team etched its name into Hawai‘i high school sports history Saturday night.

The Warriors captured their first-ever state championship — and the first for any school from the island of Kaua‘i — with a thrilling five-set victory over Seabury Hall at Bank of Hawai‘i Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Division II Girls Volleyball State Championships presented by Hawai’i Army National Guard.

Behind a monster performance from senior outside hitter Carlyn Kamoku-Rapozo, who recorded a double-double with 31 kills and 14 digs, the fourth-seeded Warriors (15-0) outlasted the third-seeded Spartans (19-1) by set scores of 25-22, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-13.

The match featured two previously undefeated teams, each seeking its first state crown. In the end, it was Kapa‘a that prevailed, earning a historic championship for both the program and the entire Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation (KIF).

“If you ask the girls what their ‘why’ is — because we play for a reason, not just for this trophy — their why is Kaua‘i. ‘Kaua‘i as why,’ if you haven’t heard it,” said second-year head coach Paea Tafea, a 2017 Kapa‘a graduate.


“They play for more than Kapa‘a — they play for their family and the other schools on the island. We might compete hard against each other at home, but when we come to states, we represent Kaua‘i together.”

The victory marked redemption for the Warriors, who finished fourth in the state tournament just a year ago.

“We were here last year and got a taste of it,” Tafea said. “More than half the team came back hungry, and tonight they got their reward.”

Kamoku-Rapozo, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, said the team’s success was fueled by a shared sense of purpose.

“Our ‘why’ is Kaua‘i, and we played for them tonight,” she said. “We did this for our island and hope we made everyone proud. It feels amazing — we came together, made history for our school, and thank God for everything.”

Kapa‘a’s senior class led the way in the championship match. Kuuipo Hunt tallied a double-double of her own with 14 kills and 21 digs, and added six service aces. Libero Mandy Gokan chipped in 16 digs, while setter Kanani Silva notched 48 assists and 11 digs.

“With our team being senior-heavy, they knew they had to lift everyone up,” Tafea added. “They understood the experience and did their job.”

The Warriors’ triumph capped a perfect season and brought long-awaited glory to the Garden Isle. The last KIF team to reach the Division II final was Waimea, which fell to Damien in straight sets in 2019.

“It means a lot,” Kamoku-Rapozo said. “We did this together as one. This moment — it’s something we’ll never forget.”

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PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1, 2025

KALAEPOHAKU — Down go the champs.

With postseason plans out of the picture, Punahou ended the season on a high note in a 33-28 upset win over reigning ILH and state Open Division champion Saint Louis Saturday afternoon at Kamali’i Field.

The Buffanblu’s victory also ended the Crusaders’ season as Saint Louis (5-3 overall, 2-2 league) needed a victory to force a winner-take-all playoff for the ILH crown and lone state tournament berth with Kamehameha (4-4, 3-1).

Instead, Punahou snapped a four-game losing streak and earned its only win of the ILH season to finish the year with a 3-6 record.

“The mindset going into the game was to finish strong,” said Punahou sophomore quarterback Hunter Fujikawa. “Our team worked hard and the offense prepared a good game plan.”

With more freedom to change plays based on the defense, Fujikawa had the Buffanblu humming early as they started the game scoring 27 straight points.

Fujikawa’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Keola Ane was responsible for the first points while the duo hooked up on another 9-yard score to give Punahou a four-possession advantage with 4:54 remaining in the first half.

“Keola has been on of my go-to receivers all-season,” Fujikawa said of Ane. “He’s been reliable and I know that he will put his body on the line to make plays. Those two touchdowns were huge and helped build our team’s confidence.”

Saint Louis would not go down without a fight however.

The Crusaders got a much-needed score right before halftime when Nainoa Lopes found Jayse Braun for a 2-yard TD to make it a 20-point game at the break.

A failed fourth down attempt by Punahou early in the second half led to another Saint Louis score when Lopes hit Kamana Collins for an 8-yard score midway through the third quarter.

The Buffanblu’s lead continued to get smaller after Lopes hit Jordan Nunuha for a 1-yard TD in the first minute of the fourth quarter to make it a 27-21 game.

The score would hold for nearly the next eight minutes before Hunter Fujikawa found Brady Lau coming across the back of the end zone for a 11-yard score with 3:24 left in the game.

“With Saint Louis closing in, we knew it was a must score drive to stop their momentum,” Fujikawa said.

“I knew a blitz was coming and trusted Brady getting open and making a catch. He has been making clutch catches all season.”

Leading the charge defensively to keep Saint Louis off the scoreboard early on was Punahou sophomore defensive end Tyler Lim with two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. John-Luke Twigg and Brodey Correa also came away with fumble recoveries for the Buffanblu.

“It was a full-team effort on both sides of the ball,” said Fujikawa.

“The defense played awesome and put us in great positions to score They made key stops when we needed them most and gave us the confidence to keep attacking on offense.”

The sophomore QB finished the game completing 25 of 41 passes for 274 yards and three scores while adding a 9-yard TD run to give Punahou a 13-0 lead after the first quarter.

Lau was the leading receiver with six receptions for 78 yards and a TD while Ane finished with five grabs for 63 yards and two scores.

Aaron Johnson led the ground game with 13 carries for 42 yards and a 1-yard TD run to give Punahou a 20-0 lead in the second quarter.

Lopes finished the game with 210 passing yards on 16 of 21 passing. He threw four TDs, with his final one coming at the 1:38 mark of the fourth quarter to make it a 33-28 game. Nunuha was Lopes’ top target with six receptions for 111 yards and two scores.

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Pearl City runs past Kalaheo in the second half to reach OIA D2 title game

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Nov 1, 2025

Pearl City runs past Kalaheo in the second half to reach OIA D2 title game

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1, 2025

KALIHI — The Pearl City Chargers have championship aspirations — and are running over anyone that gets in their way.

Pearl City ran for a season-high 335 yards and scored 17 straight unanswered points after halftime in its 24-7 OIA Division II semifinal win over Kalaheo Friday night at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium.

The Chargers (7-4 overall, 5-2 league) advance to Thursday’s championship game against two-time defending league champion Roosevelt at the same venue on Nov. 6. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.

“It feels pretty great, I love all these boys right here,” said running back Alohi Gaspar, who ran for a season-high 133 yards and three touchdowns to earn Fun Factory’s ‘VIP of the Game’ award.

“It feels great to be a part of this legacy that me and these boys are about to build right here.”

Pearl City’s win over the Mustangs (7-2, 6-1) also was a reversal of fortunes from the regular season meeting between both teams. The two squads were tied at halftime and after three quarters during the Oct. 11 meeting before the Mustangs scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to win, 35-14.

“We wanted our revenge today,” said Gaspar.

That mindset was felt on the opening possession when Gaspar ran it six times for 70 yards and the first points of the game.

The Chargers also didn’t rely heavily on a passing game with three different players taking snaps behind center.

Pearl City used seven different ball carriers in the win with Gaspar getting the bulk of the carries with 17. Aidan Minami was also particularly effective with six carries for 140 yards and a pair of long runs that helped set up two second-half scores.

“The game plan was just running straight through their gut and get first downs and touchdowns all day,” said Gaspar. “O-line was just blowing up everybody today, nobody stood a chance.”

The Chargers also won the turnover battle, led by safety Kealiiomana Keola’s interception and forced fumble. Manuel Cachuela also recovered a fumble.

“Our defense was doing good today,” said Gaspar. “They read everything good. They was doing their job.”

After Gaspar’s opening score, Kalaheo answered with Nai Kalauokaaea’s 44-yard TD pass to Loch Moorman. The Mustangs’ signal-caller unfortunately suffered an injury early in the third quarter that limited the offense in the second half.

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