Moanalua Ends Decades-Long Wait, Stuns Punahou for Division I Boys Volleyball State Title

Moanalua Ends Decades-Long Wait, Stuns Punahou for Division I Boys Volleyball State Title

May 16, 2026

Moanalua Ends Decades-Long Wait, Stuns Punahou for Division I Boys Volleyball State Title

The Koa Head trophy belongs to the OIA once again.

For the first time since Roosevelt won the Boys Volleyball State Championship in 1979, an OIA program has captured Hawai‘i’s top boys volleyball crown and it was Moanalua that delivered the breakthrough.

The unbeaten Na Menehune rallied past defending champion Punahou School in five sets Saturday night, 14-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19, 15-13, to complete a perfect 16-0 season.

The victory snapped decades of ILH dominance in the sport, with Punahou, Kamehameha and ‘Iolani combining to win nearly every championship since Roosevelt’s title run in the late 1970s.

 

Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Punahou controlled the opening set behind a powerful attack led by Cameron Porter, who finished with a match-high 25 kills. The Buffanblu rolled to a 25-14 win and later reclaimed momentum with a 25-18 third-set victory to move within one set of another state title.

But Moanalua responded every time.

Na Menehune evened the match in the second set behind strong play from Jarryn McCutcheon, Puka Tauane and Jerome Obrero before delivering their biggest stretch of the night in the fourth. McCutcheon repeatedly found openings in the Punahou defense while Colby Kawaa added two key service aces to help force a decisive fifth set.

The championship set ultimately belonged to Lionel Gannon.

The senior erupted early in the fifth, powering Moanalua to an 8-4 advantage with a string of kills that shifted momentum permanently toward Na Menehune. Punahou later rallied within 14-13, but Moanalua closed the match when Kawaa connected with McCutcheon for the championship-winning kill.

McCutcheon and Gannon led Moanalua with 18 kills each, while Tauane added nine kills. Kawaa finished with 30 assists and two aces in the title-clinching performance.

For Punahou, Porter’s 25 kills paced all players while Tanoaalofa Scanlan added 16 kills and Kanalu Akana totaled 49 assists.

After nearly five decades, the Division I boys volleyball Koa Head trophy belongs to the OIA.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN BAUTISTA

CSUN steals Senior Night win in Hawai’i behind Christopher’s complete game

CSUN steals Senior Night win in Hawai’i behind Christopher’s complete game

May 16, 2026

CSUN steals Senior Night win in Hawai’i behind Christopher’s complete game

Hawai’i INF Taylor Takata smacks one of his three hits on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

HONOLULU – On a night meant to celebrate 17 seniors from the University of Hawai’i, it was a CSUN senior that stole the show.

Matadors’ senior right-hander Adam Christopher (4-3) spun a gem in his final collegiate outing, dealing out 120 pitches and giving up just one run on six hits in a complete game victory to help CSUN (25-28, 12-18 Big West) spoil Hawai’i’s Senior Night celebrations on Friday, 8-1.

Christopher struck out 12 batters and only walked one, limiting a Rainbow Warrior offense that had put up 11 runs on 19 hits in the previous two days against the Matadors to a single score in the 5th inning and six total hits.

With two victories already in hand against CSUN, Hawai’i (27-22, 16-14 Big West) clinched the fourth seed in next week’s conference tournament entering Friday night and did not have a chance to move up or down in the final standings regardless of the result in the season finale against the Matadors.

The Rainbow Warriors took the opportunity to put a plethora of the 17 departing seniors on display at Les Murakami Stadium one last time, getting a majority of the group into the game for at least one full inning.

“Senior Night is always an emotional night,” head coach Rich Hill said following the Rainbow Warrior regular season wrapping up. “Tonight, we had an opportunity to showcase [the seniors] and they had an opportunity to showcase themselves in front of family, friends and the great fans of Hawai’i.”

Hawai’i’s Class of 2026 seniors pose together at Les Murakami Stadium one last time. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Despite having seven senior options to start, standout freshman hurler Brody Martin-Grudzielanek was tabbed to take the ball to begin on Friday night. The 6-foot-5 righty pitched a pair of scoreless innings, facing the minimum six batters and picking up a strikeout before handing the ball over to sophomore Grant Garman in the third.

Garman was greeted by a solo homerun from CSUN’s Will Linberg, putting the Matadors ahead for the first time all weekend after being held scoreless over the first two games of the series. The sophomore southpaw settled in afterwards, only walking one while retiring the other six batters that he faced in his two innings of work.

Liam O’Brien was the first of five seniors to pitch for Hawai’i on the night, giving up a run on a hit and two walks while striking out one in his lone inning of work. Saul Soto followed, struggling slightly with command and soft contact luck as he allowed three runs in 0.2 innings of action.

Dylan Waite, a Baldwin HS alum from Wailuku, Maui, dazzled in his 1.1 innings of work, getting out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the top of the sixth before striking out the side in the seventh to match his career high with three strikeouts out of the bullpen.

Josiah Shipley was tabbed for three more runs (2 ER) in the top of the eighth after hitting a batter, walking another and giving up two base knocks in 0.2 innings. Zacary Tenn helped extinguish the flames in the eighth, inducing a flyout to end the inning before giving way to the final senior of the night, Ryan Inouye.

Inouye, a side-winding right-hander from Kailua who spent the past three seasons at Division II as the closer for Hawaii Pacific, gave up a single immediately after entering but recovered quickly with his lone strikeout of the night and wrapped up the 9th without any damage.

Senior outfielder Gabe Wright had the lone RBI on the night for Hawai’i, driving in fellow senior Taylor Takata in the bottom of the 5th with an infield single. Takata enjoyed an excellent final night in the Les, going 3-for-3 while scoring the lone run for the Rainbow Warriors.

Hawai’i INF Taylor Takata crosses home plate on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

With a spot in the opening round elimination game already locked in, Hawai’i awaits an opponent with the fifth and final spot in the Big West Championship still up for grabs. Cal State Fullerton needs a victory on Saturday against UC San Diego to clinch the last invite to the postseason party.

A loss by the Titans would result in a tie in the standings between CSUF and UC Davis, resulting in the Aggies clinching the final spot in the Big West Championship by virtue of tiebreakers.

Hawai’i will take Saturday off for the school’s graduation before getting back to practice on Sunday. The Rainbow Warriors leave for the continent on Monday and will have time for a practice on Tuesday before kicking off the 2026 Big West Championship in Irvine, California on Wednesday.

“We’ll be ready,” said Hill ahead of the postseason. “We’ve got a really good schedule that just worked out … so yeah, we’ll be ready.”

PHOTOS BY RILEY GUILLERMO

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Oct 25, 2026

HONOLULU – Somehow a night that started with the national anthem and Hawai’i Pono’i being played on the electric guitar only got more rocking as time went on. After assistant coach Will McDonald shredded to start the night, the University of...

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

Oct 25, 2026

 2026 OIA Playoff Schedule Open Division First Round Results Friday, October 23: Campbell 42, Leilehua 7 (LISTEN ON DEMAND) Saturday, October 24: Kahuku 36, Kailua 0   Thursday, October 29 Division II Semifinals Final: Castle 13, Kalaheo 31...

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Hawai’i accelerates to national title over UC Irvine, completes climb to coronation

Hawai’i accelerates to national title over UC Irvine, completes climb to coronation

May 11, 2026

Hawai’i accelerates to national title over UC Irvine, completes climb to coronation

The 2026 men’s volleyball national champion University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

The journey connects back to July 2022.

The University of Hawai’i just wrapped up back-to-back national championship victories behind all-time program great Jakob Thelle, and head coach Charlie Wade had secured the heir to the star setter’s throne with the commitment of a 6-foot-7 high schooler by the name of Tread Rosenthal.

“He said – Coach, let’s do this. I’m going to come there and we’re going to win championships together,” Wade recounted of junior national team setter’s commitment call back in 2022.

Hawai’i went on to win a then-program-record 29 matches in 2023 but came up short of becoming the second program to ever complete a national championship three-peat as they fell in four frames in the final against UCLA in Fairfax, Virginia to cap off Thelle’s senior campaign.

Rosenthal grew an inch taller and reclassified, joining Hawai’i early ahead of the 2024 season as a 17-year-old with a beat on the starting setter position for a national title contender. A young Frenchman named Louis Sakanoko stood alongside him as the Rainbow Warriors reloaded with a talented but youthful recruiting class.

They had just one goal: return Hawai’i to the top of the college volleyball mountain.

That extended climb back to the summit wrapped up three seasons later in Los Angeles, seeing Hawai’i (30-5) shake off a nightmare start for a four-set victory over Big West rival UC Irvine (21-9) in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship on Monday night, (15-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-20).

Tread Rosenthal celebrates after a point during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship against UC Irvine. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Rosenthal, who played through a groin injury suffered late in UH’s semifinal victory over Long Beach State, racked up 44 assists, six digs, three blocks and three kills and served as the emotional spark for the Rainbow Warriors after a sloppy opening frame on the way to earning all-tournament team honors.

“I think we’re just a more mature team this year,” said the junior after Hawai’i’s return to the top. “You saw that exact same first set last year against UCLA and we couldn’t come back from it … You saw a different team this year, just understand that we’re okay and we’ve got three more sets of volleyball that we can win.”

Sakanoko, who revealed after the victory that he’d suffered a torn ligament in the regional final round against USC and played through the pain, was named the NCAA Tournament MVP following his 12-kill, three-ace performance on .500 hitting in the championship match. A run of three consecutive aces from Sakanoko put the Rainbow Warriors ahead for good in the fourth set, finishing off a tidal wave performance by Hawai’i’s team to claim the title.

Hawaii OH Louis Sakanoko places Hawai’i’s name on the champion spot for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Tournament bracket. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

It was not a completely perfect script for UH. They committed seven attacking errors and had five more miscues from behind the service line in a disaster first set on Monday against the Anteaters, folding for a 10-point thrashing in the first game of the best-of-five national championship.

Rosenthal helped awaken the sleepwalking Rainbow Warriors, hammering home a couple of overpasses from UCI in the follow-up frame as UH raced out to a 10-5 advantage in the second set.

Sophomore standouts Adrien Roure and Kristian Titriyski powered up, totaling nine kills each by the end of the encore frame to help Hawai’i even the match and make the national championship into a best-of-three series. Roure finished the night with 15 kills, just behind Titriyski (16) for Hawai’i’s highest output.

UCI and UH wrestled through the opening 20 points of the third, seeing the Rainbow Warriors snag an 11-9 lead to force an early timeout from the Anteaters in the swing frame.

Hawai’i stayed hot through the stoppage, swinging at a .458 clip in the third set to take a 2-1 advantage over UC Irvine and place themselves on the doorstep of the program’s third national title.

The Rainbow Warriors capped off the climb to a collegiate men’s volleyball coronation with their best set of the evening, hitting a match-high .538 as a team to bury the Anteaters’ hopes of a storybook finish from last-team-in to last-team-standing.

Titriyski’s 16 kills led all players for either team, also seeing a pair of UH’s nine service aces come off the powerful right-handed swing from the Bulgarian as he earned all-tournament team honors alongside Rosenthal.

Middle blockers Justin Todd and Trevell Jordan combined for 12 kills and only two errors on 17 swings, providing a steady presence for the freight train of momentum that helped carry UH towards the title.

Monday marked an alignment of stars, both cosmically and on the court, for UH. With Rosenthal approaching the final pages in the Rainbow Warrior chapter of his career, he finally got the chance to make good on his phoned promise to Wade nearly four years ago.

There were plenty of bumps and bruises along the way, but life has a funny way of foreshadowing.

His freshman campaign came crashing down in mid-March when star outside hitter Spyros Chakas tore his ACL in the finale of the 2024 OUTRIGGER Invitational.

Hawai’i’s opponent? The Anteaters.

UC Irvine again stood in the way when the 2024 Big West Tournament came around, mercifully ending the season of the wounded Rainbow Warriors in the conference semifinals.

It sent Rosenthal’s iteration of the program back to the drawing board with an entirely new cast of faces from the last national title team, now forced to figure out the return path to the podium.

Rosenthal and the Rainbow Warriors broke back through in 2025, capturing the crown in the Big West Championship with four-set finishes against both UCI and Long Beach State in front of a pair of packed houses inside the Stan Sheriff Center.

Returning to the national tournament, Hawai’i handled Penn State in the 2025 national quarterfinal round before UCLA sent them home from Ohio to Oahu without any more hardware with a loss in the national semifinal.

When you look back at the lead-up, was there really any other way the fairytale to end?

Inside the home of the team that knocked out last year’s Rainbow Warrior squad, the 2026 version of Hawai’i happily earned the right to hang another banner in Mānoa with a full-circle finish against the program that pushed them into a championship rebirth.

So don’t be afraid savor it, soak it in like the sunshine.

Hawai’i’s team stands alone amongst them all.

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Oct 25, 2026

HONOLULU – Somehow a night that started with the national anthem and Hawai’i Pono’i being played on the electric guitar only got more rocking as time went on. After assistant coach Will McDonald shredded to start the night, the University of...

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

Oct 25, 2026

 2026 OIA Playoff Schedule Open Division First Round Results Friday, October 23: Campbell 42, Leilehua 7 (LISTEN ON DEMAND) Saturday, October 24: Kahuku 36, Kailua 0   Thursday, October 29 Division II Semifinals Final: Castle 13, Kalaheo 31...

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Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

May 9, 2026

Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

Mililani softball celebrates after winning the program’s third consecutive state championship. | Photo Credit: CJ Caraang

HONOLULU – The Trojans have morphed Millville into “Title Town” – three times in a row.

For the third consecutive year, the Mililani softball team saw themselves standing alone atop the Hawai’i high school softball ranks on as the Trojans dispatched Moanalua (16-4, 9-1 league) in the 2026 DataHouse/HHSAA Division I softball championship game on Friday night, 9-3.

The state championship three-peat placed Mililani into rare air, joining Kailua and Campbell as the only high school programs to win three straight crowns at the HHSAA Division I level. The Surfriders tallied a trio of titles on the softball diamond from 1981-1983 and again from 1995-1997 before the Sabers joined the illustrious club with a mini-dynasty from 2015-2017.

Star junior Hinano Bautista (9-0) picked up the win for Mililani (16-1, 10-0 league) after 5.0 innings of work, allowing three runs (1 ER) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four Na Menehune batters after getting the start for the Trojans.

Fellow junior hurler Taylor Adriano closed out the victory for the defending state champions, spinning 2.0 innings of scoreless softball in relief while allowing two total baserunners (one walk, one HBP).

Moanalua, who was playing for the first softball state title in school history after never advancing to the final day of a season before, struck first on Friday inside Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on the campus of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa as Alia Anzai smacked an RBI single to give a 1-0 lead to Na Menehune after half a frame.

The battle-tested Trojans didn’t flinch despite Moanalua drawing first blood, striking back in the bottom half of the first with a massive two-run homer from Bautista that put Mililani ahead for the rest of the night.

Aubri Nakashima added on in the bottom of the third for Mililani, lifting a two-run single that scored Bautista and Kahiau Aina before coming home two batters later on a single from Kaylie Kihara to make it a 5-1 cushion for the Trojans after three innings.

Bautista added her third and final RBI of the night in the bottom of the fourth with a single to right, helping the junior earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament after racking up four HRs and 12 RBI over the four-game title run by the Trojans.

Hinano Bautista celebrates running the bases during the 2026 DataHouse/HHSAA Division I softball state championship game. | Photo Credit: CJ Caraang

Nakashima picked up her second RBI of the championship game on a sac fly and Lana Nakayama brought home Kamryn Aoki to give an 8-1 advantage to Mililani in the fourth.

Moanalua rallied a bit in the top of the fifth, getting two runs back on an RBI single to center from Ava Atagi, but Na Menehune could not climb any closer.

Bautista scored one last insurance run for Mililani in the bottom of the sixth, putting a bow on the Trojans third title in a row and sixth overall D1 state softball crown.

Sophomore standout pitcher Kaylah Sato was tabbed with the loss for Moanalua, allowing five earned runs in 3.0 innings of action as she gave up six hits and walked a pair of Mililani batters. Na Menehune, who started only two seniors, picked up valuable experience for a crew that could see more than two-thirds of the starting lineup returning next season.

Mililani, who suffered a surprising upset against Campbell in the OIA semifinal, bounced back with four consecutive victories in the state tournament with impressive victories over Lahainaluna, Maryknoll and Kapaa before dispatching Moanalua on Friday night. The Trojans, who return Bautista and a few other major contributors from this year’s title team, will look to become the first program in Hawai’i high school softball history to win four straight state championships next year.

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Oct 25, 2026

HONOLULU – Somehow a night that started with the national anthem and Hawai’i Pono’i being played on the electric guitar only got more rocking as time went on. After assistant coach Will McDonald shredded to start the night, the University of...

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

2026 OIA Football Playoff Schedule

Oct 25, 2026

 2026 OIA Playoff Schedule Open Division First Round Results Friday, October 23: Campbell 42, Leilehua 7 (LISTEN ON DEMAND) Saturday, October 24: Kahuku 36, Kailua 0   Thursday, October 29 Division II Semifinals Final: Castle 13, Kalaheo 31...

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Waiʻanae Stuns Moanalua in Overtime to Capture OIA Division I Flag Football Title

Waiʻanae Stuns Moanalua in Overtime to Capture OIA Division I Flag Football Title

May 6, 2026

Waiʻanae Stuns Moanalua in Overtime to Capture OIA Division I Flag Football Title

Waiʻanae waited nearly three decades for another football championship.

On Wednesday night, the Seariders finally brought one home.

Behind a resilient comeback effort and a dominant defensive performance led by Fun Factory VIP of the Game Cadence Lau, Waiʻanae rallied past defending champion Moanalua, 31-25, in overtime to win the OIA Division I Girls Flag Football championship.

The title marks Waiʻanae’s first football championship since the school’s boys tackle football team won the OIA crown in 1997, adding another historic chapter to the rapid rise of girls flag football across Hawai‘i.

“It’s just amazing,” Waiʻanae head coach Kenneth Joseph said after the victory. “All glory to the Lord, and all glory to our girls. Their hard work and commitment is just amazing.”

The championship game featured momentum swings throughout.

Waiʻanae struck first on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Kawena-Lynn Kaluna to Angel Medeiros before Moanalua answered with three consecutive scores to take a 25-12 lead midway through the third quarter.

Defending OIA champion Moanalua leaned heavily on freshman quarterback Breidi-Ann Higa and standout sophomore receiver Jodie Keo, who connected three times for touchdowns. Keo finished with nine catches for 174 yards and all three of the receiving touchdowns for Nā Menehune.

Higa threw for 362 yards and added a rushing score in another explosive offensive performance for Moanalua.

But Waiʻanae never panicked.

“We told them before the game it was going to be an up-and-down battle,” Joseph said. “Don’t pay attention to the scoreboard. Just keep playing until that board hits zero.”

That resilience became the defining story of the night.

Kaluna answered with touchdown passes to Shyzelle Baron-Riveira and Makayla Gaston in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit and force overtime. Kaluna finished with 308 passing yards and five touchdown passes while adding 44 rushing yards.

Baron-Riveira hauled in 11 receptions for 92 yards and two scores, while Gaston added a 59-yard touchdown reception that shifted momentum back toward the Seariders.

Then came overtime.

Moanalua received the ball first in the extra period, but Waiʻanae’s defense delivered one of its biggest stops of the night to keep Nā Menehune off the scoreboard and immediately shift the pressure.

That opened the door for the Seariders to win it with a touchdown.

With the championship on the line, Kaluna found Cheylen-Brooke Beebe-Lee for a 14-yard touchdown pass to complete the walk-off victory, setting off a celebration on the Waiʻanae sideline as the Seariders officially dethroned the defending champions.

Cadence Lau anchored that defense throughout the night, terrorizing the Moanalua offense with six sacks despite battling illness entering the championship.

“She was fighting the flu through the whole weekend,” Joseph said. “But she just doesn’t quit. The kid is amazing.”

Lau said the team’s identity all season centered around one word: resilience.

“We never gave up and we kept on going,” Lau said. “We had confidence in ourselves and we kept pushing.”

Joseph credited the team’s growth from last season’s playoff heartbreaks to this year’s championship breakthrough to the culture the Seariders built throughout the offseason.

“We installed our core values — resilience became number one for us,” Joseph said. “Being able to trust themselves that they’re good enough, that was our philosophy from February.”

For Joseph, a longtime Waiʻanae coach deeply rooted in the community, the victory carried emotional significance far beyond the scoreboard.

“I love Waiʻanae from the deepest part of my heart,” Joseph said. “This is for the Seariders and all the Waiʻanae community.”

Now, the Seariders move on to the state tournament with momentum, belief, and a long-awaited football championship finally back on the west side.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LASQUERO & DANIEL FUJITA

Kalaheo Captures OIA Division II Girls Flag Football Title in Thriller Over Kapolei

Kalaheo Captures OIA Division II Girls Flag Football Title in Thriller Over Kapolei

May 6, 2026

Kalaheo Captures OIA Division II Girls Flag Football Title in Thriller Over Kapolei

In a game that felt fitting for a championship stage, Kalaheo rallied late to defeat previously unbeaten Kapolei, 28-25, to capture the OIA Division II Girls Flag Football championship on Tuesday night.

The Mustangs outscored the Hurricanes 13-7 in the fourth quarter, making just enough plays down the stretch to secure not only the school’s first football league championship — flag or tackle — but also a historic milestone for the program in only the second year of girls flag football in Hawai‘i.

Because the inaugural 2025 season featured just one division, Kalaheo officially becomes the first-ever OIA Division II girls flag football champion.

Kapolei entered the title game undefeated and looked every bit the part early behind quarterback Taimane Amisone, who threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns. But Kalaheo answered every challenge in a back-and-forth battle that ultimately came down to composure in the final minutes.

“Our girls really deserve this, they worked really hard for this,” Kalaheo head coach Jaymason Lee said after the game. “They’re a really good team. They’re the number one ranked undefeated team. So we knew we had to play our football. We couldn’t let the moment get too big for us.”

Kapolei struck first in the second quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Amisone to Kaylyce Kauwe before Kalaheo answered less than 90 seconds later with a 37-yard touchdown connection from Jourdyn Kekauoha-Viena to Kamaile Hassett.

The offensive fireworks continued throughout the night.

Amisone connected twice with Infinitiz Galeano-Soares for touchdowns, while Ziah-Lei Mullen-Cummings also hauled in a scoring pass for Kapolei. Kauwe finished with a game-high 10 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Kalaheo countered with balance and clutch execution.

Quarterback Elizabeth Kennedy, who was named the Fun Factory VIP of the Game, threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score. Kekauoha-Viena added a touchdown pass and caught 10 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a dynamic all-around performance.

Dalanie Stroney added five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown for the Mustangs.

“It feels amazing,” Kennedy said. “Our team is well deserved. We worked so hard for this. We worked all season for this, but it’s not over yet. We still get states.”

After Kapolei took a 25-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter on Galeano-Soares’ third touchdown reception of the night, Kalaheo responded with the defining drive of the season.

Kennedy found Kekauoha-Viena for a 35-yard touchdown strike with 11:22 remaining to reclaim the lead at 28-25. The Mustangs defense then delivered several key stops late to hold off the Hurricanes.

Kalaheo’s defense tightened after halftime, led by Bryn Ayling’s nine pulls and Samantha Love’s eight pulls and interception. Kennedy also contributed an interception defensively in a complete two-way effort.

“We didn’t let it get in our heads,” Kennedy said. “We executed everything perfectly and towards the end we really worked for it.”

For Kennedy, the championship carried even deeper meaning.

After missing last season while recovering from ACL surgery, the senior returned to help lead Kalaheo to a historic title run.

“It’s 12 months of physical therapy,” Kennedy said. “But I finally got back to playing this sport I really love.”

Now, the Mustangs head into the state tournament carrying momentum, belief, and a piece of school history no Kalaheo football team has ever claimed before.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LASQUERO & DANIEL FUJITA