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SPORTS
Christmas
1 Togiai
Kamehameha
Guard/forward,
6-2, Senior
Near-unanimous pick
as Player of the Year
despite missing the
state final due to a
knee injury.
Niko
2 Robben
Maryknoll
Guard/forward,
6-4, Senior
Transformed from a PG
to a go-to scorer
(12 ppg) and tough
rebounder for the
state champions.
3
Kordel
Ng
Kamehameha
Guard, 5-9, Senior
Averaged 15 ppg and
voted No. 2 on the
All-Defensive team,
with one of the all-time
best verticals.
O
Sage
4 Tolentino
Maryknoll
Forward, 7-0, Sophomore
No. 1 on the All-Defen-
sive team, averaging 10
ppg and nearly 10 rpg.
Had five blocks in the fi-
nal vs. Kamehameha.
Liko
5 Soares
Maryknoll
Forward, 6-3, Senior
Even after a meniscus
injury, he was steady
in the state tourney,
shooting 69% from
the field.
Geremy
6 Robinson
Moanalua
Guard, 6-1, Junior
Averaged 19 ppg
and stepped up
defensively under
first-year head coach
Michael Johnson.
ALL-STATE BOYS BASKETBALL
BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STAR-ADVERTISER
Niko Robben was a tough matchup as a 6-4 wing.
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Sage Tolentino was voted the No. 1 defensive player.
TOGIAI WAS INVALUABLE
FOR WARRIORS THIS YEAR
By Paul Honda
phonda@staradvertiser.com
n paper, Christmas
Togiai averaged 14
points per game, but
his value as a re-
bounder, passer,
ball-handler, defender and
primary decision-maker is
why Kamehameha was No. 1
for most of the season.
He’d trade it all, of course,
for a second chance.
Late in a semifinal battle
with Kahuku, Togiai went
down and stayed down after
suffering a right knee injury.
He returned to the game,
gritted it out for a bit, and re-
turned to the bench. Kame-
hameha prevailed that night,
but Togiai’s absence due to
an ACL injury was a major
factor in the state final loss
to Maryknoll.
The Spartans won their
second state crown in a row
as Togiai watched from the
bench. The perfect ILH re-
cord. The No. 1 ranking for
six weeks. All gone.
Despite the injury,
coaches and media voted
him nearly unanimously as
the Star-Advertiser boys
basketball Player of the Year.
Togiai received all but one
vote. Maryknoll’s Niko Rob-
ben was second in the vot-
ing and Kamehameha’s
Kordel Ng was third.
“It’s exciting. I just wish
we could’ve ended it differ-
Oscar
7 Cheng
Kahuku
Center, 6-9, Senior
The 6-9 center hustled
for 15 ppg, often
outworking foes in
transition and on the
offensive boards.
Kordel Ng was dunker, playmaker and shot blocker.
Liko Soares scored 16 points in the state final.
HONORABLE MENTION
>> Kia‘i Apele, Waiakea
>> Andrew Jones, Kalaheo
>> Kamana Lapina, Mid-Pacific
>> Tino Atonio, Damien
>> Nainoa Peters, Kailua
>> Luke Pardini, Kalaheo
>> Yoshi Kobayashi, Punahou
>> Ryder Hsiung, Punahou
>> Mario Drummer, Kaiser
>> Alva Arquette, Saint Louis
>> Bobby Thompson, Kalaheo
>> KJ Walker, Hawaii Prep
ent,” said Togiai, who had
surgery last week. “I still
think, even if I didn’t play,
our team could’ve won.
Should’ve won. We had all
the weapons. All credit to
my team. I can’t take none of
the fame or glory. If every-
one’s not doing their job, I
wouldn’t be able to do what final. After the win, Spartans wing and became a consis-
I did. I give a lot of credit to coach Kelly Grant noted a
my team, my coaches. They rough night trying to catch
put in a lot of work in the off- some winks.
season, getting closer. We
were a family this year. It re- couldn’t sleep last night be-
ally showed on the court.
We were just happy to play
together.”
Warriors coach Larry
Park saw Togiai emerge out Christmas was going to play be surprised if Niko led the
of the program’s intermedi-
ate level.
“He’s been a tremendous
competitor and player for
our program for four years.
His hard work, his leader-
ship — hopefully our
younger guys can take that
example and move forward won back-to-back titles de-
with that,” Park said. “At our spite losing four starters to
banquet, he talked to them
Jake
8 Holtz
Damien
Guard, 6-5, Senior
One of the most
explosive, physical
players in the state.
Averaged 13 ppg.
Kanoa
11 Smith
Kalaheo
Guard/Forward,
6-1, Senior
Led the Mustangs
with 12 ppg, a
consistent playmaker
and versatile
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM defender.
Bryce
12 Forbes
Damien
Guard, 6-7, Senior
A force on the offen-
sive boards, ex-
panded his range to
the arc and averaged
12 ppg.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
13 Drake
Watanabe
Roosevelt
Guard, 5-10, Sophomore
Poured in 20 ppg for
the young Rough Rid-
ers, providing a boost
on the boards. Slasher
with 3-point range.
his third state champion-
ship. The first came at
>> Isaiah Richards, Baldwin
Kaimuki. Kihei Kapeliela of
>> Frank Camacho, McKinley
>> Malosi Viena, Pearl City Division II state champion
>> Izayah Chartrand-Penera, Kohala and Park were close
Kamehameha-Hawaii in the voting. Also getting
>> Elijah Kahue-Parker, votes were Robert Shklov of
Mid-Pacific Mid-Pacific, Steve Hathaway
>> Kuikawa Ross, Baldwin
>> Jordan Deshawn Hepting, of Roosevelt, Brandyn
Punahou Akana of Kahuku, Michael
>> Lydell Romero, Kailua Johnson of Moanalua and
Chad Townsend of Leilehua.
Togiai has a 3.8 grade- 14 DiAeris
about playing hard, building point average. His plan is to
relationships with each attend Embry-Riddle Aero-
McRaven
Moanalua
Center, 6-5, Senior
other. Basketball’s not ev- nautical University in
McRaven’s 11 ppg was
erything. They have to take Prescott, Ariz., and train to
care of their schoolwork and become a commercial pilot, crucial to Moanalua’s
their relationships.” as well as play hoops. title run, but his
Maryknoll had beaten Robben was a point guard defense was
Kamehameha once in four on Maryknoll’s title team unmatched in the OIA
matchups prior to the state last year. He moved to the as a shot blocker.
tent go-to scorer (12 points
per game). Shooting range,
ability to drive to the bucket
“The injury was huge. I and defend — No. 6 in the
all-defensive voting — made
cause usually when I prepare the 6-foot-4 senior a tough
for a team, I make one game matchup.
plan,” Grant said. “But I had “If advanced stats were
to make two. I didn’t know if taken in the ILH, I wouldn’t
or not. In the morning, I got league in them,” Shklov said.
word that he had a torn ACL. “His efficiency, ability to
My heart goes out to the guy. make the right read, defen-
Four years of tremendous sive flexibility and feel for
15
Landyn
Jumawan
Leilehua
basketball. It is what it is. It the game are sometimes un-
Guard, 6-1, Sophomore
makes a big difference.” quantifiable. They don’t al-
Grant was voted Coach of ways show up in the stat Lanky with a big
the Year as Maryknoll (31-4) book, but he routinely motor on offense
makes the correct play. High and defense; led the
IQ, unflappable and their young Mules with
graduation. For Grant, this is closer in league play.” 15 ppg.
Hayden O’shen Kelly
9 Bayudan 10 Cazimero C Grant
Damien Kohala Maryknoll
Guard, 5-10, Junior Guard, 5-9, Sophomore Coach of the Year
The Monarchs were Deceptively quick, Grant’s third state title,
at their best with very accurate (21 including one at
Bayudan (12 ppg) ppg), was the biggest Kaimuki, makes it back-
driving and dishing. force behind Kohala’s to-back for the Spar-
first (D-II) state title. tans, finishing 31-4.