Konawaena won its latest title with ferocity

It was a testament to ferocity.

In the post-tournament celebration outside the doors of Blaisdell Arena, Konawaena Wildcats fan Randy Morris couldn’t help but reminisce.

It wasn’t so long ago when a speedy, aggressive kid dominated a football game his son played in.

"We were playing a Pop Warner game in Waimea and this kid blew right through. Our quarterback pitched the ball to the running back and the lineman took the ball and went 80 yards. Touchdown. As soon as she got the ball, everybody just stopped. Too fast," said Morris, who later became coordinator in West Hawaii for the Hawaii Island Police Activities League.

"She could just clean you out," he added.

Lia Galdeira’s football career had come to an end by the time she enrolled at Konawaena.

Football’s loss was basketball’s gain.

Galdeira’s defensive prowess hasn’t changed much over the years. In addition to her 21 points and eight rebounds, she had five steals in Friday’s 56-45 win over second-seeded ‘Iolani in the Division I final of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships.

Dawnyelle Awa, the on-court general with rare vision and passing skills, played through the tourney with a badly sprained ankle.

The senior reinjured it in the final minute of a semifinal win against Kahuku, but refused to sit out the final even with the possibility that there might be a fracture in the ankle. Wearing black strips of special magnetic tape on her left shin and ankle, Awa had 12 points, six assists, two blocks and two steals after battling through the injury early in the title game. Awa’s 7-for-8 shooting at the foul line was part of Konawaena’s 91 percent shooting (20-for-22) at the stripe.

"Dawnyelle’s a rebel. Strong. Tough," Galdeira said.

After trailing 26-15 late in the first half, Konawaena’s defensive tenacity was pure and constant in the second half. Hoku Liftee and Courtney Kaupu also had two steals each as the Wildcats dove after any ball that wasn’t fully secured. Loose balls. A weak dribble. Anything resembling opportunity had the Wildcats off their feet and parallel to the hardwood, the stuff that doesn’t show up in a box score. Ferocity.

"It was all mental. I’m not going to lie — we’re not on all game long in every game," Galdeira said. "It comes in between and whenever it does, it’s on. ‘Iolani was a tough team, Kylie (Maeda) is a good shooter. Saph (Rezentes), ballhandles. Big girls, tough, too."

Galdeira was voted most outstanding player of the tourney, joined on the all-tourney team by Awa and Kaupu. Maeda and Kahuku’s Leighlani Paselio were also selected.

Coach Bobbie Awa’s week-long concerns about injuries were alleviated.

"The girls worked hard and I think they deserve it," coach Bobbie Awa said. "The nice thing is we didn’t go into the locker room in foul trouble, so we got to be more aggressive on the defensive end. We were looking for Kylie a lot on her cuts, helping, switching on screens. Lia did a great job anticipating the plays."

The Wildcats did it without a deep bench. Makayla Awa, Galdeira and Kaupu played all 32 minutes in the final.

"Everybody never gave up," said Dawnyelle Awa, who played 30 minutes.

Konawaena won its fifth state championship in nine years. That includes three of the past four titles, and Konawaena was at No. 1 in the Top 10 poll for virtually that entire span.

The only losses to Hawaii programs? Awa and Galdeira were freshmen when Konawaena lost to Punahou at the ‘Iolani Classic (55-44) before bouncing back to edge the Buffanblu for the state title 54-50 in a double-overtime thriller.

Then came the season-ending, title-denying loss to Lahainaluna a year later. Since then, the ‘Cats haven’t tasted defeat against a local team, capturing state titles last year and this year.

In all, Konawaena went 110-8 in four years, including 49-0 against Big Island Interscholastic Federation competition.

"To me, it felt all the same, Galdeira said. "I mean, a little bit more pressure as seniors. Me and Dawnyelle are captains and we’re not used to talking that much, but other than that, it was fine."

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On the Net:

» For more on the state tournament, Division II champion Kamehameha-Hawaii and video interviews, go to hawaiiprepworld.com.