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It never is, Matt Oney says, about winning or losing.
But with a sixth consecutive boys state title, Punahou found a few pluses in what Oney and his staff have done once again. With four individual champions and a whopping 81-point margin over runner-up Mililani, Punahou finished with 223 points to capture the crown at the Chevron/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships.
BOYS STANDINGS
| 1. Punahou |
223 |
| 2. Mililani |
132 |
| t3. Kamehameha |
126.5 |
| t3. Lahainaluna |
126.5 |
| 5. Campbell |
80 |
| t6. ‘Iolani |
68 |
| t6. Pearl City |
68 |
| 8. Moanalua |
67 |
| 9. Farrington |
53.5 |
| 10. Maryknoll |
48 |
11. Maui 46; 12. Leilehua 45; 13. Konawaena 42; 14. Molokai 39; t15. Kamehameha-Hawaii 35; t15. King Kekaulike 35; 17. Waiakea 31.5; 18. Mid-Pacific 31; t19. Baldwin 26; t19. Kealakehe 26; t21. Keaau 24; t21. Saint Louis 24; 23. Waialua 23; 24. Hawaii Baptist 22.5; t25. Kahuku 22; t25. Waianae 22; 27. Kapolei 20; 28. Aiea 19; 29. Kamehameha-Maui 16; 30. University 15. 31. Castle 14.5; 32. Roosevelt 14; 33. Hawaii Prep 13; 34. McKinley 12; 35. Kaiser 11; 36. Radford 9; 37. Honokaa 6; 38. Kalaheo 4.5; 39. Kohala 3.5; t40. Hanalani 2; t40. Kailua 2; t40. Lanai 2.
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Punahou got big points from champions Todd Murakawa (130-pound division), Bryan Peralta (152), Laurent Remillard (160) and Zachary Hernandez (189). Murakawa won his third title in a row, while Peralta and Hernandez secured their second crowns.
A crowd of 1,780 at Blaisdell Arena saw the Buffanblu stock the brackets with wrestlers in every weight class. It was, once again, all about teamwork more than titles.
"I’m proud of the kids. We were solid in both the boys and girls," Oney said, referring to his runner-up girls team. "We don’t worry about winning and losing. It’s about creating that atmosphere, years from now, I hope, that they can be proud of. That’s all we care about."
Hernandez capped an unbeaten season (28-0) with his 26th pin against one of the tourney’s hottest wrestlers, Lotulelei Totauhelotu of Maui for the 189 crown.
"Coach has already instilled a great work ethic in us, to get ready to take on the world," Hernandez said.
Murakawa had a scare in a quarterfinals bout on Friday, but survived to finish his prep career strong.
"I flowed better today, a lot looser," he said. "The anxiety gets there, but after the first few seconds of the match, you feel good. My shots were a little bit faster this year. My coaches say, you have to practice it a thousand times before you get it once in a match."
Punahou now has eight state titles: the first two came in 1967 and ’68.
Meanwhile, Farrington history was made, thanks to the resilience of Chaeden Grace-Reyes, who edged Kamehameha’s Ikea Ikehara 2-1 to give the Governors their first boys state champion since 1979.
"It feels like I’m on top of the world right now," the junior said. "I’ve been wrestling this whole time, feeling sick of being a runner-up. I did everything I could to make it happen."
It was a proud moment for the Govs, and more so for coach Darren Reyes, Grace-Reyes’ dad.
"He gave up football to train year-round," the coach said. "His maturity is what took his wrestling to the next level."
Maryknoll’s Cassidy Oshiro (114) became the first three-time champion from Pac-Five’s program. He overwhelmed Mililani freshman Isaac Diamond 17-7.
"I’ve been in this situation many times against local and mainland competition," said Oshiro, who is set to wrestle for the Air Force Academy. "I was relentless and I always keep the pressure on."
Pearl City sophomore Blake Cooper capped his unbeaten season (25-0) with a pin of unseeded Derek Lee Loy of Moanalua for the 145 title.
"I tried to stick to basics and do all the things my dad taught me," he said of his father, Raynald Cooper II.
His title keeps a legacy alive for the family; brother Raynald Cooper III was a three-time state champ.
"Offseason, I’ll practice with my dad, do some (Greco-Roman) freestyle and try to get better," Cooper said. "I don’t want to be just like my brother, Ray. I want to be different."
Boys
108 pounds
Championship match
Braydon Akeo (Mililani) def. Treylan Kobayashi (Waialua) 6-4
Match recap: Akeo trailed 3-2 midway through the third period before he pulled off a classic reversal move to take the lead. Kobayashi tied it at 4 late in the bout, but the lanky Akeo caught his foe off-balance for a takedown in the final 15 seconds..
Quote: "I’ve been waiting all year for this. I’m going to go up a few weight classes next year and try for the state title again."
Third place
Justin Raymond (Konawaena) def. Brandon Perez (Campbell) 9-3
Fifth place
Jahffrey Akina (Baldwin) def. Gary Long (Lahainaluna) 7-6
114 pounds
Championship match
Cassidy Oshiro (Maryknoll) def. Isaac Diamond (Mililani) 17-7
Match recap: Oshiro won his third straight title using powerful, ground-level style and technical mastery.
Quote: "My strategy was constant offense, be relentless, and keep on pressuring."
Third place
Gerald Dionio (Maui) def. Logan Yamamoto (‘Iolani) 13-5
Fifth place
Robin Arellano (Kealakehe) def. Cole Chandler (Kaiser) 8-2
120 pounds
Championship match
Sage Aoki (Konawaena) def. Brendan Chang (Maryknoll) 3-1
Match recap: Down 2-0 in the second period, Chang was in position to score when he was whistled for an illegal full-nelson move, costing him a point.
Quote: "I knew Brendan liked to tie up hard, so I tried to stay on the outside and work on my takedowns. My dad and sister both placed second in states when they wrestled. I knew I could take first."
Third place
Christian Carbajal (Lahainaluna) def. Reinton Kawamae (Roosevelt) 9-6
Fifth place
Jordan Kondo (Punahou) def. Chauncey Kano (Kapolei) 3-2
125 pounds
Championship match
Joshua Terao (Mid-Pacific) def. Bryant Fukushima (Punahou) 4-2
Match recap: The rematch of last year’s final was scoreless for nearly two periods. Terao scored a takedown in the third to win his second state title in a row.
Quote: "I knew he was stronger and a bit faster, so I tried to be more skilled and technical. He is one of the best in the state and I love competing against him. I love this feeling."
Third place
Holden Takahashi (‘Iolani) def. Alex Ikei (Mililani) 8-0
Fifth place
BJ Pagdilao-Bala (Lahainaluna) def. Sky Kekona-Souza (KS-Hawaii) forfeit
130 pounds
Championship match
Todd Murakawa (Punahou) def. Gabriel Iereneo-Baring (Pearl City) 8-0
Match recap: Murakawa was in control en route to his third state championship in a row.
Quote: "I trained hard with the help of my family, coaches, and teammates. This has been a long journey."
Third place
Jacob Palimoo (Moanalua) def. Thomas Tawata (Hawaii Baptist) 6-1
Fifth place
Ricky Ing (Kamehameha) def. Cody Uyejo (Mililani) 5-2
135 pounds
Championship match
Chase Tantog (Mililani) def. Cheyden Quiocho (Keeau) 5-3
Match recap: Quiocho’s escape with 1:25 left in the second period broke a scoreless stalemate, but Tantog scored five straight en route to the win.
Quote: "My plan was to push the pace, and not let him take me down. I trained hard for this."
Third place
Nathan Inovejas (Lahainaluna) def. Kailen Inouye (Molokai) 5-4
Fifth place
Keamalu Richardson (Kamehameha) def. Rick Viveiros (HBA) 9-4
140 pounds
Championship match
Austin Bloch (King Kekauluke) def. Tyson Kuahine (Kamehameha) 6-4
Match recap: Kuahine built a 4-1 lead entering the third period, but Bloch rallied with five points, including a two-point takedown just before time expired.
Quote: "I just wrestled my heart out. I didn’t slow down because I knew I could push my cardio. Words can’t describe this."
Third place
Keanu Richardson (Campbell) def. Evan Uehara (Punahou) 8-2
Fifth place
Sean Chan (‘Iolani) def. Allin Franco (Kealakehe) 2-0
145 pounds
Championship match
Blake Cooper (Pearl City) def. Derek Lee Loy (Moanalua) pin
Match recap: Cooper, a sophomore, nearly pinned Lee Loy late in the second period, then put him away in the third for his first title.
Quote: "My dad told me to keep things basic. Fancy moves don’t mean anything."
Third place
Cory Okuda (Aiea) def. Tyler Egami (Punahou) forfeit
Fifth place
Brandon Pitts (Waianae) def. Thomas Rosen-St. John (Lahainaluna) pin
152 pounds
Championship match
Bryan Peralta (Punahou) def. Joshue Rivera (Farrington) 10-0
Match recap: Peralta secured his second state title with an array of power, reversals and counters.
Quote: "I wrestled like it was my last bout ever. I had confidence in my training and skills. I went all-out."
Third place
Pat Enos (Waiakea) def. Andrew Kahalewai (Kamehameha-Maui) 6-4
Fifth place
Chanse Uyeda (Lahainaluna) def. Jackson Hollingworth (McKinley) pin
160 pounds
Championship match
Laurent Remillard (Punahou) def. Spencer Kiehm (‘Iolani) pin
Match recap: The top seed pinned Kiehm midway through the second period for his first state crown. Kiehm reached the final with a pair of one-point wins.
Quote: "I just locked up the bar real tight, slapped down a half, and circled over his shoulder to get the pin. It feels good to finally get my state championship."
Third place
Jonah Hoshino (Kamehameha) def. Rodney Williams (Castle) 4-1
Fifth place
Daylen Kalulu Sugai (Kahuku) def. Nathaniel Penalver (Campbell)
171 pounds
Championship match
Chaeden Grace-Reyes (Farrington) def. Ikea Ikehara (Kamehameha) 2-1
Match recap: Grace-Reyes had to battle with every last ounce of energy to fend off Ikehara. The Governor spent nearly the entire final minute clutching Ikehara’s thigh to prevent an escape and potential defeat.
Quote: "Patience was the key for me. My dad is my coach, and he said no matter what, that he loves me. That meant a lot."
Third place
Brayden Hill (Punahou) def. Jonah Seui (Saint Louis) 8-4
Fifth place
Jeffrey Sanchez (Mililani) def. Justin Taylor (Lahainaluna) pin
189 pounds
Championship match
Zachary Hernandez (Punahou) def. Totauhelotu Lotuleilei (Maui) pin
Match recap: Hernandez capped his career with a second state title and a 28-0 overall record as a senior, including 26 pins. Totauhelotu pinned his foes in the quarterfinals and semifinals but Hernandez wore him down.
Quote: "All the hard work, pain, and sacrifice was worth it. If it wasn’t for my coaches and teammates, this wouldn’t be possible. This was my last time on this mat. I’m happy to have wrestled under Coach Oney."
Third place
Matthew Lee (Moanalua) def. Santonny Johns (Leilehua) 7-5
Fifth place
Dayton Furuta (Mililani) def. Danny Welds Ebanks (Baldwin) pin
215 pounds
Championship match
Dane Pestano (Kamehameha) def. Hercules Mataafa (Lahainaluna) 5-3
Match recap: Mataafa tied it with 20 seconds left on a stalling infaction, but Pestano scored a two-point takedown with 5 seconds to go for the win.
Quote: "I was down when the last period started, so I kept attacking and setting up my shots. It feels amazing, I can’t explain it."
Third place
Benjamin Bourque (Pearl City) def. Kory Johnson (Punahou) 4-0
Fifth place
Zach Mason (Waianae) def. Troy Choi (Hawaii Prep) 6-3
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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM