State champs are loaded for next season
Kamehameha girls basketball coach Darold Imanaka likes what the Warriors will have next season, when eight players, including every starter except senior Lilia Maio, will return.
But he’s not assuming anything about being head coach next season.
"We’ll see what happens with the (administrative) evaluations," Imanaka said, introducing intermediate and JV coaches to a reporter. "For me, it’s a tribute to all my coaches at practice, always working. It’s the coaches with me that made this work. They do all the work. The credit goes to them. We’re all working together as one."
Hilo standout questionable
Hilo managed to win the Big Island Interscholastic Federation boys basketball title with a 41-37 victory over Kamehameha-Hawaii without standout Jodd Carter.
The lanky, high-scoring swingman has missed several weeks with an injury, but only recently was diagnosed with a leg fracture. That leaves his participation in the state tournament (Feb. 20-23) iffy, at best.
Feeling fine in Division II
Kamehameha-Hawaii’s girls basketball team isn’t the first to show consistent championship success at the Division II level, but any complaints about their status doesn’t seem to bug the Warriors.
It’s happened before. Hawaii Baptist had a remarkable run in D-II volleyball, winning state titles in 2007, ’08 and ’09, knocking off D-I powerhouses in the ILH every now and then. More than a few critics said out loud, mostly during volleyball matches, that the Eagles didn’t belong in D-II.
Like HBA, small Kamehameha-Hawaii has dealt with the barbs, and it’ll continue now that the team took the D-II state crown on Friday, rallying past another BIIF school, Honokaa.
"I’ve heard it for a long time. It doesn’t bother me," coach Garrett Arima said. "We have 500 or so kids, 288 of them are girls. We have 10 girls at tryouts every year. I’ve never cut a girl. I’d love to have 20 or 30 try out."
The Warriors, sparked by junior guard Casey Poe, went 18-10 this season and secured their fourth state title in D-II.
