Hawaii Prep Report

PIAA letter-of-intent signing set this week

Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance will hold a National Letter of Intent signing ceremony on Wednesday at the Elks Lodge in Waikiki.

The signing will begin at 7 a.m. and includes college signees in baseball, crew, diving, golf, softball, tennis, volleyball and women’s water polo.

Konawaena players honor Govs’ Ortiz

The life of Dayne Ortiz remains fresh in the minds of prep football teams and players, including Konawaena.

The Wildcats arrived at Kaiser for a state-tournament game on Saturday wearing maroon "29" stickers on the back of their white helmets in honor of the Farrington senior cornerback. Ortiz has been missing since Nov. 2, when his kayak capsized in rough waters off Mokuleia.

"It’s a gesture for a fallen comrade," Konawaena coach Cliff Walters said. "Our team feels bad. For the family, we send out our prayers."

Cougars not content with first-round win

At this point, Kaiser coach Rich Miano isn’t concerned with external situations.

After Kaiser’s 59-6 opening-round win over Konawaena in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II State Championships, he wasn’t totally satisfied.

"It’s still too many," Miano said of their miscues. "You talk about Navy having no turnovers and no penalties in a game. How do they do that? They’re smart. They’re disciplined. As a coach, you’re striving for that kind of perfection. We still jumped offside too many times. We had a few personal fouls."

Kaiser, seeded fourth, has outscored three postseason opponents 115-30. The Cougars (11-1) advanced to the semifinal round and will meet top-seeded Lahainaluna on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.

Putting together the travel itinerary is not one of Miano’s favorite tasks, but he still has a sense of humor.

"Going to Maui with this crew, I hope our team mom does a good job," Miano said.

HONOR ROLL

FOOTBALL
>> Amosa Amosa Jr., Campbell: One of QB Isaac Hurd’s favorite targets, he caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

>> Sanele Lavatai, Farrington: Had 16 carries for 105 yards and Farrington’s first touchdown in a win over Baldwin.

>> Jacob Baguio, Farrington: Caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against Baldwin.

>> Fitou Fisiiahi, Kaiser: Rushed for a touchdown and caught a pass from Kahoalii Karratti for another one in a win over Konawaena.

>> Melvin Kahunanui, Kaiser: Returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown against Konawaena.

>> Blake Cooper, Pearl City: Rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries in a loss to Kauai.

>> James Bukoski, Kauai: Intercepted two passes and had a game-high 10 tackles in a 13-7 Division II state-tournament win over Pearl City.

>> Pono Bukoski, Kauai: Caught a 13-yard touchdown pass and kicked an extra point in a win over Pearl City.

WEEKLY HONORS

Athlete of the Week

Isaac Hurd
Campbell quarterback

The Sabers quarterback threw for a school-record 388 yards and four touchdowns in a state-tournament win over Hilo at Keaau. The senior completed 28 of his 36 passes and was selected the top performer of the week for the second time this season. He also ran for a touchdown.

TOP 10 POLLS

Voted on by coaches and media from around the state. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, eight for third, etc.