The ‘Iolani boys continued their torrid pace on Saturday all the way to the Chevron/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships.
The Raiders came into the finals of the two-day event at Blaisdell Arena with a big lead and they wound up scoring 166 points. Campbell was the next closest with 137.5.
Four ‘Iolani wrestlers made the individual finals — KJ Pascua, Saiaiga Fautanu, Dane Yamashiro and Jake Nakasone, with Nakasone and Yamashiro emerging as champions.
Yamashiro dropped Punahou’s Kanai Eldredge 10-4 in an extra-active bout for heavyweights, and Nakasone — the No. 6 ranked wrestler in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s pound-for-pound rankings — defeated Lahainaluna’s Kainalu Estrella 14-2 at 120 pounds.
“Our whole team worked hard for this win,” Yamashiro said. “It’s a team banner and not just an individual one.”
The Raiders’ Kaua Nishigaya (third place, 106), Colby Watase (third place, 113), James Mizota (fifth place, 126) and Jake Angelo (fifth place, 132) also had a big hand in the team’s victory.
“The team championship, there is really nothing greater in my mind” said ‘Iolani coach Walden Au about the school’s first state team title since 2003, when he was one of the competitors. “Now to be able to pass this on to the next group, it’s a great feeling. I hope these kids realize that a lot of this is reflected in their hard work, not only that, but the support that their parents and the community has given them.”
Pascua suffered a razor-close 2-1 defeat to Leilehua’s Liam Corbett in a struggle of two previous state champions at 152. Pascua was the aggressor in the first two scoreless periods and earned a 1-0 lead via an escape with 1:15 left. Corbett scored a takedown, staying inbounds while Pascua was out for the win with seven seconds left. Pascua nearly tied it with an escape late.
At 182, Fautanu took Waianae’s Caleb Cardus to overtime, but Cardus prevailed 3-1 with a takedown.
For Corbett, the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound wrestler, it’s his second straight state title. He went down from 160 to match up with Pascua, No. 3 in the pound for pound.
“It was crazy intense,” Corbett said. “First of all, KJ is an awesome wrestler and it was a great match. Probably the best match I’ve had all year. Before the match and during the match, I kept telling myself, ‘This is my last year and I’ve got to leave my mark, so I’ve got to give it all I’ve got.’ ”
At 170, Damien’s Connor Villarmia wrestled to his second straight state championship, beating Baldwin’s Troy Waki 3-1 in overtime in the final. Villarmia thought about quitting during the preseason due to rigorous schoolwork. He was crying happy tears afterward and thanked all the people who supported and motivated him.
Kamehameha’s Blaysen Terukina (No. 4 pound for pound) got past Kapolei’s Shandon Ilaban-Totten (No. 5 p4p) 14-12 in one of the most exciting matches of the night at 132 in a matchup of previous state champs. The crowd was rocking, screaming, “Blay-sen, Blay-sen” at times and “Shan-don, Shan-don” at others.
It was the 10th state win for the Terukina family to go along with the one he won last year, the two earned by Blaysen’s father, Darryl, and the three each by brother Shayden and uncle Ben.
Pearl City’s Baylen Cooper knocked off top-seeded Sheldon Bailey (No. 10 pound for pound) of Waianae 10-8 to continue his family’s legacy. He broke a 7-7 tie with a third-period escape and takedown. His brothers Cooper and Blake are three-time state winners.
Campbell’s James Sullivan (220, No. 9 pound for pound) and Baldwin’s Thomas Stevenson (160, No. 8 p4p) captured state championships after placing second last year.
