Kamehameha’s boys team stumbled a bit on Day 2 of the Texaco/HHSAA Wrestling State Championships on Thursday at Blaisdell Arena, but glided to victory anyway due to its dominant performance a day earlier.
Two of eight Warriors who made the finals pulled through for individual titles. Still Kamehameha racked up 2281⁄2 points for its first state crown since 2013 and sixth overall. Punahou finished way behind with 1541⁄2 points, with Lahainaluna in third with 132.
Kysen Terukina and Brant Porter kept the momentum going for the winners. In the 126-pound class, Terukina earned a third straight individual championship by topping Saint Louis’ Elijah Kaawa 4-1.
“I’m glad we won the team title, but there were a lot of missing pieces,” said Terukina, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s No. 1 pound-for-pound competitor and a junior who can get that golden, rare fourth championship next year. “We had six guys lose. We didn’t finish the job all the way how we wanted. It’s a good thing we had a good start yesterday.”
In the 120-pound final, Porter (No. 10 p4p) pinned Saint Louis’ Branson Magsayo at 5:16.
“It’s amazing,” Porter said. “I trained hard for this. Dozens of hours just for a six-minute match. It doesn’t really matter — as long as I came out with the victory I’d be happy. The pin was just for team points.”
The Warriors’ Sheydon Tomisato (113 pounds), Braden Akima (160), Kainalu Huddy (182), Laakea Ane (195), Brock Ai (220) and Cody Bollig (285) all made it to the finals and lost.
Four earned their second state crowns — Kalaheo’s Rysan Leong (No. 2 p4p), Kapolei’s Branden Pagurayan (No. 3 p4p), Moanalua’s Noah Wusstig (No. 5 p4p) and Baldwin’s Coby Ravida (No. 6 p4p).
Pagurayan had the fastest pin of the finals — boys or girls — doing it in 0:51 at 152 pounds against Leilehua’s Pookela DeSantos.
Like Terukina, Pagurayan and Punahou’s Mason Stefanelli are still in the chase for the four-year slam.
“I wanted to make it quick and fast,” Pagurayan said about his victory. “I didn’t want to risk losing anything, so I tried to end it with a pin, unlike my other matches, where I try to go for points. Two (state titles) down so far. I plan on continuing the rest of it — complete the grand slam. Set the bar high for my brothers.”
Stefanelli, a freshman, won his first state crown by defeating Baldwin’s Tobey Ravida — Coby’s brother — 13-0 at 106 pounds.
“I was going into this and the one before trusting all the work I’ve done and it paid off,” Stefanelli said.
Asked about the future, starting with possible title No. 2 next year, Stefanelli said. “We’ll see about No. 2. Winning four, it’s a dream, but I’m just focused on the next one and getting back to work.”
Leong and Wusstig finished up their careers Thursday. Coby Ravida, a junior, can get a third state title next year.
Leong stopped ‘Iolani’s Blaze Pascua 7-1 at 170 pounds; Wusstig dropped Baldwin’s Billy Treu 7-3 at 145; and Coby Ravida edged Tomisato 6-4 at 113.
In one of the most dramatic matches of the night — boys or girls — Leilehua’s Kaena DeSantos (No. 9 p4p) won a back-and-forth war against Lahainaluna’s Kawehi Gillcoat (No. 7 p4p) at 138 pounds.
“It’s the best feeling ever, man,” DeSantos said about his first state championship. “I can’t explain my feeling right now. I like the excitement, especially beating a good guy like that. He was undefeated. I was undefeated. I wanted that thing more. When it came to the the third round, I knew he was dying out.”
At 182, Punahou’s Zander Manuel pulled out a surprise victory. He downed second-seeded Vance Keliihoomalu of Kapolei in the semifinals before defeating the top-seeded Huddy of Kamehameha 3-2 in the title match.
“It’s amazing to be a state champion,” said Manuel, a junior who still had joyous tears flowing down about five minutes after beating Huddy. “I didn’t make states as a sophomore and I went two and out as a freshman. I’m super happy that I was able to come out on top.”
Saint Louis’ Ansen Ursua (132 pounds), Moanalua’s Boltyn Taam (160, No. 5 p4p), Kamehameha-Maui’s Darius Mynar (195), Punahou’s Legend Matautia (220) and McKinley’s Iulio Atonio (285) also wrapped up their first state championships.
