Kahuku girls water polo players know about the program’s legacy that has been established over the past two decades.
The 12 players on this year’s roster finally have an OIA title they can call their own.
Tuua Cravens scored eight goals, including four on penalty shots, as No. 1 seed Kahuku beat No. 3 seed Kaiser 13-9 in the final of the OIA girls water polo tournament Saturday at K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center.
“I couldn’t be more proud. I’m so proud to see all their hard work come to fruition and they really deserve this moment,” Kahuku coach Gina Ahue said. The Red Raiders have won 16 of 19 OIA crowns, but it’s the first time any of the players on this year’s roster have been part of a title team.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons weren’t played because of COVID-19, and Roosevelt won last year’s championship.
“This is four years plus of work,” Ahue said. “Day in and day out, they show up every day ready to give me 110 percent, very coachable. I appreciate them showing up every single day and their willingness to get better.”
Kahuku (13-0) will be the OIA’s seeded team and receive a first-round bye at the 12-team HHSAA Girls Water Polo Championships, which start May 8.
Kaiser (11-3), Roosevelt, Kapolei and Mililani also will represent the league.
Kahuku scored on its first three shots Saturday: Cravens (6:42), Kimorah Wong (5:53) and Velzy Moffat (5:00).
Kaiser cut the deficit to 3-1 on Jaime Farah’s power-play goal at 2:42.
Cravens scored at 1:38 and on a penalty shot at 0:27 to give the Red Raiders a 5-1 lead after the first quarter.
Kahuku took a 9-4 lead at halftime, with Cravens scoring three goals, including a penalty shot, and Wong getting a goal in the second quarter.
“It’s a team sport. I don’t feel any selfishness,” said Cravens, a junior. “You score for your team and you win as a team.”
Kimie Ginoza scored twice on penalty shots and Farah added a power-play goal for the Cougars in the period.
Cravens scored on a penalty shot and Maya Maki and Wells Anderson scored for Kahuku in the third quarter. Farah and Ashley Kaisho scored for Kaiser, which trailed 12-6 entering the fourth.
The Cougars’ Nikki Hunt (6:03), Emi Chrash (5:24) and Kaisho (3:22, power play) scored for Kaiser in the fourth quarter. Cravens scored on a penalty shot at 4:39 for Kahuku.
“She’s been my rock for this entire season,” Ahue said of Cravens. “I rely on her heavily. Defensively and offensively, she never gives up. That’s a great quality to have in an athlete.”
Red Raiders senior goalie Rachel Smith finished with five saves, with 11 shots by the Cougars going off the posts.
“They took a lot of shots. A lot of them did hit the post and I managed to get some of them,” Smith said.
With all the success the Red Raiders have had in water polo, they would like a pool to call their own, according to Ahue, who played on four OIA championship teams before graduating from Kahuku in 2004.
She said a town hall meeting was held Thursday to discuss a future pool in Kahuku. The Red Raiders hold practices at the BYU-Hawaii campus, which is 15 minutes away.
“We’re trying to get a pool built for our community, just to keep the legacy going,” said Ahue, who added there is no recreational pool from Kaneohe to Waialua. “We have many talented aquatic athletes out there who love the sport, so we want to continue to uplift the sport of water polo for our entire North Shore.”
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OIA PLAYOFFS
Fifth-Place Game
Mililani 11, Kalaheo 4
Goal-Scorers—Mil: Leila Maynard 5, Morgan Russell 3, Kiley Kawai 3. Kalh: Skyla Jergovic, Meleana McDonald, Sailor Groom, Molly Joca.
Third-Place Game
Roosevelt 8, Kapolei 6, OT
Goal-Scorers—Kapo: Venezuela Lino 3, Keeley Nadig, Kaya Gabriel-Medeiros, Holly LeDoux. Roos: Kimberly Cassens 3, Jochel Oba 3, Jaeci Oba, Jonna Keo.
Championship
Kahuku 13, Kaiser 9
Goal-Scorers—Kais: Jaime Farah 3, Ashley Kaisho 2, Kimie Ginoza 2, Nikki Hunt, Emi Chrash. Kah: Tuua Cravens 8, Kimorah Wong 2, Wells Anderson, Maya Maki, Velzy Moffat.
