Male Athlete of the Week: Kainoa Wilson, Mililani football
There was a time when Kainoa Wilson dreamed of wearing the Buff & Blue of Punahou on the football field.

It's something he had long forgot about and chuckled at when he was reminded of it a few days following Mililani's 53-45 win over Punahou in the Division I state football championship game Friday night.

"I was probably in elementary school or maybe just going into intermediate school around that time and I didn't know where I was going to go yet for high school," said Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior receiver. "I think when I was playing for the Waipio Panthers is when Manti (Teo) and Robbie Toma played for them and I used to like Robbie Toma — I thought he was real good — so that's why I liked them."

Instead of Punahou, however, Wilson followed his older brothers, Kaimi and Kaimana, to Mililani and put together a prolific three-year varsity career. He finished with 113 career receptions for 1,665 yards and 16 touchdowns.

"He's a three-year starter for us and I know it was tough for him this year because he sat out a lot of games due to injuries,"

Trojans' coach Rod York said of a fractured collarbone Wilson suffered in a preseason scrimmage at Leilehua. "To be honest, he still is injured, he didn't care because it's his senior year and he fought through the pain."

Wilson played in the season opener, a 63-47 win over Saint Louis, and caught eight passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, but aggravated the injury and ended up missing the next six games. He returned in time for the Trojans' playoff opener, a 54-14 win over Kaiser, and notched seven receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Against Punahou Friday, Wilson caught four passes for 98 yards, including 57-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 17-yard score in the second.

"He came up big time for us in a big game," York said of Wilson. "The first (touchdown), when he broke free and scored, was definitely a momentum changer for us. It gave us some confidence in the beginning of the game."

The touchdown gave Mililani a 13-7 lead — just seconds after star right tackle Jordan Agasiva left the game with a left knee injury — and was the start of 19 consecutive points scored in a stretch of just 4:01 of game time. His second touchdown — which he latched on to despite the defender's arm between the ball and his body — extended his team's lead to 46-28.

"What people don't know is that in the game he was crying because he was in so much pain and I'd ask him if he was out and he'd get all mad and say no," said York, who moved Wilson from the slot receiver to a wideout just prior to the state semifinal game against Farrington.

"(The transition) was smooth because in practice he played all the positions, but we moved him out there to get away from the linebackers and to protect his (collarbone)," York said. "It was a credit to our offensive line for giving (quarterback) McKenzie (Milton) time because a lot of times, (Kainoa) was the fourth progression as the backside guy."

York said Wilson, a captain, stayed devoted to his team during his time of recovery.

"He's all about the team," York said. "He's a born leader, all heart. He made sure that I knew that he was coming back — from the first time he got injured to even in the playoffs — and to not count him out because he refused to sit out."

Female Athlete of the Week: Rose Shimaoka, Kaiser basketball
It seems that this year's version of the Kaiser girls' basketball team will go as Rose Shimaoka goes.

The statistics support it — the Cougars have lost all four games in which Shimaoka has scored less than 12 points — as do her own coach's words.

"She's our leader and our captain," Kaiser coach Simon Bitanga said of his junior guard. "She sees the court so well, her basketball IQ is out of this world. She's on a different level than some of the other girls on our team, so that's why she stands out so much."

In Kaiser's only two wins this preseason — both coming last week at the Hawaii Self Storage McKinley Girls Basketball Classic — Shimaoka scored 16 points against Sacred Hearts and 19 versus Mid-Pacific.

"She just does wonderful stuff," Bitanga said. "She knows where to be, she steals passes here and there, she's hungry for the ball and just like any athlete that's hungry, she'll go get it."

The 5-foot-6 Shimaoka came up through Bitanga's Eastsidaz girls basketball club, so he knows her — and her abilities on the court — very well.

"She's a special girl who would do everything correct," Bitanga recalls. "We would have to play her up one (age) division because she is that good. She's a playmaker and she helps her teammates when they're down. She's just always trying to do whatever it takes to get to the next level."

Despite her competitive nature, Shimaoka is described as "very loving and very positive," by Bitanga, who brought her up to the varsity during her freshman year.

"She started as a freshman, too," said Bitanga, who made note of Shimaoka's versatility. "She's played everything from the one (point guard) through the five (center) sometimes."

The Cougars are counting on Shimaoka to help fill the scoring void with the graduation of Chantelle Arce, who was among the leading scorers in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Red Division last season.

"She needs to pick up the slack to put off Chantelle, but we stress defense over offense, so we don't need to score that much, but she's going to get her points because she's that good," Bitanga said of Shimaoka, who he calls a "role model," for the rest of his players.

"She's just a leader in everything she does and she's just a good child," Bitanga said. "She's enrolled in the (International Baccalaureate) Program at Kaiser so she's looking to better herself for getting some credits toward college."

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Brenna Dela Rosa, University — Scored a 14 points in a loss to Kaimuki and a  13 points in a win over McKinley

Jessica Hanashiro, Sacred Hearts — Scored a 13 points in a loss to Kaiser and a game-high 21 points in a win over McKinley

Ashlynn Henderon, Kaimuki — Scored 13 points in a win over Mid-Pacific

Victoria Kintz, Kaimuki — Scored a game-high 23 points in a win over University, 19 points in a loss to Maryknoll and 13 in a win over Mid-Pacific

Julia Lee, Kalani — Scored a 17 points in a loss to Sacred Hearts

Chayse Milne, Maryknoll — Scored a game-high 16 points in a win over Kalani

Jordan Passas, Kaiser — Scored a game-high 15 points in a win over University

Kayla Rasavanh, McKinley — Scored a 16 points in a loss to University

Zoey Yamamoto, Sacred Hearts — Scored a 17 points in a win over Kalani

FOOTBALL
Makoa Filikitonga-Lukela, Lahainaluna — Rushed for two touchdowns in a loss to Iolani

Melvin Hoomanawanui, Iolani — Made a game-high seven tackles, including one for a loss, in a win over Lahainaluna

Heisman Hosoda, Punahou — Caught a  six passes for 82 yards in a loss to Mililani

Austin Jim On, Iolani — Threw for 239 yards on 21-of-24 passing with two touchdowns in a win over Lahainaluna

Brandon Kaina, Lahainaluna — Tied for a  6 1/2 tackles, including one for a loss, in a loss to Iolani

Laakea Look, Punahou — Recorded a game-high 10 1/2 tackles with one pass break-up in a loss to Mililani

Storm Lotomau, Iolani — Rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a win over Lahainaluna

Wyatt Maa, Iolani — Had 4 1/2 tackles and recovered a fumble in a win over Lahainaluna

Keoni-Kordell Makekau, Iolani — Caught seven passes for a game-high 105 yards with a touchdown and made a 42-yard field goal in a win over Lahainaluna

Vavae Malepeai, Mililani — Rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries in a win over Punahou

McKenzie Milton, Mililani — Passed for a 421 yards and seven touchdowns on 29-of-47 passing in a win over Punahou

Christian Naeole, Iolani — Had six tackles, two for losses, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in a win over Lahainaluna

Kanawai Noa, Punahou — Caught a touchdown pass and racked up 186 yards of all-purpose yardage in a loss to Mililani

Connor Ohira, Iolani — Caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in a win over Lahainaluna

KJ Pascua, Iolani — Rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in a win over Lahainaluna

Ty Purcell-Apana, Mililani — Made a  seven tackles, returned an interception for a state-tournament record 83-yard touchdown, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in a win over Punahou

Bronson Ramos, Mililani — Amassed a team-high 128 yards of all-purpose yardage in a win over Punahou

Thomas Rosen St. John, Lahainaluna — Had 5 1/2 tackles, including 2 1/2 for losses, in a loss to Iolani

Kalai Santos, Punahou — Caught two passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Mililani

Bun Straton, Punahou — Made seven tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up two others in a loss to Mililani

Peni Taufa, Lahainaluna — Tied for a  6 1/2 tackles, including two for losses and one sack, in a loss to Ilene

Wayne Taulapapa, Punahou — Rushed for a game-high 260 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in a loss to Mililani

Tyler Teruya, Iolani — Caught a game-high nine passes for 67 yards in a win over Iolani

Kalakaua Timoteo, Mililani — Caught seven passes for a game-high 117 yards with four touchdowns in a win over Punahou

Jet John Toner, Punahou — Made a state-tournament record 53-yard field goal and put five of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks in a loss to Mililani

Ephraim Tuliloa, Punahou — Passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-33 passing in a loss to Mililani

Sergio Urena, Mililani — Made four tackles, including one for a loss, and forced a fumble in a win over Punahou

Bryson Ventura, Mililani — Caught a game-high eight passes for 77 yards in a win over Punahou