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Wendell Harrison

Radford football  •   #25    

It has not been the easiest of seasons for Wendell Harrison and the Radford football team.

The Rams were on the losing end of their first six games this fall before they finally triumphed over the weekend with a 33-24 win at Castle Friday night. Harrison played a big part in the victory; the senior running back registered 14 carries for 152 yards and three touchdowns to keep Radford's season alive for at least another week.

Longtime Rams' coach Fred Salanoa noted the resilience that his players have shown despite one lopsided loss after another.

"You see the scores and after a while as a young adult or teenager, it starts to get demoralizing, questions start to come up from your fellow student body members questioning you, negative posts on social media, but for our kids to continue to show up day in and day out, to continue to push themselves – those are things that I like to highlight, those are the things that people don't see," Salanoa expressed.

During its losing streak, Radford was outscored by an average of more than 45 points each game. Included in the routs were a 58-7 loss to Mililani and two weeks later, a 76-7 drubbing at Waipahu.

"Through it all we never forfeited a game. We kept on coming and we kept on trying our best and last Friday was a great opportunity and a great feeling for our young men to experience that win that honestly they deserved," Salanoa said. "Now we did get some breaks, some situations that we got lucky in – whether it was a turnover that went in our favor – but sometimes that's what you kind of need to get over that hump."

The Knights, however, did not make it easy. Friday's game – the final one of the regular season for both teams – saw them trade scores for much of the night. The score was tied at 7 after one quarter, but Castle went up a touchdown before Harrison's 1-yard TD run pulled the Rams to within 14-13 at the half.

Castle made it 21-13 in the third quarter, but Harrison scored his second TD from two yards out to help Radford keep pace. After the Knights converted a field goal early in the fourth quarter to take a 24-20 cushion, the Rams pulled ahead with a 22-yard TD pass from Afi Togafau to Tyrese Miller, then closed it out with an 83-yard TD run by Harrison.

"I think we just called a normal outside zone run and he got the edge, he turned the corner and he was able to go down the sideline pretty much untouched and it wasn't like Castle wasn't there – we didn't do a trick play, it wasn't something that we caught people off-guard – his speed just came into play there," Salanoa described.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Harrison averaged nearly 11 yards per carry against the Knights. Radford ran for 198 of its 425 yards of total offense. Harrison also finished as the team's leading receiver with three catches for 64 yards.

"He was running hard all night. He broke a few tackles here and there, did a couple high steps here and there, but if you put him on the sideline against one or even two defenders, even with the good angle, I might have to take Wendell on that because has very deceiving speed, I guess you could say," Salanoa said.

Harrison, a military dependent whose family last resided in Japan before moving to Hawaii, is still relatively new to the game of football; His primary sport is baseball. Harrison batted .278 with nine RBI and 12 runs scored for the Rams' baseball team last spring. The centerfielder possesses both speed – as evidenced by his 10 stolen bases – and power, as he slugged a pair of home runs.

"The kid is really fast and very explosive and he showed a lot of that during the scrimmages that we had in the summer, then obviously he showed glimpses of it throughout the season and then he pretty much put it on display against Castle this past weekend," Salanoa said.

Salanoa added that Harrison's baseball background has served him well on the gridiron, especially when it comes to the mental aspect of weathering a difficult season.

"In baseball you've got to be pretty strong in your mindset and so I think having that mindset and work ethic coming from the Radford baseball team to the football team was an easy transition for him. Staying even keel is obviously beneficial to him because of the situation we're in this year being that maybe we're a little bit out-manned, out-numbered talent wise, height and weight wise, so you've got to have that mindset to keep pushing forward or else you might fall off the boat, so he does a good job with it and comes back ready and gives it his all," Salanoa said. "I really couldn't speak more highly about him as far as the way he carries himself; He always has a good attitude, always a smile on his face – just a great all-around kid in my opinion."

There are times that Harrison has prior baseball commitments that have forced him to miss football practices, but Salanoa supports his players participating in multiple sports. Just last month Harrison was part of a team from Hawaii that took part in a baseball showcase in Arizona. As a result, he missed Radford's game against Kailua.

"We encourage multi-sport athletes, but we just let them know that they shouldn't expect us to hold their starting spot if that's what they had prior to leaving or missing practice, but that they just have to work a little harder and be a little more organized in their daily activities, but for Wendell I think that's normal for him and he does a really good job of communicating," Salanoa said.

Harrison has also seen spot duty at linebacker this season. Salanoa noted that Harrison's intellectual ability allows him to step into unfamiliar situations and perform nonetheless.

"He's willing to work and comes every day to practice as much as he can when baseball is not taking a priority, he tries his best and he's not a very vocal guy, but I think his demeanor and the way he commits himself to everything at practice – he's always going a hundred miles per hour, never seems to get upset and just keeps on trucking," Salanoa said. "It's a team effort and I'm happy for everyone, but for him personally, what a great accomplishment for him and a great reward for him and hopefully we can carry that into the playoffs."

Harrison and the Rams will visit Hugh Yoshida Stadium Friday night for a matchup against Leilehua in the first round of the six-team OIA Division I tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Sylas Alaimalo, Damien — Ran for 216 yards and six touchdowns on 31 carries in a win over Iolani 

Keoki Alani, Konawaena — Threw for 369 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-26 passing without an interception in a win over Keaau

Zayden Alviar-Costa, Campbell — Caught six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Moanalua 

Jordan Amalato, Kalani — Ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in a loss to Pearl City 

Liatama Amisone, Kapolei — Threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-29 passing with two interceptions and ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in a win over Waianae 

Kamalu Anoba-Jordan, Kalaheo — Caught seven passes for 172 yards and a touchdown and ran for another touchdown in a loss to Kaiser 

Ethan Biondine, Mililani — Scored on a 31-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Waipahu 

Armenio Blanco, Konawaena — Scored on fumble returns for touchdowns of 32 and 10 yards in a win over Keaau 

Piercen Cajical-Evans, Maui — Ran for 184 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries in a win over Baldwin 

Jayden Chanel, Waipahu — Caught nine passes for 123 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass in a loss to Mililani 

Trey Dacoscos, Pearl City — Threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing without an interception in a win over Kalani 

Keawe Davis, Roosevelt — Caught three passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Waialua 

Kekainalu Fuerte, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Caught three passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Kau 

Davyn Joseph, Mililani — Caught a touchdown pass and scored on an 84-yard punt return for touchdown in a win over Waipahu 

Slater Kaleiohi, Waianae — Intercepted a pass and scored on a 98-yard kickoff return for touchdown in a loss to Kapolei 

Kaunaoa Kamakawiwoole, Saint Louis — Threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-27 passing with one interecption in a win over Kamehameha 

Ioane Kamanao, Roosevelt — Threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-22 passing without an interception in a win over Waialua 

Kaina Kamohalii, Kapolei — Caught six passes for 163 yards and a touchdown in a win over Waianae 

Kekama Kane, Iolani — Caught eight passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Damien 

Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo, Aiea — Ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries in a win over Nanakuli 

Titan Lacaden, Saint Louis — Caught three touchdown passes and recorded two interceptions in a win over Kamehameha 

Iosefa Letuli, Kaimuki — Threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-31 passing without an interception in a win over McKinley

Cameron Mamiya, Campbell — Caught a touchdown pass and intercepted a pass in a win over Moanalua 

Kini McMillan, Mililani — Threw for 293 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-37 passing with one interception and ran for 94 yards and four touchdowns on nine carries in a win over Waipahu 

Hercules Nahale, Kealakehe — Ran for 182 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a win over Hilo 

Elijah Nua, Mililani — Scored on a 67-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Waipahu 

Adam Perry, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Threw for 269 yards and five touchdowns on 11-of-22 passing with one interception in a win over Kau 

Tylan Pontanilla-Balag, Baldwin — Scored on a 75-yard kickoff return for touchdown in a loss to Maui 

Keon Preusser, Iolani — Caught 11 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Damien 

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Campbell — Threw for 319 yards and six touchdowns on 18-of-22 passing without an interception in a win over Moanalua 

Brody Sagawa, Iolani — Made 10 tackles and intercepted a pass in a loss to Damien 

Ian Sera, Damien — Caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in a win over Iolani 

Jayvien Smith, Kaiser — Ran for 130 yards on 20 carries in a win over Kalaheo 

Taimane Souza-Fautanu, Roosevelt — Scored on a 33-yard punt return for touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in a win over Waialua 

Eric Stephens, Waipahu — Caught six passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Mililani 

Austin Takaki, Konawaena — Caught six passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns and recorded 3 1/2 tackles and an interception in a win over Keaau  

Kaulana Tihada, Lahainaluna — Ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and made six tackles, including two for losses, and recovered a fumble in a win over Kamehameha-Maui 

Bezeiah Togafau, Radford — Threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-29 passing without an interception in a win over Castle 

Ezekiel Totten, Castle — Ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries in a loss to Radford 

AJ Tuifua, Damien — Threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-19 passing with an interception and ran for another touchdown in a win over Iolani 

CJ Villanueva, Iolani — Threw for 341 yards and five touchdowns on 33-of-44 passing without an interception in a loss to Damien 

Cooper Watkins, Baldwin — Caught seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Maui 

Jeremiah White, Kaimuki — Caught nine passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in a win over McKinley 

Miliana Sylvester

University Lab volleyball  •   #12  MB/OH  Senior

For Miliana Sylvester, there is no place like home. That's why the volleyball standout made the decision to leave behind her family in Missouri and finish out her prep career in Hawaii.

Sylvester, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, is in the midst of a standout senior season for the University Laboratory School girls' volleyball team this fall. She previously attended the school in the sixth and seventh grades before her family moved to the ‘Show Me State,' where Sylvester lived for the past four years.

Back in March of this year, Sylvester – then a junior at Central High School in Springfield, Missouri – gave a verbal commitment to play collegiate volleyball for the University of Hawaii. She knew, however, she wanted to return to the Aloha State sooner than that.

"When she verbally committed to UH, I think she really wanted to come back home," UH Lab coach Walt Quitan said of Sylvester, who was adopted by her foster parents and is the oldest of 11 children in the household.

Sylvester spread her wings and made her way back west without the rest of her family in tow. She is living in Hawaii with grandparents, who are filling in as guardians in lieu of her foster parents.

"She basically came back here on her own," Quitan noted.

Some familiarity with her "new" teammates has come in handy, he added.

"She had gone to school with most of the girls, so they definitely knew each other and some of them were on the same intermediate team in seventh grade, so that definitely made it easier of a transition," Quitan said.

Despite the transition back to her old school, Sylvester was selected by her teammates and coaches as a captain this fall. Quitan said Sylvester most definitely "leads by example.

"She's got a lot of experience playing at a high level on the mainland and playing for better clubs, so in her position she has a lot of knowledge for a high school kid and she's always willing to kind of share that and help out and I think being the oldest of (11) children, she's kind of gravitated to become a leader like that," Quitan said. 

Sylvester's importance to the Junior ‘Bows was further exasperated by the fact that the team graduated a class of nine seniors in the spring.

"We've had challenges," said Quitan, who is also the school's athletic director and stepped into the role of head coach this year.

"We only have three returnees and our setter has never set before, so we've been trying to build that connection with an inexperienced setter, but (Sylvester) is the type of player that we basically set her everywhere and she's kind of hit every set for us: the slide, the three, the one, the four, the five and the pike," Quitan explained.

UH Lab has utilized Sylvester in a number of different ways this season.

"We kind of move her all around. The majority of the time she's in the middle, but sometimes she will play the back row. It's always a challenge – depending what the lineup is like – with setting her every ball versus spreading it out, but I think she's the most dominant front row player in the state, regardless of division," Quitan stated.  

Quitan compared Sylvester to current-UH middle blocker Amber Igiede, an AVCA All-American third team selection last year.

"Height with athleticism; She's not just tall, her athleticism is off the charts," Quitan said. "She's such a dynamic player. Even to people that don't really know volleyball, she kind of stands out just because of where she contacts the ball and how high she hits it. I mean, she's hitting at angles that you hardly ever see a high school girl hit. She puts on a show in warm-ups and it's like a Division I college player playing at the high school level."

Part of the process for the Junior ‘Bows, Quitan notes, is trying to balance the offense rather than overly relying on Sylvester.

"She's been dominant and that's kind of been the challenge: we have good all-around players, but sometimes we get too reliant on her, so that's some of the stuff we want to work on, just trying to be a little more balanced because the tendency when you have a hitter like that is to always go to them. I think whenever you have a really outstanding player, that's what you have to navigate: how good can we be when all our players buy into what we need to do," Quitan said.

He went on, "Everybody has to realize that it's not just hitting. For Mili to get her hits, we gotta pass and we gotta set and we gotta play defense. It's a little more challenging when your best player is a middle because you're more reliant on the whole team and that's our key to success, is that our whole team plays well, even though they may not get as much (individual) success as Mili will."

Quitan raves about Sylvester's defense at the net – "Her blocking is just as good as her hitting," he notes – but she has also worked diligently to improve her backrow defense as well.

"She's really wanted to learn the back row and she's kind of taken it as a challenge, so she's definitely improved in that aspect. She's super coachable and definitely wants to get better and wants to improve," Quitan said. "She's always there to help her teammates and is just a great girl all around."

Sylvester had a big hand in UH Lab locking up one of the ILH's four D2 state tournament berths last week. In a four-set win over Damien last Tuesday, Sylvester recorded a match-high 25 kills and was in on four blocks.

"Honestly, she just kind of did what she always does. She's been really consistent and that's been the whole thing with her: she sees a lot of double and triple blocks and the other teams kind of key on her, but she's been able to navigate that and still hit for a really high percentage and get her share of blocks and a lot more touches on the block," Quitan said.

The Junior ‘Bows defeated the Monarchs 25-21, 25-27, 25-20 and 25-21 to secure their spot in the state tournament and the ILH championship match two nights later. However, they saw their six-match win streak come to an end at the hands of Mid-Pacific in the ILH final Thursday night.

"It's such a tough year with five really good teams where anyone can beat anyone," Quitan said. "I think the ILH D2 in girls volleyball is the hardest sport in terms of overall balance and the talent level out of any D2 sport."

To Quitan's point, the private-school league has produced the last seven D2 state champions and has claimed 14 of the 17 titles since classification began in 2005.  

Sylvester and the Junior ‘Bows (8-5) will have three weeks off until they open state tournament play on Nov. 7.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Adrianna Arquette, Kamehameha — Had 18 kills, two set assists, one ace and a block in a three-set win over Punahou 

Brynn Basilio-Chun, Waialua — Had 23 set assists, 12 digs and six kills in a five-set win over Waipahu 

Rella Binney, Punahou — Had 33 set assists and one block in a three-set loss to Kamehameha 

Emma Chun, Nanakuli — Had 18 kills, nine digs, 1 1/2 blocks and one set assist in a four-set win over Waialua

Liliana Dutcher, University Lab — Had 18 kills, two aces and 1 1/2 blocks in a four-set win over Damien 

Kaila Kalama-Bajet, Damien — Had 20 kills, three aces and one block in a four-set loss to University Lab 

Khiana Kauweloa, Nanakuli — Had 42 set assists, 13 digs, one block and one ace in a four-set win over Waialua 

Whitney Kilton, Pearl City — Had 14 kills, two aces and one block in a five-set win over Aiea 

Emma Lilo, Kamehameha — Had 41 set assists, one block and an ace in a three-set win over Punahou 

Ariana Naipo, Baldwin — Had 15 kills and four digs in a three-set win over Lahainaluna 

Mayah Nakasato, University Lab — Had 51 set assists, four aces and one block in a four-set win over Damien 

Marisa Nakata, Hawaii Baptist — Had 12 kills and an ace in a three-set loss to Damien 

Kailia Phillips, Waialua — Had 12 kills, 10 digs, one set assist and an ace in a four-set loss to Nanakuli and had 13 kills, 12 digs, two aces and one block in a five-set win over Waipahu 

Kanoa Santiago, Waialua — Had 18 digs, seven kills, one block and an ace in a four-set loss to Nanakuli and had 20 digs, eight kills, two aces and 1 1/2 blocks in a five-set win over Waipahu 

Falikipaame Taufa, Aiea — Had 16 kills, three set assists, two aces, two blocks and a dig in a five-set loss to Pearl City 

Amelia Quibelan, Aiea — Had 17 digs, seven kills, one set assist and one-half block in a four-set win over Radford