Top Performers
Saint Louis' Young, Waianae's Tiolu garner weekly honors




Male Athlete of the Week: Ronson Young, Saint Louis football
Ronson Young's versatility was on full display Friday night.

The senior slotback turned in his best game of the prep football season in Saint Louis' biggest game of the year.

Young scored all four of his team's touchdowns and had 178 total yards from scrimmage to lead the Crusaders to their second straight league championship with a 28-14 win over Punahou at HTFCU Field at Aloha Stadium.

"He's such a good kid on and off the field and he works hard," Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said of Young. "You just don't score touchdowns like that, just by showing up. To see him have the kind of game he had last week is a real credit to his diligence and hard work. I'm just so happy for a kid like that."

Young recorded a season-high 94 receiving yards on five catches, but also did his share of damage out of the backfield as well. He rushed 12 times for 84 yards — an average of 7.0 yards per carry — despite entering the game with a mere 15 attempts.

"I think he gives us a little bit more explosiveness running the ball," Lee said. "I think you've got to get him the ball and one way to do it is by giving it to him. Some kids are just athletic enough to not only play receiver, but have the ability to run the ball, too, and he does that real well. I think the offensive coaches did a great job of getting him prepared."

Young's first touchdown came with about four minutes left in the opening quarter. On a third-and-4, Young aligned in the right slot in a five-wide formation and found a soft spot in the Punahou's zone defense before hauling in the pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and breaking a tackle en route to the end zone on the 52-yard scoring strike.

"Whenever you can hit the long one and score I think it just gives you confidence playing in the game knowing that you can score the big one like we did, so it helps offensively, no question," Lee said.

A few minutes into the second quarter — after a muffed punt return by Punahou — Young capped a four-play drive with his 10-yard TD run on an option pitch from Tagovailoa.

Young stretched Saint Louis' lead to 21-0 following his 5-yard touchdown run with 4:55 left until halftime.

"He's just an athlete," Lee said of the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Young. "He can make some moves, he can make people miss, he has good vision and he reads his blocks really well."

The Buffanblu got a pair of touchdowns late in the first half to cut it to 21-14 by the intermission. The teams played a scoreless third quarter, before Young closed out the scoring with his final touchdown of the night on a 31-yard pass play. Tagovailoa lofted a pass to Young, who snatched the ball out of the air and got his feet down just before stepping out of the back of the end zone.

Saint Louis ran the ball 38 times for 205 yards and attempted just 19 passes — and completed 10 of them for 192 yards — against Punahou. Getting Young involved was a big part of the game plan, Lee said.

"You want to be balanced as much as possible," Lee said. "You can't just throw, throw, throw. You've got to be balanced and he gives us that balance running the ball and I think that's what really helped this game."

For the season, Young ranks third on the team in receiving with 27 catches for 273 yards and six TDs. He is also the second leading rusher with 27 carries for 211 yards and five TDs.

After splitting the first two meetings against the Buffanblu this season, the Crusaders' win Friday clinched the ILH's seeded berth, and a first-round bye, in the inaugural Open Division state tournament.

Saint Louis (8-1) moved up one spot to No. 2 in this week's ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings.


Female Athlete of the Week: Enee Tiolu, Waianae volleyball
According to her coach, Enee Tiolu attacks volleyball like she does school: relentlessly.

Tiolu, a junior outside hitter, saw her hard work pay off last week with a pair of solid outings for the Waianae girls volleyball team.

The 5-foot-5 Tiolu had a season-high 20 digs to go with five kills in a four-set win over Anuenue Tuesday and followed that up with a 16-dig, seven-kill performance in a sweep of Roosevelt in Thursday's Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championship match.

"She was awesome, but then again, to me they all did awesome," Seariders coach Wilhelm Wagner, Jr. said.

Wagner said Tiolu's effort was especially solid on the defensive end last week.

"It was a little bit of everything, but defensively she did really good," Wagner, Jr. said. "We had a lot of good passes to our setters and our hitters did their job to get the point and put the ball away, so it was a team effort, but it definitely started with our passing and Enee played a big part in that."

As one of a few six-rotation players — and a primary passer on serve-receive — Tiolu rarely leaves the court. Her role has continued to expand for the Seariders.

"She was on the varsity team last year also, but it was a battle for those outside hitter positions and she probably didn't play as much as she would have liked, but her athleticism stood out from the beginning," Wagner, Jr. said.

Volleyball is hardly a year-round affair for Tiolu, who also competes in tennis, soccer and martial arts.

"I didn't even know this until recently, but she has a black belt," Wagner, Jr. said. "That kid is something else. She just has natural ability to adjust to things; that's why she can do multiple sports."

Tiolu's approach to volleyball — much like the classroom — is a cerebral, but fearless one.

"She's a thinker," Wagner, Jr. said. "She thinks a lot — sometimes too much — but that's what makes her special. She has the game in her head. Sometimes we just have to tweak a couple things in her head and she's got it. She's unafraid; she just goes out there and gives it what she's got. It's the same in school. She's a straight-A student and has been ever since I've coached her."

Although Tiolu may be raw in terms of volleyball talent, her determination has proven to be second to none.

"In her own head there's nothing that she can't do and she's always trying to get better," Wagner, Jr. said. "She will work three times harder just to get it up a hair. She's all in, but she's very quiet and rarely speaks out. She's a very respectful girl and is very family-oriented."

The season got off to an inauspicious start for the Seariders with a sweep at the hands of Leilehua back on Aug. 30.

"The girls knew that we weren't supposed to lose in that fashion," Wagner, Jr. said. "That's one that got away from us, but we buried that right from the start and kept moving forward."

Waianae went on to win three straight matches and six of its next seven en route to a third place finish in the OIA Western Division — behind only D1 semifinalists Mililani and Kapolei.

The Seariders (9-3) captured their first league title in school history last week and are seeded fourth in this week's New City Nissan/HHSAA D2 State Championships.

BOWLING
Erin Ohta, Mililani — Won the OIA girls individual championship with an average of 210.5 pins

Kristopher Yadao, Pearl City — Won the OIA boys individual championship with an average of 215 pins and helped the Chargers claim the team title


CROSS COUNTRY
Camryn Butz, Radford — Won the girls race at the OIA championships in a time of 20 minutes, 53.41 seconds

Sophia Cash, Honokaa — Won the girls race at the BIIF championships in a time of 22 minutes, 18.30 seconds

Connor Lehl, Punahou — Won the boys race at the ILH championships in a time of 16 minutes, 52.74 seconds

Cody Ranfranz, Konawaena — Won the boys race at the BIIF championships in a time of 18 minutes, 59.14 seconds

Mia Schiel, Punahou — Won the girls race at the ILH championships in a time of 19 minutes, 50.52 seconds

Avery Torres, Kalaheo — Won the boys race at the OIA championships in a time of 16 minutes, 46 seconds


FOOTBALL
Kesi Ah-Hoy, Kahuku — Made seven tackles, one sack, forced a fumble and rushed for a touchdown in a win over Waianae

Iosefo Ah Ching-Noga, Farrington — Made seven tackles and broke up a pass on defense, rushed for a touchdown and caught another score on offense in a win over Kapolei

Miki Ah You, Kahuku — Made four tackles, including two sacks, in a win over Waianae

Isaiah Ahana, Kapolei — Caught nine passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Farrington

Chayce Akaka, Baldwin — Rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and threw a touchdown pass in a win over Maui

Tanielu Alaivanu-Afe, Farrington — Caught 10 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Kapolei

Konapiliahi Andres, Leilehua — Threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns on 23-of-36 passing and rushed for another score in a loss to Mililani

Ryan Chang, Mililani — Caught two touchdown passes in a win over Leilehua

Austin Ewing, Konawaena — Threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Alfred Failauga, Waipahu — Rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in a win over Pearl City

Marcus Faufata-Pedrina, Damien — Threw three touchdown passes in a win over Saint Francis

Dillon Gabriel, Mililani — Threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-32 passing in a win over Leilehua

Jerome Holliday, Leilehua — Caught two touchdown passes in a loss to Mililani

Kahale Huddleston, Hilo — Rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and caught a touchdown pass in a win over Waiakea

Samson Kaleikau, Saint Francis — Scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone in a loss to Damien

Nainoa Kane-Yates, Hilo — Rushed for two touchdowns in a win over Waiakea

Kekaula Kaniho, Kahuku — Scored on a 21-yard interception return and recovered a fumble in a win over Waianae

Jordan Kikugawa, Konawaena — Scored on a 14-yard interception return in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

James Livingston-Lopez, Damien — Caught two touchdown passes in a win over Saint Francis

Hanisi Lotulelei, Maui — Rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in a loss to Baldwin

Christian Manera, Kauai — Threw two touchdown passes in a win over Waimea

Makana Manoa, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Caught two touchdown passes in a loss to Konawaena

Kyan Miyasato, Hilo — Threw for 202 yards yards and two touchdowns in a win over Waiakea

Darius Muasau, Mililani — Rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in a win over Leilehua

Ardino Ned, Waimea — Threw two touchdown passes in a loss to Kauai

Bishop Rapoza, Farrington — Threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-31 passing in a win over Kapolei

Radon Sinenci, Lahainaluna — Rushed for three touchdowns in a win over King Kekaulike

Etuati Storer, Lahainaluna — Threw a touchdown pass and scored on a 31-yard interception return in a win over King Kekaulike

Miki Suguturaga, Punahou — Made four tackles, including 2 1/2 for losses, 1 1/2 sacks, and forced a fumble in a loss to Saint Louis

Taulia Tagovailoa, Kapolei — Threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-36 passing in a loss to Farrington

Tua Tagovailoa, Saint Louis — Threw for 192 yards with two touchdown passes and rushed for 102 yards on 16 carries in a win over Punahou

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Kapolei — Had two sacks and broke up two passes in a loss to Farrington

Elvis Vakapuna, Kahuku — Rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in a win over Waianae


GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Kylie Alos, Mililani — Had 19 digs and four assists in a three-set win over Moanalua

Hope Carter, Mililani — Had 23 assists, 21 digs, six kills, three aces and a block assist in a three-set win over Moanalua

Chandler Cowell, King Kekaulike — Had 14 kills, five digs, one ace and a block assist in a four-set win over Kamehameha-Maui

Hula Crisostomo, Moanalua — Had 32 digs, two assists and an ace in a three-set loss to Mililani

Falanika Danielson, Mililani — Had 16 digs, six kills and an ace in a three-set win over Moanalua

Emily Dulaney, Moanalua — Had 15 digs, nine kills, two aces and a block assist in a three-set loss to Mililani

Kamalei Krug, Anuenue — Had 21 kills and three solo blocks in a four-set loss to Waianae

ShaRae Niu, Kahuku — Had 26 assists, nine digs, one kill and a block assist in a three-set win over Mililani

Tayzia Pakele, Waianae — Had 12 kills, seven digs, one ace an assist in a four-set win over Anuenue

Shaina Uyechi, King Kekaulike — Had 28 digs, one kill and an assist in a four-set win over Kamehameha-Maui

Kiana Vandaele, King Kekaulike — Had 25 assists, 25 digs, seven kills and an ace in a four-set win over Kamehameha-Maui

Chevelle Wagner-Chun, Waianae — Had 18 digs, two kills, two aces and an assist in a four-set win over Anuenue

Sirinya Yothawang, King Kekaulike — Had 17 digs in a four-set win over Kamehameha-Maui



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


MORE STORIES

No. 4 Iolani rallies to hand No. 1 Kamehameha first ILH loss

Ethan Akagi and CJ Taira scored the winning runs for the Raiders off a wild pitch to hand the top-ranked...

Punahou pulls away from PAC-5 to notch first ILH win

The Buffanblu ended a five-game skid and broke into the win column to keep the Wolfpack winless in the...

Kalani's Nishigaya headlines All-OIA East selections

Forward/midfielder Kaiulani Nishigaya helped lift Falcons to first-ever league title; Kaiser's Noelani...

Trojans' Fuamatu-Maafala leads All-OIA West picks

Mililani's Iai Fuamatu-Maafala named Player of the Year; Campbell's James Curran named coach of the year.

Knights' Turcios named All-OIA East player of the year

Damon Turcios lone Castle player named to first team; Kailua's Joseph Wood named coach of the year.

Mililani's Patterson garners top honors in All-OIA West

Mililani's Parker Patterson named West Player of the Year; Campbell's Leonard Ancheta coach of the year.