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Male Athlete of the Week: Angelo Deloso-Flocco, Baldwin soccer
The Baldwin boys soccer team had a long time to think about their final game of the calendar year: a scoreless tie against Lahainaluna.

Saturday night the Bears erased the memory of that Dec. 23 tie with a resounding 7-0 rout of host Maui. Leading the way in the win — much as he has been the past two seasons — was forward Angelo Deloso-Flocco, who scored four goals against the Sabers.

"He has that knack," Baldwin coach Kaniela Palazzotto said of Deloso-Flocco. "He's always hungry to score goals and he's not afraid to miss. He knows that if he misses he's going to have a bunch more chances to score those goals, so he's not afraid to take those chances. I think that's what makes him so good — that and he has a quick loss of memory and can forget about what happened before and not be afraid to take that chance again."

Deloso-Flocco found the back of the net three times in the first half alone. It was his third hat trick of the season.

Palazzotto said Deloso-Flocco's goals came in a variety of ways.

"His first goal he got taken down from behind in the box and created a penalty (shot). The second goal he received the ball at the top of the box and made a couple moves, had a one-v-one against the keeper and he slotted it under the keeper," Palazzotto said. "His third goal he shot it from outside, from about 18 yards out, but his fourth goal was probably the nicest one."

Deloso-Flocco's final goal came about midway through the second half. With Baldwin nursing a 6-0 lead, Palazzotto moved Deloso-Flocco back to the midfield to mix it up.

"We were up big and we wanted to give him a look from the midfield," Palazzotto said. "He took the defender outside and shot it with his left foot — which is his weaker foot — and he pretty much hit the ball off the bottom of the cross bar and it bounced into the goal; It was a rip."

Deloso-Flocco is certainly no overnight sensation. The junior spent time with the youth academy of Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy and earned First Team All-Hawaii honors last season.

Palazzotto said Deloso-Flocco has been even better this year.

"I think he's adjusted to being home now. Last year he was kind of living on the mainland for a little bit and then coming home and even though he was playing with a bunch of guys he played with before, it was still an adjustment period for him," Palazzotto said. "Now he trusts his teammates a little more to get him the ball, whereas last year he would force things a little more."

Part of that adjustment, Palazzotto said, has been a change in mentality and understanding when to be aggressive with the ball.

"When he was playing for the Galaxy he was so good at creating that they used that, but we want to let the ball do the work more and when we can create, then we'll create," Palazzotto said. "Sometimes he's kind of been caught in between those styles, but this year he's been better about it."

Make no mistake, however, Deloso-Flocco is most effective with the ball at his feet.

"He's so creative," Palazzotto said. "I would say on average he creates six to eight real good, quality opportunities for us. Sometimes his percentages of goals scored versus the number of shots he takes isn't good, but he's creating those goals with so much opportunity."

The improvements in Deloso-Flocco's game have not only been of the technical variety.

"I love his attitude this year," Palazzotto said. "It's been really good — not that it was bad last year — but he was still trying to get adjusted to what we were doing then. This year he's talking about the team and that's it. He challenged his other teammates to keep up with him scoring goals. I like that he pushes his teammates now; it's a different side than what we saw last year."

Deloso-Flocco, who is also a member of the school's surf team, has scored a team-high 12 goals on the year.

"I would say he's one of the most gifted, scoring-wise, players that I've had," said Palazzotto, who is in his 13th season at the helm of the Baldwin program. "Probably within the top five forwards I've coached here."

The win pushed the Bears to 5-0-1 on the year. They won the Maui Interscholastic League's first round and clinched a spot in the state tournament. More importantly, it got them back on track after a lackluster performance against Lahainaluna more than two weeks prior.

"The kids were really disappointed with that," Palazzotto said of the tie against the Lunas. "The fact of the matter is that we just didn't play well. We had opportunities to finish the game and we didn't play our chances well. It was disappointing to come out with a tie, but it did refocus us and reminded us that we have to be on our game consistently."

Deloso-Flocco and the Bears face another tough task Wednesday night when they visit Kamehameha-Maui to open the second round.

Female Athlete of the Week: Alana Nuuanu, Nanakuli basketball
Winter break was anything but a respite for Alana Nuuanu and the Nanakuli girls basketball team.

Nuuanu and the Golden Hawks brought their holiday intersession — which included a week-long trip to Southern California — to a successful close with a pair of pivotal league wins on the road last week.

In Wednesday's 60-28 win over Kapolei, Nuuanu led three Nanakuli players in double-figures with 17 points, including four 3-pointers. She followed that up with a team-high 15 points in Saturday's thrilling down-to-the-wire 37-35 win over Radford.

"What impressed me most about what she did was her patience offensively and her fourth-quarter defense," Nanakuli coach Randy Kauhane said.

Kauhane said he has seen improvement in Nuuanu's decision-making this season.

"We've been trying to work on her patience and working the ball around and the more we work the ball around, the more wide open the defense becomes and the easier it is for the team to score and she's been disciplining herself to do that," Kauhane said. "There were only two occasions in the Radford game that she tried too hard to make things happen."

Nuuanu has been heeding her coach's advice on not forcing the issue with the ball.

"In the past she would come down and see a small gap and try to attack it even if she's one-on-four and end up throwing up a prayer," Kauhane said. "I told her at the beginning of the season that she was going to be a better player if she can have more assists and get her teammates to score eight points apiece, rather than her having 25 points and everybody else having six."

Experience is on Nuuanu's side. It is her fourth varsity season after Kauhane promoted her from the JV in the midst of her freshman campaign three years ago.

"She's definitely the leader and the go-to player on the team," Kauhane said. "She definitely the one who wants the ball in her hands . Yes, sometimes she tries too hard to create things, but when push comes to shove, we've got to get it in her hands. She wants it and you see the heart that she puts out. She's really come a long way."

Nuuanu's offensive prowess was always there, Kauhane said, but it is on the defensive end where she has shown the most progress.

"She was solely an offensive player before," Kauhane said. "We just had to work real hard getting her to play defense, but she likes to turn it on in the fourth quarter. We're trying to get her to play with that effort from the get-go and if we can get her playing that way from the start going into the playoffs, shucks, we'll be looking promising."

Nuuanu, who earned First Team All-Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division honors as a junior last year, is a captain this season.

"I would like her to be a little more vocal because she's very soft spoken," Kauhane said. "I remind them daily that they're not good enough to where they can communicate just by looking at each other and giving a nod of the head; they have to talk. If they could take their phones on the court and text, we'd probably be the best damn team out there."

With two games left in the regular season, the Golden Hawks are in a three-way tie for second with Mililani and Radford at 6-2. All three teams are chasing division-leading Leilehua (7-1).

Nanakuli suffered blowout losses at the hands of both Mililani (51-26) and Leilehua (51-29) prior to leaving for California.

"That's why Radford was such a big win," Kauhane said. "It was about controlling our own destiny. We took care of business and beyond that, it was a big win for us confidence-wise going into the playoffs. They know they can play, it's just about putting it together and having chemistry."

The Golden Hawks built some much-needed chemistry in the Golden State, where they went 3-1 and finished second in the tournament.

"Our third game there was the first time that I saw chemistry with this team, so it's perfect timing and hopefully it continues," Kauhane said. "It was a good tournament for us to play in. Honestly, I was hoping we ended up going 2-2 up there because you've got to lose to get better. If we went 4-0, the girls would be thinking they're all right and don't need to work hard, so we needed something to go off of as far as keeping them grounded and making corrections."

The trip did not come without casualties — two of Nanakuli's posts went down with injuries — but the rest of the team persevered despite just seven players suited up for Saturday's win at Radford.

Kauhane is hoping the experience will pay off in the long run.

"I think that trip made them closer as a team," Kauhane said. "I always tell them that the closer their bond, the better the team is."

Nuuanu and the Golden Hawks host Waipahu Wednesday before visiting Aiea Friday to close out the regular season.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Felcris Ahadain, Farrington — Scored 18 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Kalani

Shaun Apiki, Damien — Scored 19 points in a win over La Pietra

Jake Arakawa, Island Pacific — Scored 23 points in a win over Lanakila Baptist

Eli Busenbark, Honolulu Waldorf — Scored 17 points in a loss to Assets

Ryan Cabanilla, Campbell — Scored 19 points in a win over Nanakuli

Jaylen Cain, Maryknoll — Scored 20 points with 11 rebounds, one steal and an assist in a win over Kamehameha

Zayne Chong, Punahou — Scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers, in a win over Saint Louis

Daynon Dang, Kamehameha II — Scored 19 points in a loss to Punahou II

Brenner DeMello, Iolani II — Scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to Saint Louis II

RJ Dominguez, Moanalua — Scored 17 points in a win over Castle and scored 18 points in a win over Anuenue

Jared Elwin, Roosevelt — Scored 17 points in a loss to McKinley

Leif Fautanu, University Lab — Scored 19 points in a loss to Hawaii Baptist

Dakota Fisher, Christian Academy — Scored 17 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Daniel Fotu, Kahuku — Scored 20 points in a win over Kalaheo

Manato Fukuda, St. Joseph — Scored 25 points in a win over Pahoa

Chris Gionson, Island Pacific — Scored 17 points in a win over Lanakila Baptist

Keyson Goins, Aiea — Scored 18 points in a loss to Mililani

Rico Handy, Keaau — Scored 20 points in a win over Kealakehe

Jaemi Harris, Kalani — Scored 17 points in a loss to Farrington

Cameron Henry, Mililani — Scored 22 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to Campbell

Hugh Hogland, Iolani — Scored 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal in a win over Punahou

Nalu Kahapea, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 28 points in a win over Hawaii Prep

Kailau Keola, Anuenue — Scored 19 points in a loss to Kaimuki and scored 17 points in a loss to Moanalua

Kevin Kim, McKinley — Scored 25 points in a win over Roosevelt

Reid Kim, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 22 points in a loss to Christian Academy

Lancen Kuni, Waialua — Scored 22 points in a loss to Leilehua

Zachary Marrotte, Kailua — Scored 18 points in a win over Castle

Trevor Middleton, Assets — Scored 21 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Micah Mitchell, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 21 points in a win over University Lah

Zoar Nedd, Kapolei — Scored 19 points in a win over Pearl City

Kameron Ng, Saint Francis — Scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over University Lab and scored 21 points in a win over Le Jardin

Jordan Pender, Radford — Scored 18 points in a win over Waipahu

Kaleo Pogue, Mililani — Scored 21 points in a win over Aiea

Mark Ranchez, Maui — Scored 22 points in a win over Baldwin

Daren Rokop, Waipahu — Scored 17 points in a loss to Radford

Kellen Takatsuka, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 21 points, including six 3-pointers, in a win over University Lab

Ryan Tatasi, Pahoa — Scored 20 points in a loss to St. Joseph

Kamren Victorino-Kato, Kamehameha — Scored 20 points in a loss to Maryknoll

Jessiya Villa, Kahuku — Scored 22 points with four assists and three rebounds in a win over Kalaheo

Matija Vitorovic, Hawaii Prep — Scored 25 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Moustapha Wagne, Nanakuli — Scored 17 points in a loss to Waianae

Captain Whitlock, Kalaheo — Scored 27 points, including six 3-pointers, with three assists, two rebounds and a steal in a win over Kailua and scored 17 points in a loss to Kahuku

Kobe Young, Kamehameha — Scored 18 points with six rebounds and a block in a loss to Maryknoll

David Zimmerman, Assets — Scored 20 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Camy Aguinaldo, Iolani — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kamehameha

Gieani Balino, Campbell — Scored 25 points, including five 3-pointers, with nine rebounds, two steals and an assist in a loss to Leilehua and scored 17 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in a win over Waialua

Brittni Blake, Kahuku — Scored 19 points with 12 rebounds in a loss to Kalani

Jaliyah Casem, Kapaa — Scored 17 points in a win over Kauai

Celia Chang, Punahou II — Scored 15 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Vien Crisostoma, Aiea — Scored 15 points in a win over Kapolei

Braeanna Estabillo, Lahainaluna — Scored 15 points in a win over Maui

Kimani Fernandez-Roy, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 20 points in a win over King Kekaulike

Logo Galeai, Kahuku — Scored 19 points in a win over Kailua

Molimau Heimuli, Farrington — Scored 35 points with 26 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a win over Kalani

Natalie Jackson, Radford — Scored 22 points, including four 3-pointers, in a loss to Nanakuli

Trinidee Kahunahana, Kaiser — Scored 15 points in a win over Kalaheo

Khrystyna Kanahele, Christian Academy — Scored 22 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Kamaile Kandiah, Punahou — Scored 21 points in a win over Sacred Hearts

Mandi Kawaha, Hilo — Scored 19 points in a win over Honokaa

Taegan Keep, Kauai — Scored 24 points in a loss to Kapaa

Kirstin Kouchi, Kalani — Scored 16 points in a win over Kahuku

Dallas Martinez, Sacred Hearts — Scored 23 points in a loss to Punahou

Kalina Obrey, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in a win over Iolani

Jewel Paaluhi-Caulk, Kamehameha — Scored 16 points in a win over Iolani

Alyssa Padilla, Pahoa — Scored 29 points, including four 3-pointers, in a loss to Keaau

Chyel Palmer, Leilehua — Scored 23 points in a win over Campbell and scored 16 points in a win over Mililani

Crystalyn Respicio-Mercado, Keaau — Scored 21 points in a win over Pahoa

Dannica Roberts, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 17 points in a loss to Christian Academy

Delylah Sanerivi, Moanalua — Scored 21 points in a win over Roosevelt

Cailyn Ukida, King Kekaulike — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Maui

Sunshine Vicente, Roosevelt — Scored 21 points in a loss to Moanalua

Ally Wada, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 18 points in a loss to Saint Francis

Violet Williams, Farrington — Scored 12 points with 11 rebounds in a win over McKinley

Rayn Young, Kamehameha II — Scored 16 points in a loss to Iolani II

BOYS SOCCER
Noah Aghdasi, Roosevelt — Scored two goals in a loss to Kailua

Maka Bailey, Kauai — Scored the lone goal in a win over Island School

Spencer Burcham, Kaiser — Scored three goals in a win over Farrington

Claudio Dortait, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae

Kane Enomoto, Kalani — Scored two goals in a win over Moanalua

Keoki Gaspar-Takahashi, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley

Skyler Goo, Saint Louis — Scored two goals in a win versus Kamehameha

Isaiah Harris, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Nanakuli

Peter Izumi, Kalani — Scored two goals in a win over Farrington

Ikaika Kaahanui, Kamehameha — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Garrison Lee, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae

Jonathan LeVine, Kalaheo — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki

Riley Patterson, Hilo — Scored two goals in a win over Waiakea

Michael Ramos, PAC-5 — Scored three goals in a win over Damien

Laukoa Santos, Kealakehe — Scored four goals in a win over Keaau and scored four goals in a win over Konawaena

Jake Schneider, Hawaii Prep — Scored the lone goal in a win over Makua Lani

Makana Srivongsana, Kaiser — Scored three goals in a win over Farrington and scored two goals in a tie versus Roosevelt

Jace Tamayei, Roosevelt — Scored two goals in a tie versus Kaiser

Kalei Tolentino-Perry, Hilo — Scored two goals in a win over Waiakea

Darnel Williams, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea

Daniel Woo, Pearl City — Scored four goals in a win over Aiea

Hudson Zeisman, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea

GIRLS SOCCER
Brianna Binder, Kapaa — Scored three goals in a win over Waimea

Jordyn Bjur, Waialua — Scored the lone goal in a win over Leilehua

Hiwa Brown, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Keaau

Chelsie Deponte, PAC-5 — Scored two goals in a win over Damien

Leah Feato, Kamehameha — Scored four goals in a win over Damien and scored three goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Nora Foss, Island School — Scored two goals in a win over Waimea

Kapuamakamae Gomera-Stevens, Kamehameha — Scored five goals in a win over Damien and scored three goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Kylee Kim-Bustillos, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over PAC-5

Keliyah Kimitete, Konawaena — Scored two goals in a win over Kealakehe

Skylar Littlefield, Baldwin — Scored three goals in a win over Maui

Jessi Lopez, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Nanakuli

Kylie Minamishin, Kamehameha — Scored three goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Lauren Mukaigawa, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Maya Nakamura, Roosevelt — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kailua

Alisha Paracuelles, Waialua — Scored the lone goal in a win over Radford

Ciana Rivera, Castle — Scored three goals in a win over McKinley

Cheyenne Smith, Campbell — Scored three goals in a win over Leilehua

Tehani Smith, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over Kailua

Daysha-Ann Solidum, Kalani — Scored three goals in a win over Farrington

Alysha Somera, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Nanakuli and scored two goals in a win over Radford

Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea

May Tolentino, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Radford

Shantel Torres-Benito, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over PAC-5 and scored three goals in a win over Sacred Hearts