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Kahiau Bruhn

Kamehameha basketball  •   #30  F  Senior

Kahiau Bruhn gets his share of buckets, to be sure, but the senior forward brings a whole lot more to the Kamehameha boys basketball team. 

Through the first week of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season, Bruhn is averaging a league-best 17.7 points per game. Offense, however, is just one area of contribution that Bruhn brings for the Warriors (2-1). 

"We give a hustle point award after every game and those include deflections, rebounds, diving on the floor, taking charges and I think at least two of the three games he got the hustle point award, so it's not just the stats stuff but those deflections that somebody else might steal the steal off of, those tough rebounds," Kamehameha coach Larry Park said. "All those plays that add up over the course of the game,"

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Bruhn put his full array of skills on display when he helped the Warriors get off to a solid start to ILH play. 

Bruhn scored a team-high 17 points and was one of four players to score in double figures for Kamehameha in Tuesday's 78-53 rout of Damien. 

Park recalled one particular play from that night that gave a peek at Bruhn's athleticism. 

"Payton Kahahawai-Welch threw a ball off the backboard and he alley-oop dunked it off the backboard. He's so explosive," Park described. 

The Warriors came up short to Saint Louis Thursday, 70-62, but Bruhn recorded a double-double with 18 points and a dozen rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. He also had three steals and two assists and shot 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. 

"He has good length and size so defensively he can cause a lot of problems because he can get steals and deflections, grab rebounds — he's been getting double-digit rebounds in the last couple games — offensively he plays like a guard. He has those guard skills, so he hits deep 3s, but he can also go off the dribble and get to free-throw line," Park said. 

That's just what Bruhn did in Saturday's 54-50 come-from-behind win over Punahou, when he shot 12 of 17 on free throws and finished with a game-high 18 points. 

For the season, Bruhn is 17 of 23 from the line (73.9 percent). 

"That game he got into the lane and he shot a bunch of free throws. Seventeen attempts in a high school game, that's crazy," Park pointed out. 

The Warriors rallied from a six-point deficit deficit after three quarters to outscore the Buffanblu, 19-9, in the final stanza. Park was particularly proud of the way his team preservered to avoid a second loss in three days. 

"Coming off that tough loss we exerted a lot of energy physically and mentally just trying to come back against Saint Louis and I think the heart and the togetherness that we showed Saturday at Punahou — just to be able to put out that effort two days after and beat a tough Punahou team at their place — they found a way to gut it out and pull it out at the end of the game," Park said. 

Park noted that with the senior duo of Bruhn and 6-5 Ellice "EJ" Kapihe Jr., the Warriors have the capability to matchup well against teams with varying strengths. 

"I think his versatility allows us to do so much defensively and offensively. He can guard on the perimeter, he can handle the full-court press, he's our inbounder a lot of times, so he can see the floor. If a post is guarding him, he can handle the ball and be our pressure-relief guy," Park explained. 

Bruhn's slew of talents on both ends of the floor, along with his team-first attitude has served the Warriors well so far. 

"He can go inside and out defensively and offensively. He can get steals on the perimeter, he can get tough rebounds underneath, he can score, and this goes for the whole group, he's just real coachable and I think that helps," Park said. "I told them after our Punahou game on Saturday that I love this group because they stick together, they're unselfish and they're coachable — and that's him."

Bruhn underwent ankle surgery a year ago, which did not allow him to play in the ILH's truncated basketball season. 

"It took a little while to not only rehab it, but get confident on that," Park said. "He was kind of feeling it out during summer league. It would still get sore at times, but as we got into November and December and we started tryouts he was back one-hundred percent with hat explosiveness and quickness. He's pretty much the same player he was before; he's very skilled."

As Kapihe's ankle continued to improve, his spirit never changed — even amid a pandemic. 

"He's very positive. He's high-fiving guys, fist-bumping buys, a lot of positive comments, positive as he interacts with the group and with the coaches and I think that's what he brings," Park said. 

Bruhn and the Warriors, who debuted at No. 3 in this week's ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings, start off the week a half-game back of first-place teams Maryknoll (2-0) and Saint Louis (2-0). They will visit Mid-Pacific (0-2) Tuesday and No. 2 Iolani (1-0) Saturday. 

Laynee Torres-Kahapea

Punahou basketball  •   #13  G  Junior

BOYS BASKETBALL

Micah Ah See, Kaiser — Scored 20 points in a win over Roosevelt

Quintan Akana, Baldwin — Scored 20 points in a win over Maui

Aidan Alibin, Lahainaluna — Scored 17 points in a win over Kekaulike

Aiva Arquette, Saint Louis — Scored 25 points with 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists in a win over Kamehameha

Hayden Bayudan, Saint Louis — Scored 18 points with one rebound, one steal and an assist in a win over Kamehameha

Raphael Camua, Radford — Scored 17 points in a win over Waialua

Josiah del Prado, Kapolei — Scored 17 points in a win over Campbell

Logan Dias, Maryknoll — Scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over Punahou

Denver Duque, Lahainaluna — Scored 22 points in a win over Kekaulike

Caelan Fernando, Damien — Scored 25 points in a loss to Kamehameha

Rashawn Fritz-Betiru, Kaimuki — Scored 18 points in a win over Castle

Braeden Fujimoto, Aiea — Scored 19 points in a loss to Nanakuli

Keaka Kauhane, Kapaa — Scored 20 points in a win over Waimea

Jayden Kipapa, Mililani — Scored 20 points with three assists, two steals and one rebound in a win over Nanakuli

JJ Mandaquit, Iolani — Scored 23 points in a win over Damien

Darrion McGrew, Saint Louis II — Scored 17 points in a win over Hanalani

Zelston Militante, Nanakuli — Scored 22 points in a win over Aiea

Coby Molina, Konawaena — Scored 17 points in a win over Keaau 

Stefan Ognjanovic, Aiea — Scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in a loss to Nanakuli

Mikey Questin, Kapaa — Scored 19 points in a win over Waimea

Micah Sakamoto, Maryknoll — Scored 16 points in a win over Mid-Pacific

Ehu Schenk-Lee, Kalaheo — Scored 22 points in a win over McKinley and scored 22 points in a win over Kaimuki

Noah Takahata, Hanalani — Scored 22 points in a loss to Saint Louis II

Christian Yagin, Hanalani — Scored 20 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Kili Yasso, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 16 points in a win over Keaau 

BOYS SOCCER

Logan Aurio, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Radford 

Elijah Dinkel, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored three goals in a win over Parker

Porter Ellis, Roosevelt — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki 

Matthew Enriquez, Kealakehe — Scored three goals in a win over Keaau 

Elijah Hines, Kapolei — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea 

Seamas Mercado, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Kailua 

Stuart Nakahara, Aiea — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

Poikeao Roback, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored three goals in a win over Parker

Alvin Sabagala, Waianae — Scored two goals in a loss to Waialua 

Ben Shuetz, Le Jardin — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Jaylen Temple, Moanalua — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kalaheo

When Punahou girls basketball coach Gary Pacarro talks about Laynee Torres-Kahapea, one word keeps coming up over and over again: leader. 

Not only is the junior shooting guard the leading scorer for the Buffanblu (2-1) at 12.3 points per game, but she's also a leader for the rest of her teammates. 

"Laynee's role is very key to the success of the Punahou girls' program, but it's not just her ability, her leadership is what is making a difference for us," said Pacarro, who also noted the contributions of fellow junior Shania Moananu and senior Kuualoha Lloyd. 

"Obviously she's going to bring her skill every day, but what she brings to the table with her leadership and working in concert with Shania and Kuu has given this team the confidence and pride that we have been looking for in the last three, four years that we've had the program and I think their best basketball is yet to come," Pacarro said. 

Torres-Kahapea has been a starter for the Buffanblu since her freshman season. She, along with Moananu and Tanea Loa, were the only ninth graders on the varsity squad for the 2019-'20 season. 

"As a junior and a three-year varsity player, she's really stepped into the role as one of the leaders on the team and people look up to her. Her and Shania are a pair, they play as a pair, too, when you watch them. They feed off of each other, they play well together and they're both very dedicated to the game and dedicated to school; both are very good students," Pacarro said. 

He noted that both Moananu and Torres-Kahapea have grade point averages in around 3.8. 

But beyond the arithmetic and basketball abilities, Torres-Kahapea is a good teammate, Pacarro pointed out. 

"Sometimes some kids, as a leader, can get be real hard on their teammates or get down on them, but she's not that type. She leads by action and goes really hard at what she does, but she also enjoys being around her teammates and I think that's helped build the chemistry for this team, is that they all like being around each other and that's the same thing I say about the coaching staff, they've been able to foster that as well, so that's been big," Pacarro said. 

Pacarro credited assistants Elyse Umeda-Korth, Turner Wong and Jaren McCartney for cultivating a competitive atmosphere while teaching the nuances of the game. 

"I've been very blessed by having a group of twelve (players) who have enjoyed the ride so far; they've been a great bunch to work with. I gotta take my hat off to my staff, all of who played at Punahou and are helping us develop a legacy of Punahou basketball again," he said. 

Torres-Kahapea has been a catalyst in that development. Not only has she worked tirelessly to improve on the basketball court, she's also studious in the classroom. 

"She takes that very seriously. She came to Punahou not just to play sports, but moreso to become a better student, achieve better academics and I've seen her since she came in as a freshman and I've seen the growth she had from then to now and it's been tremendous so I'm very proud of her. She is very respectful, very humble and just a well-rounded person; I have a lot of respect for her," Pacarro said. 

Opposing players and coaches also have a lot of respect for Torres-Kahapea's on-court talents. 

"They know her because she's been in the program and they've seen her so they don't overlook her so much; they know what she comes with and what has in her quiver full of arrow that she can pull out whenever she wants," Pacarro illustrated. 

"She can hit the 3, she can hit the deep 3 and then she can also take you off the drive to the bucket. If there's something they overlook it might be her defense, but she's really quick and she doesn't overcommit on defense," he added. 

Torres-Kahapea turned in three steady outings last week to help the Buffanblu open the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season with two wins in their first three games. 

She hit three 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 15 points in a 54-40 win over Maryknoll Tuesday. On Thursday night she posted nine points with nine rebounds, to go along with four steals, three assists and two blocks in a 39-36 win over Kamehameha. 

"The Maryknoll game, to me, that probably set the tone for us and I look at it as that put us on record of being able to be a competitor in this league, but in this ILH everybody is battling everybody every day and that's what it's going to be like the next three weeks," Pacarro said. 

Torres-Kahapea closed out the week with 13 points in a 54-47 loss to two-time defending state champion Iolani Saturday. She made three 3-pointers and was 4 for 4 from the free-throw line. 

"We played Iolani tough in the second half. We were overwhelmed, I think, in the first half, but we played very well in the second half and hopefully that will give them confidence for the next two weeks, but you cannot put any emphasis on one game or another," Pacarro said. "You just gotta tell yourself that you have to play every game one game at a time, one quarter at a time and the person that wins the most quarters will probably end up winning the game."

Punahou moved up four spots to No. 3 in this week's ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings. 

Torres-Kahapea and the Buffanblu have another busy week ahead of them. They will visit No. 7 Maryknoll (0-2) Tuesday before they host No. 4 Kamehameha on Thursday and close out the week Saturday against top-ranked Iolani (1-0). 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Makiah Ahana, Kapolei — Scored 17 points in a win over Waipahu

Theresa Anakalea, Damien — Scored 22 points in a win over Punahou II 

N. Batacan, La Pietra — Scored 17 points in a loss to Island Pacific

Raine Chinen, St. Andrew's — Scored 17 points in a loss to Island Pacific 

Mahealani Choy Foo, Mililani — Scored 14 points in a win over Pearl City

Jacy Anne Dela Cruz, Maui — Scored 16 points in a win over Baldwin 

Mariah Galletes, Leilehua — Scored 20 points in a win over Aiea

Anabelle Hong, Iolani II — Scored 17 points in a loss to Hawaii Baptist

Kya Kaniho, Kamehameha — Scored 19 points in a win over Maryknoll

Braelyn Kauhi, Konawaena — Scored 15 points in a win over Kealakehe

Hailey Kauweloa, Nanakuli — Scored 20 points in a win over Waianae

Lilly Koki, Maryknoll — Scored 14 points in a loss to Kamehameha 

Kenzie Lee, Mid-Pacific — Scored 17 points in a win over University Lab

Shailoh Liilii, Moanalua — Scored 15 points in a loss to Roosevelt

Jahlyxcs Liana, Nanakuli — Scored 18 points in a win over Waianae

Jaety Mandaquit, Iolani — Scored 16 points in a win over Punahou 

Dynasty Maunakea, Leilehua — Scored 15 points in a win over Aiea

Mailana Mattos, Radford — Scored 14 points in a loss to Campbell

Daija Mitchell, Island Pacific — Scored 18 points in a win over St. Andrew's

Kiryn Morita, Iolani II — Scored 19 points in a loss to Sacred Hearts 

KalysaMarie Ng, Sacred Hearts — Scored 18 points with seven steals, three rebounds and one assist in a win over Kamehameha II and scored 22 points in a win over Iolani II 

Ledjan Pahukoa, Lahainaluna — Scored 28 points in a win over Kekaulike

Julien Parado, Campbell — Scored 14 points in a win over Radford

Madison Pasion-Nau, Farrington — Scored 15 points in a win over Kalani

Kiara Ramos, Kapolei — Scored 19 points in a win over Waipahu

Kailana Salazar-Harrell, Konawaena — Scored 30 points in a win over Honokaa and scored 30 points in a win over Kealakehe

Hayley Taka, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 17 points in a win over Punahou II 

Leiana Thornton, Maui — Scored 15 points in a win over Baldwin

Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu, Iolani — Scored 14 points in a win over Punahou 

Dorthea Yoakum, Mid-Pacific — Scored 14 points in a win over Punahou II 

GIRLS SOCCER

Rush Alsola, Waianae — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua and scored twice in a win over Radford

Kaya Cook, Waianae — Scored twice in a win over Radford

Ashlyn Dowda-Gate, PAC-5 — Scored two goals in a tie versus Punahou II 

Lindsey Nihei, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Damien

Nikki Mau, Kamehameha — Scored two goals in a win over Iolani 

Elana Melton, Moanalua — Scored three goals in a win over Kalaheo 

Mackenzie Nitta, Mid-Pacific — Scored two goals in a win over Damien

Alyssa Slater, Aiea — Scored two goals in a win over Kapolei