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Akila Indalecio

Iolani basketball  •   #14  G  Senior

There's no doubting the heart of Akila Indalecio. He does, after all, wear it on his sleeve each time he takes to the hardwood. 

The senior guard capped off his four-year varsity career with the Iolani boys basketball team by emptying his proverbial tank during the team's push for the postseason last week. 

Indalecio's play was pivotal toward the Raiders' run of five wins in 10 days during the second round of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season. 

"He was the one making sure everybody was doing what they were supposed to do at practice. He was the one literally diving on the floor for balls and he had an incredible run of performances during our five-game winning streak — our turnaround — (after) we started 2-3; He was the one that hit some big-time shots and had some big-time performances over the course of that winning streak," Iolani coach Ryan Hirata said. 

In wins over Kamehameha and Maryknoll to kickstart the Raiders' run two weeks ago, Indalecio went for 18 and 17 points, respectively. In wins over Punahou and Mid-Pacific last week, he turned in 17-point performances on both nights. 

"He leaves it all out there — jersey soaking wet, exhausted — but that's what you expect out of a guy that loves the game of basketball. He wants to win, he wants his teammates to do well and I think most importantly, he cares about the program," Hirata said. 

"He cares about Iolani basketball and I think that's exactly why he plays with so much passion, is because of the love of the game that he's played since he was little and the fact that this was gonna be his last year, he left it all out on the court," he added. 

Despite Indalecio's efforts, Iolani (8-5) ultimately saw its season come to an end with Saturday's 42-28 loss at top-ranked Maryknoll. 

Indalecio finished as the Raiders' leading scorer during ILH play at 10.2 points per game, just ahead of post Casey Lyons (10.1 ppg) and tied for the league's third-highest scoring average in Division I. 

"I think overall it was bittersweet because we finished tied for first in the (first round) and unfortunately, we fell short of our goal, which is to make the state tournament, but I think Akila can attest to the fact that he's extremely proud of what the team was able to accomplish over the course of the year," Hirata said. 

Although it was his fourth year on the varsity squad, it was Indalecio's first as its bonafide leader. Hirata recalled that when Indalecio was a freshman, he was "somebody that just shot the ball. He came off the bench. We told him that he had to work on his defense, especially his feet, keeping guys in front."

The pandemic didn't allow for much of a sophomore season two years ago, but Indalecio saw his role increase as a junior last season. He started a handful of games early in the year, but was primarily a reserve player the rest of the way. After playing behind All-Hawaii guards Aaron Clayton and JJ Mandaquit a year ago, Indalecio was thrust into the spotlight this winter. 

"We asked him to step up to be the guy and at first, he needed some time to adapt, but I think once he started believing in himself, believing in his teammates, that they saw him as our leader and he really flourished as one of the best guards in the ILH," Hirata said. 

To be sure, Indalecio wore a number of hats for the Raiders, including that of the team's sole captain. 

"He's a court general. We asked him to handle the ball this year, guard the other team's best guard, he had to shoot it for us and then he also had to facilitate and get people involved, so I think overall he was just somebody that we counted on to try and make everybody better and I think the rest of his teammates knew, at the end of the day, who the heart and soul of the team was," Hirata expressed. 

The success Indalecio experienced this season was a testament to the sweat equity that he put in since the end of his junior season — and at every opportunity that he gets to better himself. 

"I think it showed his heart and definitely all of his hard work that he put in during the offseason. One of his goals was to be able to play extended minutes as a big-time contributor and when he played with that passion and he played with purpose, he played like he was at the park and that's when you saw the best version of him; He's the guy that you know is working hard every single second that he's on the court," Hirata said. 

Hirata noted that Indalecio hopes to continue playing basketball at the next level and is in the process of reaching out to schools on the NCAA Division III or NAIA levels. 

Indalecio, who is contemplating pursuing business in college, has worked just as hard in the classroom as he has on the basketball court since he arrived at the Iolani campus as a freshman four years ago. 

"That's the part that is impressive with him is he had to go through the wear and tear for the academics and each year he put in the work to do well in the classroom, so I think that kind of speaks to how much he's matured both on and off the court because he's definitely had to sacrifice his time in the classroom and on the court," Hirata said. 

BOYS BASKETBALL

Jericho Adolpho, Molokai — Scored 17 points in a win over Haleakala Waldorf

Trey Ambrozich, University Lab — Scored 19 points in a win over Hanalani 

CJ Bostic, Kalaheo — Scored 28 points with five rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in a win over Kapolei and scored 17 points with seven rebounds, five assists, five steals and five blocks in a loss to Kailua 

Dorn Bromo, Seabury Hall — Scored 28 points in a win over Molokai 

Kainalu Davis, Roosevelt — Scored 20 points in a win over Waipahu 

Cyrus Faradineh, Moanalua — Scored 21 points with 11 rebounds in a loss to Campbell 

Noah Flores Alexander, Lahainaluna — Scored 17 points in a win over Maui 

Kobe Garcia, Seabury Hall — Scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Molokai and scored 21 points in a win over Lanai 

Jaron Gilmore, Kalaheo — Scored 18 points in a win over Kapolei and scored 20 points in a loss to Kailua 

Seth Harman, Kaiser — Scored 25 points in a loss to Leilehua 

Adonys Hill, Waipahu — Scored 18 points in a loss to Roosevelt 

Jaydon Hook, Kohala — Scored 18 points in a win over Hawaii Prep 

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

Kyle Kelmenson, Haleakala Waldorf — Scored 18 points in a loss to Molokai 

Koa Laboy, University Lab — Scored 17 points in a win over Damien 

Kaimana Lau Kong, Iolani — Scored 19 points in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Cyris Laury-Schaefer, Haleakala Waldorf — Scored 20 points in a loss to Molokai 

Kayman Lewis, Roosevelt — Scored 20 points in a win over Waipahu 

Kelani Lewis, Waimea — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kauai 

Casey Lyons, Iolani — Scored 19 points in a win over Punahou 

Connor McIntosh, Saint Louis II — Scored 20 points in a win over Kamehameha II 

Skylar Miyasato, Moanalua — Scored 23 points in a loss to Campbell 

Irie Mizner, Hana — Scored 18 points in a loss to Lanai 

Austin Oguma, Moanalua — Scored 20 points, including six 3-pointers, in a win over Radford 

Peyton Pana, Hilo — Scored 17 points in a win over Pahoa 

Jonny Philbrick, Kailua — Scored 24 points in a win over Kalaheo 

Nalu Reynolds, Kohala — Scored 16 points with 14 rebounds in a win over St. Joseph

Joshua Schutter, Kalani — Scored 19 points in a win over Waialua 

Pupualii Sepulona, Saint Louis — Scored 25 points in a win over Maryknoll 

Eli Shibuya, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 19 points in a win over University Lab, scored 25 points in a win over Le Jardin and scored 24 points with eight rebounds in a loss to Punahou 

Noah Takahata, Hanalani — Scored 20 points in a win over Damien 

Kaina Watson, Kamehameha — Scored 21 points in a loss to Punahou 

Flynn Williams, Maui Prep — Scored 28 points in a win over Lanai 

Twain Wilson, Leilehua — Scored 22 points in a win over Kahuku 

Justin Yap, Maryknoll — Scored 21 points in a win over Iolani 

James Zara, Waialua — Scored 25 points in a loss to Kalani 

BOYS SOCCER

Tevin Atwal, Waiakea — Scored two goals in a win over Kealakehe 

Nolean Bowler, PAC-5 — Scored two goals in a win over Damien 

Leo Davies, Kaiser — Scored the lone goal in a win over Aiea 

Jon Ellman, Le Jardin — Scored two goals in a win over Saint Louis 

Andre Estaniqui, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Campbell 

Luke Fujioka-Silva, McKinley — Scored the lone goal in a win over Waialua 

Kainalu Geer, Island School — Scored two goals in a tie with Waimea 

Lucas Kay-Wong, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored three goals in a win over Honokaa 

Devon Kauil Kapuniala, Hawaii Prep — Scored two goals in a win over Christian Liberty 

Nate Lawton, Hawaii Prep — Scored two goals in a win over Makua Lani 

Kai Martin, Mililani — Scored the lone goal in an overtime win over Kaiser 

Tyson Norr, Mid-Pacific — Scored two goals in a loss to Kamehameha 

Sye Sandobal, Aiea — Scored three goals in a win over Kalaheo 

Ethan Yang, Kaiser — Scored three goals in a win over Kapolei 

Kya Kanoho

Kamehameha basketball  •   #24  G  Senior

When it comes to Kya Kanoho, Kamehameha girls basketball coach Pua Straight points to a singular trait that separates her from the rest: desire. 

Straight broadcasts a familiar message when speaking about the 5-foot-6 shooting guard and team captain for the Warriors this season. 

"I tell people this and I feel like a broken record every time I talk about Kya, but she is one of the most, if not the hardest working player I've ever coached," said Straight, who went on to describe Kanoho's work ethic as "silent."

"She works tirelessly in the offseason and I've told a lot of people this before, but she does it very silently; She's not loud about it. At one point our weight room coach told me that Kya was coming in for extra workouts and I only found out a month later that she had been going in a bunch, so she's very silent about it but she's work really hard and the biggest thing that sets her apart is all the offseason work that she does," Straight shared. 

As the lone senior on the Kamehameha roster, Kanoho is most certainly in a position of leadership, but Straight can still recall when she brought Kanoho up to the varsity squad as a freshman. 

"She played the full JV season and then we pulled her up after that to varsity and we traveled that year (for the first round of the state tournament), so she got to travel," Straight reminisced. 

Kanoho's sophomore campaign was hindered by the pandemic, but she has been a mainstay in the Warriors' starting lineup the past two seasons. 

"She's averaging probably thirty minutes a game for the past two years," Straight said. 

Kamehameha struggled to a 3-7 league record and third-place finish in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Kanoho was tabbed as a Second Team All-ILH selection by league coaches and received All-Hawaii Honorable Mention. 

However, her team missed out on the state tournament — something Kanoho did her part to ensure wouldn't happen again this season. 

After a 5-7 mark after the first round (triple round-robin) of ILH play, the Warriors caught fire during last week's second round (single-elimination tournament). Kanoho was a key contributor in all three wins; She chipped in nine points in a 59-55 win over Damien. The following night, Kanoho scored a game-high 17 points, including four 3-pointers, in a 46-34 win over Iolani. Finally, she closed out the week Wednesday night with a team-high 12-point effort in a 44-39 win over Maryknoll that secured her team's spot in this week's state tournament. 

"I think just her composure and poise was impressive to me," Straight said of Kanoho's string of games. 

While Kanoho stepped up her offensive production last week — her per-game average of 7.2 points ranks third on the team — she has been a steady and formidable presence on the defensive end of the floor. 

"She relies on her defense to fuel her a lot. She's a really good perimeter defender, she has really good length and I think her defense kind of gets her going and it's consistent — we always use her to guard the opposing team's best player, as long as they're a guard — outside of that she's really good at getting to the basket and she has a really good 3-point shot, but really she's our defensive engine; She's the one that gets our team going defensively," Straight said. 

Kanoho's defensive prowess was on full display at the end of the Maryknoll game, when she came up with a last-second block on a potentially game-tying, step-back 3-pointer to seal the Kamehameha victory. 

"In my opinion, she's one of the best defensive players in the state and because she's always guarding other people's top shooters and players, I think she, more than anybody else on our team, understands how close you have to be to a shooter," Straight said. "I think she really just understands that and she has good length and she's athletic, but I think, for her, a lot of the plays that she makes on the defensive end comes down to heart."

In addition to her duties on the court, Kanoho was clearly looked to — by her teammates and coaches alike — to provide guidance and leadership. 

"Being the most experienced player on our team and our only senior, she had a big leadership role, but she's not a super vocal player. She's more of a lead-by example (type), but when she does say something it means a lot more. She doesn't say a lot, so when she does say something I feel like everyone internalizes that and then with her work ethic, I think everybody follows that leader from her. Again, she's our defensive engine and defense is the one thing that we've been able to rely on this season and that kind of gives us a chance, or was a reason why we were able to win games in the ILH and she's the one that gets us going defensively," Straight reiterated. 

Opponents have been held to an average of fewer than 42 points per game by Kanoho and the Warriors (9-8) this year. 

In Monday's opening round of the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Division I state tournament, Kanoho matched her season-high with 18 points. She hit four 3-pointers to go along with four steals, two rebounds and two assists in the 61-41 win over Kaiser. 

Kamehameha, which moved up two spots to No. 7 in this week's ScoringLive Power Rankings, will play No. 5 Lahainaluna in a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday at Moanalua. 

Tip-off between the Warriors and the third-seeded Lunas (12-1) is scheduled for 5 p.m. 

Earlier in the day, Kanoho is expected to sign her National Letter of Intent to play for Western Oregon University in a signing day event at the Kapalama campus. 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Nahenahe Alo, Sacred Hearts — Scored 21 points in a win over Island Pacific and scored 15 points in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Nina Batacan, La Pietra — Scored 21 points in a loss to University Lab 

Angelia Calucag, Iolani II — Scored 15 points in a loss to Kamehameha II 

Kate-Lynn Colipano, Lahainaluna — Scored 17 points in a win over Maui 

Korrilyn Fernandez, Waiakea — Scored 15 points in a loss to Konawaena 

Miyah Galdeira, Kailua — Scored 16 points in a win over Mililani 

Tavina Harris, Lahainaluna — Scored 22 points in a win over Maui 

Puaena Herrington, Waiakea — Scored 15 points in a win over Keaau 

Maela Honma, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 18 points in a win over Kohala and scored 16 points in a win over Honokaa 

Kiani Hoolulu, Kailua — Scored 19 points in a win over Mililani and scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to Kahuku 

Keanu Huihui, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 32 points in a win over Kohala and scored 29 points in a win over Honokaa 

Makana Kamakeeaina, Damien — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kamehameha 

Brooke Kurasaki, Mililani — Scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to Kailua 

Alexus Maae, Kaiser — Scored 24 points with nine rebounds in a loss to Campbell and scored 24 points in a win over Radford 

Alexa Meyer, Konawaena — Scored 18 points in a win over Hilo 

Alana Nagata, University Lab — Scored 29 points in a win over La Pietra and scored 26 points in a loss to Mid-Pacific 

Kristen Ragasa, Honokaa — Scored 17 points in a win over Hawaii Prep and scored 20 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Brooke Samura, Hawaii Prep — Scored 26 points in a loss to Honokaa and scored 26 points with seven rebounds, nine assists and six steals in a win over Kohala 

Shilee Scanlan, Pearl City — Scored 13 points with 13 rebounds in a win over Castle 

Malia Tini, Castle — Scored 12 points with 16 rebounds in a loss to Pearl City 

Laynee Torres-Kahapea, Punahou — Scored 18 points in a loss to Maryknoll 

Ciera Tugade-Agasiva, Maryknoll — Scored 18 points in a loss to Iolani 

Rylee Velazquez, Honokaa — Scored 18 points in a win over Hawaii Prep 

Ali Wawner, Hawaii Prep — Scored 17 points in a win over Kohala 

Kenna Wengler, Damien — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha

Tuisila Wily-Ava, Kahuku — Scored 18 points in a win over Kailua 

Dorothea Yoakim, Mid-Pacific — Scored 15 points in a win over University Lab 

GIRLS SOCCER

Ailani Franklin, Waiakea — Scored two goals in a win over Kealakehe 

Rebeka Sipinga, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Hawaii Prep