“I flipped him over and placed him in a half nelson,” Rowland said. “I have good shots and like to work the double leg while I set up my game plan.”
BY WAYNE JOSEPH | STEPHENS MEDIA
PAHOA — Kamehameha-Hawaii took full advantage of its senior power during the Big Island Interscholastic Federation regular wrestling season finale on Saturday at the Pahoa High School gym.
“We have 12 seniors, with five boys and seven girls,” Warrior coach Brendan Courtot said. “Those seniors provide us with a pretty good nucleus, not just in wrestling but in leadership.”
Kamehameha put its senior power to the test, taking advantage of its opponents in a variety of weight classes.
For the girls, Kanoe Padaken (108), Alexia Osburn (140) and Chantel Pohina (130) were priming their skills prior to the BIIF championships which will be held Feb. 18 at Kamehameha. Action starts at 10 a.m.
The Kamehameha girls, the two-time defending team champions, left little doubt that they are on a quest for their three-peat.
Padaken used a hand-and-arm move to take her opponent down, then went for a head squeeze followed by a double chicken wing to win her match by pin in the first round.
Last year, Padaken placed third in the BIIF championships.
Padaken, undefeated this season at 108, started the season at 114 but has dropped the weight to help the Warrior weight class balance for another team title.
Pohina won her opening match against a Keaau opponent by a score of 15-7.
“I snapped her down and went for the gator roll, but accidentally put myself on my back,” Pohina said.
Pohina managed to reverse the mistake by escaping from the bottom position, placing herself back on top. She extended a sprawl and kept her opponent down as time ran out.
Last season, Pohina wrestled at 155 and placed second in the BIIF. At her current 130, Pohina has an unblemished league record, as her three losses came outside her 130 division.
Osburn won both her Saturday matches on points against Waiakea and Hilo opponents.
“I felt sluggish and wasn’t feeling all that great, but I got the opportunity to get the Waiakea girl for a sprawl and the takedown,” Osburn said.
In her second match, Osburn used pressure to do wrist rolls on the Viking.
For the Warrior boys, seniors Jason Rowland (145) and Ryan Chin (189) were fine-tuning their skills.
Chin won his first match by pin against a Pahoa opponent, coming in high to get a single-leg takedown, followed by a half nelson to gain the first-round pin.
Chin extended his overall BIIF record to 10-2.
Last season, Chin placed second in the BIIF in the 215 division and has dropped weight to make himself more competitive.
Rowland also claimed a first-round pin against a Hilo opponent, making the first takedown by sprawling out after the Viking took a shot.
“I flipped him over and placed him in a half nelson,” Rowland said. “I have good shots and like to work the double leg while I set up my game plan.”