Konawaena has been a league basketball powerhouse for so long it’s easy to overlook the one big obstacle that must be jumped over every season.
Konawaena has been a league basketball powerhouse for so long it’s easy to overlook the one big obstacle that must be jumped over every season.
The Wildcats have won the last six Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I championships, and compiled a 69-0 league record during that run.
Kona has reached the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament every year since 2002, a nice 13-year streak, and brought home titles in 2004, ’07, ’09, ’11 and ’12.
Yet, veteran coach Bobbie Awa’s team has never had comfortable depth. There have been rosters with 10 or more players, but most of the time Ironman minutes are required of the five starters.
A great example is Kona’s state championship 59-47 win over Punahou in 2007 when starters Liana and Kara Hanato-Smith, Jazzmin Awa-Williams, Mana Hopkins and Marissa Minor each played all 32 minutes.
In 2012, Kona beat Iolani 56-45 for the state title, and starters Lia Galdeira, Makayla Awa and Courtney Kaupu each played 32 minutes, and Dawnyelle Awa logged 30 minutes and Hoku Liftee 28 minutes.
One huge statewide misconception is that Awa’s Wildcat Hoops Juggernaut is a popular sport choice for a school with an enrollment of about 690 students.
It’s not. During the winter season, there’s also canoe paddling, swimming and diving, wrestling, and soccer for girls. Like most of her BIIF colleagues, Awa knows that soccer not basketball is the most popular sport for many.
On Friday at the Waiakea preseason tournament, only five Wildcats suited up. Chanelle Molina, Ihi Victor, Celena Molina are the returning starters, and the only other returnee is sophomore Mahie Kaawa.
For the first time in maybe forever, Kona has quality depth with two talented freshmen in Mikaya Tablit and Cherilyn Molina, the younger sister to junior point guard Chanelle and sophomore guard Celena.
Awa has high hopes for her two freshmen. Tablit and Cherilyn Molina will be the nucleus when the Big Three (Chanelle and Celena Molina and Victor) are gone.
“They could start for any program on the island,” Awa said. “They’ve got speed and their defense is very intense. That’s more on-ball defenders for us. They both can shoot it and handle the ball. They’re young, but don’t make freshmen mistakes.”
As a welcomed bonus, three senior transfers from Lahainaluna – twins Lindsay and Taylor Bates and Aloha Salem – joined the Wildcats, who can finally give their starters a breather.
“That helps a lot because they’re all seniors,” Awa said. “They just have to learn our system, but they’re experienced and come from a strong program.
“We’ve got no height, but they’re great shooters and defenders. It definitely adds depth, and it makes everyone fight for spots.”
Salem is a cousin to the Molina sisters, and she, Lindsay and Taylor Bates, Tablit and Cherilyn Molina are all 5 feet 2, or around that size.
The former Lunas played a face-guard defense while Kona’s scheme is help-side defense, where communication is key and quick traps produce turnovers and easy layups.
Victor, a 5-11 junior, is the only big. Celena is 5-8 with long arms, Chanelle is 5-7, the same height as last season, but with more muscle. The 5-6 Kaawa was on Kona’s two-time Division II state champion volleyball team with Victor and the Molina sisters.
Kona will likely run a four-guard spread offense, clearing the lane for Victor, who has a really good habit of catching and shooting in one smooth motion.
Whether a defense goes to a man or zone, Chanelle Molina’s ball-handling is so good she can dribble-drive for rim attacks or kickouts. And once the ball is in the paint, the ‘Cats routinely make the extra pass for a higher percentage shot.
On Saturday, Kona smashed Maui High 85-2 (that’s not a misprint). Chanelle Molina scored 21 points, while Victor and Cherilyn added 14 points each.
Like her older sister, Little Mo’s athleticism and natural instincts are better suited for basketball than volleyball. Cherilyn is already a triple-threat to shoot, pass or take a defender off the dribble. She’s also a tenacious on-ball defender.
“We’ll got a lot of guards and they can shoot the ball from outside,” Awa said. “They’re pretty consistent and we can spread the court more for Ihi. She can shoot outside, too, so that opens the inside for her. I don’t know what we’re going to do yet, whether it’s dribble-drive, but we’ll have a lot of movement and pass the ball around. Everybody is a threat this year.”
Beware Viks
Lindsay and Taylor Bates were starters and Salem came off the bench for Lahainaluna, which fell to Punahou 60-48 in the Division I state championship last season.
Kona’s added depth will be helpful because BIIF runner-up Hilo lost only one starter in Aliyah Pana. The Vikings return four starters in senior forward Chailey Cabalis, and juniors Alexis Pana, Shalyn Guthier and Sharlei Graham-Bernisto, a defensive pitbull.
Last season, the Wildcats clipped the Vikings 46-45 for their sixth consecutive BIIF championship, after Chanelle Molina scored a game-high 15 points, including free throws for the tying and go-ahead points.
“Chanelle’s been helpful to the team. She’s been working hard on her game,” Awa said. “You can tell she’s gotten bigger. It’ll be a different experience for her because we can rotate nine players and she’s not used to being on the bench. But when the BIIF season starts (Dec. 16 for Kona), she’ll definitely be our go-to player.”
Hilo plays at Konawaena on Jan. 13.
Run at states
In an interesting note, Lahainaluna dashed Hilo’s dream of reaching the state championship with a 57-47 win in the semifinals. Salem and the Bates sisters combined for 18 points.
As for another Konawaena state title, the road goes through the Buffanblu, who return two productive bigs in 6-foot junior Tyra Moe and 5-11 junior Vae Malufau. Moe scored 19 points on 9 of 10 shooting against the Lunas, and Malufau added 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting.
If Kona runs into Punahou at states, Awa doesn’t have a matchup in the height department, where the Buffanblu would clean the glass. But she has the next three best weapons: ball-handling, sharp shooters, and tenacious defense.
One more weapon can be thrown on top of that pile – depth, a valuable commodity the Wildcats haven’t had in forever.