Waiakea senior Kaleb Caves looked like he got hit by a bus, but had a smile of satisfaction that he was the only one left standing.
Waiakea senior Kaleb Caves looked like he got hit by a bus, but had a smile of satisfaction that he was the only one left standing.
Still, he was wearing a big bag of ice on his right shoulder. His thumb, which popped out, was wrapped and so was his ankle. Oh, his right knee throbbed, too.
It was a price to pay for Caves, who won the 161-pound BIIF judo title, beating his teammate Aaron Pacheco on Saturday at the Warriors Gym.
It was the first league gold for Caves, a senior, who was third in wrestling at BIIFs and went 0-2 at the HHSAA state tournament in March.
It was a wonderful day to be a Warrior. The host team batted .500 and took five of the 10 weight classes.
Cayden Rillon won at 108, and Kilar Fujimoto at 121. Fujimoto was second at 108 last year as a freshman.
Kellen Goya, a junior, is now 3 for 3 after claiming gold at 132, and senior Dayton Towata picked up his third BIIF title.
The top three finishers qualify for the HHSAA state championships May 9 on Oahu.
“I’m happy I won. It was pretty big for me, having to beat all my opponents who were really good,” Caves said. “It was mentally hard against Aaron. We practice together every day.
“My teammate Dayton is my practice partner. His technique is way better than mine. He helps me with not only technique but also to have the right mindset, and to have fun, too.”
Towata is a good role-model to follow. His grade-point average is a shade below 4.0, and he’s been the class president three years.
He’s also been a four-year judo captain, and Towata follows in the footsteps of Skye Matsuura, who’s now at Puget Sound.
She brought home a gold medal from states last year. Matsuura was always a helpful hand at practice, in the classroom or as a dietician, as in, “Want this apple instead of that chocolate bar, Dayton?”
Towata’s influence has rubbed off on Caves, who has hit the books harder and improved his grades. He’s planning to head to Hawaii Community College, and joining the Police department someday.
“He’s helped me with my grades and projects, and made me realize that you need grades to compete,” Caves said. “I came in and just got it done.”
Towata’s task
Last year, Towata finished in third place at states at 132 pounds. His jump to the 145 weight class will put him in the underdog role against likely bigger and taller opponents.
At least it opened the door for his teammates. Goya took his old seat, and another Warrior, Joshua Ohara, was second at 132.
Anyway, Towata’s main job is to continue the good work that past leaders like Matsuura left behind, and push forward coach Jason Tanaka’s all-for-one agenda.
“He wanted everybody to exceed, not just the returnees,” Towata said. “He wanted everybody to excel at BIIFs and have that same motivation.
“We wanted to have a meaningful end all together, and to make everything count on a good note. That’s why we push each other.”