Waiakea’s boys basketball team has had its way during the BIIF regular season, but that wasn’t the case during the preseason.
Waiakea’s boys basketball team has had its way during the BIIF regular season, but that wasn’t the case during the preseason.
Hawaii Prep’s Jonas Skupeika already has owned the Warriors once, dropping 45 on them and leading Ka Makani to a 70-64 double-overtime victory at the Waiakea-Keaau tournament.
The rematch beckons in Waimea. There are multiple showdowns on tap in basketball and soccer Wednesday, highlighted by the battle of the BIIF’s last two unbeatens at Castle Gym.
In Kealakekua, Kamehameha (5-1) takes on three-time defending I champion Konawaena (5-2) in a rematch of the last year’s final. Neither team can afford to lose anymore ground on Waiakea, and as it is the matchup is a likely preview of the BIIF semifinal matching the Nos. 2-3 seeds.
Waiakea has been the story of the season so far, jetting out to a 7-0 mark behind reigning Division I Player of the Year Calvin Mattos and earning victories against Konawaena and Kamehameha.
Ka Makani (4-0) have flown under the radar bit in Division II, but if there is an X factor this season it’s Skupeika.
Also in Waimea on Wednesday is a Division II boys soccer match between North Hawaii rivals Honokaa (7-1-0) and Hawaii Prep (6-0-1) with first place on the line.
The Dragons sport the best boys record in either division, but they’re just hitting the meet of their schedule.
“I told the team that the fun and games is over,” coach Maurice Miranda said. “We’re about to see how we stack up.”
At Keaau’s Paiea Stadium, Kamehameha’s boys (5-1-1) will look to keep pace in the Division II race against Waiakea (5-2-0), which is intent on staying ahead of fourth-place Konawaena (4-3-1) in Division I.
In the girls match, Waiakea (5-0-0) puts its unbeaten record on the line against Kamehameha (3-3-0), which is trying to make a late-season run after being slowed by injuries.