Sports

Molokai Boy Chosen for Samoa Bowl

Thursday, January 8th, 2015

Thanks to his athletic talents, his heritage and more than 170 chicken katsu plates, local boy Ha`aloha Tanielu Aikala-Falealii became the first Farmer to represent Molokai football in American Samoa. Aikala-Falealii, a senior at Molokai High School, was selected to play for Team Hawaii in the Samoa Bowl, an annual game that pits Hawaii’s best Samoan football players against American Samoa’s all-stars. In the Samoa Bowl XII on Dec. 27, Team American Samoa won, 12-6.

Part Hawaiian and part Samoan, Aikala-Falealii was able to honor both of his cultures in the Bowl, said his father, Sepulona Aikala-Falealii. Sepulona, a police officer, grew up in American Samoa, a U.S.…

Winter Sports Preview, Part 2

Thursday, December 18th, 2014

Although the weather is turning colder, the Molokai winter sport athletes are just getting warmed up. With the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) winter season approaching, Molokai High’s teams are training to compete in basketball, paddling, swimming and wrestling. In the second of a two-part series, the Dispatch takes a look at these teams as they prepare to make their mark in the MIL.

Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball

The spotlight will be on Molokai basketball within the league this season. In February, the school will host the MIL Division II boys’ basketball tournament. Meanwhile, the girls will seek their third league title in a row and a place at the state championships.…

Winter Sports Preview, Part 1

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

Although the weather is turning colder, the Molokai winter sport athletes are just getting warmed up. With the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) winter season approaching, Molokai High’s teams are training to compete in basketball, paddling, swimming and wrestling. In a two-part series, the Dispatch takes a look at these teams as they prepare to make their mark in the MIL.

Wrestling

This season, the boys’ and girls’ teams have 19 wrestlers apiece. The girls’ roster is rife with experience, with 11 returning wrestlers, while the boys’ team welcomes a relatively young squad that includes seven returning wrestlers and six freshmen.

“The number of returning girls makes us strong ‘cause we’ve got some experience to work with,” said Coach Randy Manley, who added that this year’s squad is the biggest girls’ team he’s ever seen from the school.…

Molokai Football Finishes Second in League

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

In the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL)’s inaugural eight-player football championship, the Farmers brought it all: pinpoint passing, a lethal running game, a hard-charging defense. In the end, however, the Spartans’ record stayed perfect, as Seabury beat Molokai 44-34 to be crowned MIL champions last Thursday. The Farmers took second place.

“I couldn’t have asked for better effort,” said Molokai head coach Mike Kahale. “How can I be disappointed? I’m disappointed in the score but not disappointed in them as a team. … I couldn’t be more proud of the effort that they gave.”

The game was broadcast live on Maui’s ESPN radio channel, which Coach Kahale said was the first time that a Molokai football game was featured on the air.…

Farmers Pack Up Rifles for the Season

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

When Molokai’s history-making air riflery season came to an end, the Farmers were exactly where they wanted to be: at the state championship on Oahu. The MIL-champion Farmers shot their final competition last Tuesday, with the boys’ team coming in fifth out of seven boys’ teams and individual girls’ shooter Hi`ilani Kanuha finishing 50th in a field of 60.

“It was an eye opener and so much fun for the kids,” said girls’ coach Chinky Hubbard, who attended the state competition for the first time as a coach. “… We went over there and just tried to beat our scores that we performed at MILs.”…

Molokai Represented by Four Runners at States

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Last year, cross country runner Luke Kikukawa was Molokai’s only representative at the state cross country championships, but this season, he didn’t have to go alone.  He and four other teammates qualified for states, and four total Farmers ran at the event last Saturday.

“It gave me a lot more confidence,” said Kikukawa. “During the lineup I had three people with me instead of just [being] by myself. It was a lot less intimidating.”

Joining Kikukawa were Keaolono Ross, Markis-Grayson Aldridge and Kaina Adolpho. This year’s championship featured 199 girls and 199 boys from across the state. Ross was the top Farmer finisher at 67th place overall.…