Sports

Sharp Shooters

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

, especially Nika and Christina,” Kalani said.

Senior Kerianne Mokuau had the highest finish for any Molokai shooter on Saturday ending up in sixth place. She shot a 90 in her first round from the prone position and ended up with 463 total points. She finished only 13 points away from the top five and 15 points shy of a trip to the state tournament.

Rabino was the next best wahine Farmer with a 409 overall, good enough for 13th in the conference. She was followed by Chelsea Simon (392), Mendija (392) and Kealoha Will (348).

Their combined scores were enough to hold off St. Anthony’s and secure the bronze medal. Maui High finished in second place and Baldwin High won both the girls and boys divisions with scores of 1,826 and 1,868.

Farmers Serve Up Perfection

Monday, October 19th, 2009

tournament,” Helm said.

The Farmers have a little over a week off to regroup and prepare to put their undefeated record on the line against the best in the state at the HHSAA Tournament. The team leaves for Oahu on Oct. 28.

Farmers Football

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Molokai peewees drop first two games of season
By Dan Murphy

For the second week in a row, Molokai’s peewee football team came up just short of a victory last Saturday. The Farmers played a strong defensive game, but ended up falling to the Kapolei White Warriors 6-0.

The Molokai offense was moving the ball late in the fourth quarter, but time ran out before they were able to put any points on the board. Running back Noah Caparida broke off runs of 10 and 25 yards and quarterback Logan Kamali`i scrambled for 12 more on the final drive before the Warriors were able to slow them down.

“That was a hard-fought gridiron game between two very good football teams,” Molokai Head Coach Kirk Kiaha said.

The loss drops Molokai’s record to 0-2 on the season after losing to the Kapolei Silver team 7-0 in their season opener two weeks ago.

The Farmers defense looked strong this past weekend, holding Kapolei to only two first downs during the game. Middle linebacker Sione Mauala led the way for the defense with three tackles for loss.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement so far,” Kiaha said. “The techniques are getting better and we are more aggressive.”

The game’s only touchdown came with less than a minute remaining in the first half. A Farmers’ fumble gave Kapolei the ball inside the 10 yard line with just over a minute to go in the half. Two plays later the Warriors found the end zone and took the lead for good.

A Chance to Play
Kiaha said he expects the team to be winning games soon, but the more important thing is that the keiki are getting a chance to learn the game.  

“It’s a privilege to introduce the kids to football. I hope that we can keep this going and give all kids a chance to play,” he said.

Kiaha first started coaching youth football over 15 years ago when he and his old high school teammates started a team on Oahu. Two championships and almost two decades later, he is still trying to spread the sport.

Kiaha was instrumental in bringing football to Molokai youth three years ago when the program was started. Formerly the Oahu Youth Sports League, the league changed its name this year to the Island Youth Football League, as they plan to add teams from other neighbor islands in the future.
Molokai currently has a peewee team (11-13 year olds) and a termite team (10 and under). The termite Farmers did not play last weekend, but also lost their home opener to Kapolei Silver on Oct. 3.

Molokai will play seven games this season at Duke Maliu Park.The team also hopes to go to Honolulu at the end of the season for a game at Aloha Stadium.

Kiaha said that the league wouldn’t be able to exist without team parents who feed visiting teams from Oahu and spend countless hours preparing for their arrival.

“I give a big ‘hats off’ to all of those parents as well as the coaches who give up a lot of their time to help these young men and women,” he said.

Kiaha is joined by assistant coaches Wayne Puaoi, Andy Diekroft, Kama Kiaha and one other extremely good-looking and talented anonymous coach.

The Farmers next game will be Oct. 24 against the Ewa Beach Cardinals.

Off to the Races

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Molokai teams prep for post-season tournaments.

By Dan Murphy

While most Molokai High students were enjoying their break from school last week, members of the cross country and air riflery teams were hard at work on Maui getting ready for their seasons finales.

Girls Cross Country
Both the Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country teams put up a strong showing this weekend finishing in third and fourth places, respectively. The weekend’s race at Kapalua was the final tune-up for runners before the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) Championships on Oct. 24.

“The team practiced really hard over the break and it was great to see all that work really pay off on Saturday,” Girls Coach Lee DeRouin said. “We’re really proud of where the girls are now versus where they were when they came into the season.”

Sophomore Petrisha Alvarez led the way for the female Farmers crossing the line in 17th place with a time of 24:37. Three runners and thirty seconds later, fellow sophomore Charisse Manley joined Alvarez as the second Molokai runner to finish.

“On Molokai, we don’t have any girls race in the JV. So, Petrisha and Charisse would have been right up there medaling in the JV race, but they’re running varsity. They’re still doing very well,” DeRouin said.

The next pair of Farmers were juniors Sharali Dudoit-Enos and Marissa Sterner, who finished within less than a second of each other in 27th and 28th place. Louisa Torres-Umi and senior Kalani Wainright rounded out the pack for Molokai. Their combined scores totaled 89 points which landed the team third place overall.

DeRouin said the team’s goal for the MIL Championship is to place as many girls as possible in the state tournament on Kauai. The top two teams in the conference send seven girls each and 13 other runners receive at-large bids. Molokai most likely will not finish in the top two, but they do have a chance to nab some of the at-large spots.

DeRouin said Alvarez’s time should be good enough to qualify her, and Sterner and Manley were right on the cusp. The state meet takes place Oct. 30.

Boys Cross Country
On the boys’ side, senior Alvin Ringor missed a top ten finish by less than ten seconds. Ringor finished just behind Lanai’s Jordan Ordonez-Ohashi in 11th place with a time of 18:21.

Junior Kevin Dudoit (18:48) was next to cross for Molokai in 14th place. He was followed by Julien Bumatay and the Adolpho twins. Bumatay placed 17th and freshmen Akona and Israel Adolpho finished in 16th and 19th, all coming in around the 19-minute mark. Sophomore Kailen Inouye rounded out the Molokai pack with a final time of 21:30.

The boys’ team totaled 78 points, putting them behind Maui High, Baldwin and Maui Prep in the conference-wide race.

Air Riflery
The armed Farmers also had their final qualifying meet before the MIL championship last Saturday. The boys Air Riflery team sent three shooters to the tournament to get ready for this Saturday’s championship match.

Guy Brito and brothers Hunter and Landon Kalaikane competed for Molokai and all finished within five points of one another.

“They did a little bit better than I expected. They were about average,” said Head Coach David Kalani.

Hunter Kalaikane’s overall score of 193 put him  in 17th overall. Landon was only two points behind his brother and tied Baldwin’s Tyler Bersamin for 18th place. Guy Brito had the highest score of the day for Molokai with an 88 in the prone competition. Brito ended up with 188 total points and a 20th place finish.

This Saturday, Molokai will send eight boys and five girls to the MIL Championship meet.

Seal Play

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Community discusses what should happen to KP2.

KP2 has a sleek, new coat after his recent molt. Photo by Val Bloy.

By Catherine Cluett

At the Kaunakakai Wharf, a young boy and a seal swim together. They dive and chase each other in a tumble of arms, flippers and smiles. Kahi is eleven years old, and the Hawaiian monk seal, named KP2, is just over a year. Kahi said the first time he remembers seeing KP2 was this past summer. His friends were scared of swimming with the seal, but Kahi jumped in and told them, “See how friendly he is? He won’t hurt you.”

From then on, Kahi and KP2 were inseparable. Adults who have watched them play say KP2 recognizes Kahi and would leave other kids to play with him.

But KP2, the young seal that has made Kaunakakai Wharf his home and befriended many of the humans in the area, has already reached a weight of 165 pounds. His play, once the gentle frolics of a pup, is becoming rougher as he matures. Kahi’s mother said she has become leery about letting her son swim with the seal.

Kahi knows his days of swimming with his friend are over. But the bond he formed with the seal is still strong.

“Whoever goes to the wharf and thinks it’s theirs, it’s not,” explains Kahi. “The ocean is not ours, it’s God’s. Whoever doesn’t like KP2, fish somewhere else.”

Orphan Seal
Abandoned by his mother on Kauai at 24 hours old, KP2, short for “Kauai pup two,” was found by NOAA specialists. He was raised in captivity for eight months before his release in Kalaupapa last November. A few months later, he appeared at the Kaunakakai Wharf.

In June, NOAA transported him back to Kalaupapa, hoping he would socialize with other young seals and “stay wild.” However, in just two days, KP2 had made his way back to the wharf. Now KP2 is one of the estimated 110 Hawaiian monk seals living today in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

KP2 is the first ever successfully hand-reared Hawaiian monk seal, according to NOAA Marine Mammal Response Coordinator David Schofield. But some are questioning the definition of success, saying NOAA caused the problem of the too-friendly seal by saving the pup.

Many fishermen believe Hawaiian monk seals pose direct competition for already-diminishing food sources, and would just as soon see the species not survive. NOAA specialists and volunteers are worried that KP2’s safety may be in jeopardy.

“If these animals don’t survive, it’s going to be because of the people, not the seals,” said Molokai resident Karen Holt.

To Stay or To Go
Molokai volunteers have logged hundreds of hours monitoring KP2 at the wharf to make sure both he and the humans he associates with are safe. They worry that as KP2 matures, he may unintentionally harm the children or adults he tries to play with. Because of this, NOAA requests that no one swim, approach or interact with KP2.

Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species, with less than 1200 individuals living today – and only in Hawaii. It is against the law to approach or disturb them.

But KP2 is often the one to approach humans, not vise versa. Incidents of KP2 nipping swimmers or trying to get attention from people launching boats on the ramp have already been recorded.

“We have a choice where to swim,” said Molokai resident and paddler Penny Martin. “We are the visitors to the ocean.”

She explained that when people see a shark in the water, they do not say, “This is our place, the shark needs to move.” Martin said she believes it should be the same for the monk seal.

Martin suggested the solution might be in funding more game wardens to monitor the area.

Molokai resident and activist Walter Ritte advocated letting KP2 stay at the wharf and continuing to use the seal as an educational tool for the community.

“It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity,” he said.

But as much as some community members might like to see KP2 left undisturbed, NOAA specialists and volunteers realize it is very difficult for people to change their habits for a seal. Because of this, relocation looks like it will be part of KP2’s future. 

The Plan
Schofield said NOAA is currently investigating relocating KP2 to either Niihau, Kaula Rock or Lehua Rock – all remote islands at the end of the Main Hawaiian chain but not as far as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
While options of “display captivity” like Sea Life Park are still being discussed, Schofield said he thinks it is worth giving KP2 one more shot at living in the wild before confining him to captivity forever. He pointed out that while KP2 has imprinted on humans, he still exhibits “wild” behaviors. He forages extensively on his own, and has been seen with other seals.

Many community members have expressed concern that the proposed areas are known to have an abundance of sharks. They worry that KP2 would not survive long if he were moved.

“Sharks are a part of a monk seal’s world,” explained NOAA specialist Jeff Walters. “They’re a risk, but risks are everywhere. There’s no perfect place to put him.”

Walters stressed that KP2 has undoubtedly encountered sharks in his travels. Walters said he is more concerned about harm to the seal from human interaction than from sharks.

Plans are still under investigation and discussion. If KP2 is relocated to the Niihau area, Schofield said it would likely take place before the beginning of November.

Keeping the Crown

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

pretty often,” Levi said. “It was pretty good.”

After starting off the third set with a big spike, Levi took over at the line and built an 18-0 lead before the Trojans could stop her.

“She’s really improved her serving a lot,” Helm said of Levi. “Offensively we want to get her more involved. She’s a great player and sometimes she gets overlooked.”

Levi picked up 10 aces during the spree. She also had six aces and five kills on Saturday for an encore. Leenell Hernandez also had six aces on Saturday and Kalei Adolpho led the team with 11 kills.

Bicoy also had a strong weekend while making her first two starts of the season.

“She’s been really aggressive. I like the fact that if she does make an error, it’s always an aggressive mistake. She’s coming along well,” Helm said. Bicoy got the start over senior Wailani Hernandez, who has been helping the junior prepare to take over the starting role next season.

“I thought it went well. It’s a good chance for me to come up and try my stuff,” Bicoy said.

The Farmers now have a week off before finishing up their MIL schedule at home against Hana High School on Oct. 16-17.

Bank Shot

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

don’t have that experience,” Molokai head coach David Kalani said.

Kalani also lost an assistant coach this season due to budget cuts and now runs the team completely on his own.

“It’s hard,” he said. “On the first day I had 30 kids. Sometimes you have some kids that don’t learn as fast, but you don’t get the opportunity to give them the extra attention that they need.”

In addition to coaching, Kalani also takes care of and repairs all the equipment himself. Without resources to travel, money for new or improved equipment is out of the question.

“It hurts the team,” Kalani said. “We’re shooting slingshots while they shoot M-1’s. From the beginning, we didn’t have much money to invest, but we carry on with what we’ve got.”

A Common Problem
The air riflery team is not alone. This summer, the state slashed the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) budget from $6.7 million to $4.3 million. Neighbor island schools like Molokai took the hardest hit because so much of their budget is dedicated to travel.

“The bottom line is we don’t have enough money,” Molokai Athletic Director Camie Kimball said. She said that last year she spent $97,000 in travel costs alone for her teams. Her current total budget is $55,000.

Kimball has had to make a slew of tough decisions this year in order to keep the high school teams afloat. Every team at Molokai High has been forced to reduce its traveling roster. Teams that do not compete in head-to-head contests, like the air riflery, cross country and swim teams, are limited to three trips per year. Kimball also had to get all of her coaches to sign off on an agreement which cuts 25 percent of their paychecks. A few coaches were lost altogether.

“We know most of our coaches do it because they love the sport, so we asked if they would be willing to lose some of the money,” Kimball said.

For most coaches, the smaller paycheck is the least of their worries. Molokai’s highly competitive basketball and volleyball teams are only able to pay for 10 of their players to travel to away games, as opposed to the normal 12-person team. The teams are also forced to fund any preseason tournaments or trips completely on their own.

Kimball said she was happy that so far she has not had to completely cut any of the school’s programs.

“I know we have some sports that are more active than others. But, you know, if you have kids that want to swim, then you give them the opportunity to swim,” she said.

However, if money to travel dries up, some programs will have to be cut. Kimball did not want to think about what would happen then.

“We don’t have malls to go to; we don’t have movies to go to. Sports is basically the way we keep kids out of trouble,” she said.

Kimball also said sports help student-athletes to learn lessons about responsibility and commitment they might not get elsewhere. Minimum GPA requirements for the student-athletes are the only reason many of these students keep their grades up, Kimball said.

The Common Solution
As it so often happens in Hawaii, private citizens across the state have stepped up to help bridge the gap for high school sports. The “Save Our Sports” initiative organized by the Honolulu Advertiser has already raised over $800,000 for the athletic budget statewide. The drive, which will end next month, set a goal of $1.2 million – half of the money originally cut from the budget.

But Kimball said she has not seen any of that money yet. A small school like Molokai is not likely to see much of that money. But the Farmers have received a lot of help from donors around the state. HHSAA Chairman Keith Amemiya personally donated $15,000 of his own money to Molokai High School. Kimball said she has received gifts from many community members and businesses.

Each team also holds individual fundraisers to help meet their own needs. The girls’ volleyball team has held an alumni tournament and sells t-shirts to pick up the slack. The cross country team ran a concession stand at the recent Pailolo Challenge.

“Everybody does their own things to help out,” Kimball said. But there is still a huge need. “Any donations, small or large, that people could make would be much appreciated.”

Kimball said anyone interested in helping to save Molokai’s sports could donate to the high school directly or to a group called Friends of Molokai High and Middle Schools Foundation. The foundation, which Kimball helped to start, cuts through a lot of red tape and still gives donors the ability to choose where there money will be spent. They will be holding a fundraiser called “A Hundred for a Hundred” throughout the month of November to help close the gap.

Molokai’s athletes have always provided the island with a great source of entertainment and pride, now they need help to keep that tradition alive.  

Farmers plow through Maui to stay unbeaten

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

was even above and beyond what they will see in a tournament.”

Helm said the team looked overanxious at first and took the first two sets to settle into their game. Molokai came from behind to pull off a win in the opening set with three straight points to clinch the win. The Spartans took the second set before the Farmers bore down to take the match.

Much like the first time they met, Seabury was initially able to slow down the game and force Molokai to make a lot of errors. The Farmers made 42 unforced errors in the first meeting and 60 this time around.

“We unfortunately got sucked into their game early on more of a slow tempo. Once they got into the flow they were able to settle down and play our type of game,” Helm said.

Junior Kalei Adolpho led the way with 15 kills and four blocks. She also opened up opportunities for teammates when Seabury started keying on her. Sophomore Kalei Vaivai and Kailana Ritte-Camara each picked up eight kills apiece. Helm said junior Dohna Bicoy, who hasn’t seen a lot of action this season, also had a huge game in the backcourt for the Farmers.

“This is the type of game where your leaders really step up and everyone else jumps on and follows,” he said.

The loss dropped second place Seabury to 8-2 on the season with their only two losses coming at the hands of the Farmers.

Although it did not count towards either team’s record, the biggest game of the weekend came on Sunday. Molokai squared off against Kamehameha Maui – the only other undefeated team in the MIL. Kamehameha entered the contest with an 8-0 record and ranked No. 10 in the state. But, Molokai got the best of them in a best-of-three match.

“In all honesty we knew we could compete with them. We feel that we’re a pretty good team,” Helm said. “We just wanted to see where we match up with a powerhouse like Kamehameha.”

Molokai is now only four games away from achieving their goal of a perfect season. The Farmers will be back at home this weekend to host St. Anthony. The Trojans (3-6) are currently fifth in MIL’s Div. II. The games will be held Friday night a 7 p.m. and Saturday at noon, both at The Barn.