Three Sport Roundup
Boys JV Soccer Goes Down 2-1 In Championship
by Al Linsky
The JV Raiders played this same team one week ago and went down 3-0. That set up a playoff between the two Punahou teams.
 Punahou Gold won the game which meant a rematch for the ILH Championship with the Raiders who had won the regular season, this time at the Punahou field.
This was a close game. From the opening gun to the final minute, field position was pretty equal as were quality shots.
'Iolani got on the board first, when at 20 minutes, Sean Fergusson launched a long hard shot from about 40 yards that went over the goalie. 1-0, Raiders.
Punahou answered quickly, though, with their own long shot from the corner that also went over the goalie at about 25 minutes. 1-1.
There would be no more scoring as the teams battled for possession.
With time running out, Punahou got in close and got off a hard shot. Goalie Kyle Kim got his hands on it and was able to deflect it but it went right to a Punahou attacker which made it 2-1, Punahou. The Raiders desperately tried to tie it but time ran out on a very good season.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
Second Race For Paddlers
by Coach Fuller
This past Saturday, 'Iolani's paddling crews competed in their second race of the season. The course was a little longer this week, running from the Ala Wai channel to Kewalo basin, up to Kaiser's and finishing inside Magic Island.
 Again, the paddlers were fortunate that the weather was sunny and the seas calm, although occasionally punctuated by distant whale spouts. It was a race for the crews to prove themselves after a tough week of finals and limited practices: they had to draw on experience and mental toughness.
The girls' divisions provided some excitement, with a very close finish to the varsity race. First through fourth places were less than a minute apart, and had quite a gap on the rest of the field. 'Iolani's Varsity I girls improved to third this week and are looking good to qualify for the state races. The Varsity II girls closed the gap between themselves and their competitors and continue to work very well together. The JV I team continues to gain experience, and fought valiantly this week.
In the boys' divisions, the Varsity I crew unfortunately hulied, but were able to get up and running in order to complete the race. The mixed crew competed well with a new combination of paddlers. In the JV divisions, the boys continued to paddle strongly, showing hope for the future.
 The next race will be split between the girls' event on Tuesday and the boys' and mixed event on Wednesday. Both will be held at Magic Island at 4:30 p.m. Come support your favorite paddlers!
For more photos, please see iolani-events.org.
Third Race For Paddlers
by Coach Fuller
On Tuesday the girls' paddling crews raced for the third time this season.
 Although the race was short, the windy conditions provided much more of a challenge, especially at the turn. Three other schools' canoes flipped in the swells, knocking them out of contention. 'Iolani's girls handled the challenge well.
Varsity I placed fourth, maintaining their position as a part of the lead pack. They are very well positioned to take part in the State races on February 29 at Ke'ehi Lagoon.
Varsity II found their inspiration this week, placing an impressive second; they were neck and neck with a tough St. Andrew's crew all the way to the finish buoy.
The JV I team, small but mighty, placed fifth. It was a good result considering the relative inexperience of this week's crew.
The boys' races will commence at 4:30 on Wednesday, and the girls will race again next Tuesday at 4:30.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
 
70-49 for Puns in Varsity Boys Basketball
by Al Linsky
This was the third time these two teams met.
 In the first game, which was pre-season, the Puns pulled off a last second victory.
In the second game, the Raiders, playing at home, pulled off their own last second victory.
Going into the game last night at a raucous and standing room only Hemmeter Fieldhouse, the last thing anyone expected was a blowout, from either team.
But, a blowout it was. The Buffanblu played superlatively. Whether it was Dalton Hilliard hitting threes, making steals or handing out great assists, or Kameron Steinhoff, Robert Toma, Manti Te'o or Trevor Crabb dishing out their own brand of excellence, the Puns got rolling early and kept it going.
It was 13-8, 36-21, 54-38 and 70-49 at the end of the quarters.
Manti Te'o led the Puns with 15, followed closely by Kameron Steinhoff with 14, Robert Toma 11, Trevor Crabb 9, Henry Cassiday 7, Dalton Hilliard 6, Kimo Makaula 6 and Sean McFadden 2.
Pablo Warner had a good shooting night for the Raiders with 27, while Taylor Mounts had 11. Trevyn Tylonghari had 4, Jarrett Arakawa had 3, while Berton Wong and Lionel Fujioka had 2.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
 
Girls Overwhelm Kamehameha, 54-28
by Al Linsky
I approached this game with some trepidation because of what happened a few nights before with the boys. The Kamehameha gym is very large with a lot of room behind the baskets. Because of this it feels a lot different when shooting and can sometimes throw off the outside shooting of a visiting team.
 As it turned out, my worries were unfounded, as everything was clicking for the Raiders.
The first time these teams met, the Raiders won 47-34, and I felt that it really wasn't as close as the score indicated.
This time, the Raiders went on a scoring spree from the opening gun and never looked back. It was 25-14 at the half, and 40-24 a little into the fourth quarter. In the last 6 and a half minutes, I expected the Warriors to at least attempt a comeback, but no, the Raiders pulled even further ahead to end it at 54-28.
A highlight was when there was less than one minute left, three players were put in who haven't seen a lot of playing time, Elysse Tom, Georgette Lopes-Liutolo and Shauni Watanabe. Together, with Lori Yamashita and Lahela Usui, they pulled off a nifty fast break with a strong finish by Georgette. Sweet!
A potential large negative occurred in the second half when Dayna Jandoc went down with a knee injury. Let's hope it's not serious.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
Girls JV Basketball Loses 32-27 to Punahou Blue
by Al Linsky
This game started out great as the Raiders were running, stealing and hitting their shots. Conversely, the Puns couldn't buy a basket as their shots would roll around the rim, even start down the basket before popping out.
 With 2:12 left in the first quarter it was 8-0 and 10-3 at the end of the quarter.
The Raiders were able to hold that seven point lead as it was 17-10 early in the second quarter.
The shots then started dropping for the Puns and the momentum switched. It was tied at 20 with 2:23 to go in the half. The Puns took the lead at 25-24 going into half time.
The Raiders kept battling, trying to regain the momentum, but the Puns held fast and slowly built their lead on the back of a few nice three point shots and steals.
At the end it was 32-27 for the Puns which ended the season for the JV Raiders.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
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