Mililani, Kapolei Favorites In OIA West

There are 11 teams playing boys soccer in the OIA West, and nine of them spent the season chasing Mililani and Kapolei. That was hardly a surprise, given recent history.

With the OIA tournament and the Division I state tournament approaching in coming days, a rematch between the two schools somewhere along the way is a strong possibility.

“It’s been pretty clear cut lately – us and Mililani, and then the rest,” said Kapolei coach Ryan Lau.

Mililani and Kapolei played to a scoreless tie Dec. 14 in an epic defensive battle. Both were 7-0-1 heading into the last weekend of the season and are in line to earn first-round byes for next week’s OIA tournament. Both have dominated the rest of the West in similar fashion.

Through eight games, Mililani had scored 36 goals, while Kapolei had tallied 35. Defensively, Mililani had given up only a single goal in that span, while Kapolei had yielded only four (three of which came in a win over Aiea).

The Trojans, who are the defending Division I state champions, have overwhelmed most of their opponents with their balance, as 13 different players have scored at least one goal this season, led by Ryan Carlomany (7), Preston Derige (6), Zachary Carvalho (4) and Liam Neill (4).

Mililani defeated Kapolei in last year’s OIA title game 2-1 after the teams had tied in their regular-season meeting. Kapolei had beaten Mililani in the 2010 OIA title game.

Pairings for the OIA tournament were to be revealed on Monday.

Waialua Girls Basket-ball Closes Out Comeback Season

Success wasn’t measured in just wins and losses for the Waialua girls basketball team. Although the Bulldogs entered the final week of the OIA’s regular season with only one win, the program was in only its first season back following a one-year hiatus.

The Bulldogs didn’t field a junior varsity team this year, but varsity head coach Mike Moon was able to carry a roster of 14 players in laying the foundation for the future. Waialua also saw a ray of light Dec. 22 when the Bulldogs’ hard work paid off in a riveting 39-33 road win at Pearl City. The team was led by Kamryn Lendio (14 points, four 3-pointers), Raydene Kobayashi-Kajiwara (10 points) and Dhyrille Moraleda (8 points).

The Bulldogs were still in the mix for the final Division II playoff spot in the OIA White heading into the final weekend of the regular season.