OK, we’ve got the goods.
Bedrock Sports Hawaii — through its multi-media arm “97X, The Future of Rock and Roll” — has videos and photos of all 28 finals matches from the Texaco/HHSAA Wrestling State Championships on Saturday.
As an added bonus, we have video of Moanalua’s pre-tournament dance/warmup routine, STARRING Blaze Sumiye, who went on to become a two-time state champion and is expected to move up in the Bedrock final p4p rankings later this week. Sumiye began the season at No. 2 and dropped to No. 5 after moving up a weight class and suffering a loss. Right now, the senior is No. 4 and there is little doubt that he will climb either one, two or three notches.
And now that we’ve got your attention, we’ll start off with this clip from the movie “Rain Man,” which was the inspiration for the 97X name. The clip has been on the Bedrock home page footer since Day 1. “BAM!!”
And now (before the videos and photos), we bring you some more notebook-clearing stuff from the state tournament.
PASSING THE TORCH AT MILILANI
The Mililani Trojans were loaded in the girls lighter weight classes. Senior Erin Hikiji (No. 1 p4p) became a two-time state champ at 97 pounds and junior Tristan Nitta (No. 9 p4p) took three-time state placer Liana Ferreira of Baldwin (No. 3 p4p) to the 102 final before losing 3-2.
While the two were together during the awards ceremony, Hikiji was asked to talk about her teammate.
“Tristan. she’s so good,” Hikiji said. “I can’t wait to watch her next year,. She’ll win the state championship next year.”
It should also be noted that Hikiji was all smiles and there was a huge sense of relief after the grueling year. Usually when you see her in the gym, she is laser-focused and in a zone and appearing to be ready for war.
Hikiji also talked about another teammate — senior Jacinta Fonoti, who was No. 5 p4p early in the season but was unable to wrestle in the 184-pound class because of a shoulder injury.
“It sucks that Jacinta wasn’t able to wrestle with us,” Hikiji added. “I know everyone would have loved her to be on the mat with us.”
MORE MOTOWN MANIA
Moanalua made a huge splash at states with the boys and girls titles, and the accomplishment included the rise of two freshmen — Tyger Taam and Joseph Lathwood, who wrestled to state champi0nships and have a possible four-year slam to put in the work for.
Taam made quick work of three of his opponents — winning by fall in 0:21, 0:24 and 0:48 — and took another by 12-1 major decision. His win over Waianae’s Bransen Porter in 0:48 was the second fastest pin of the night.
Taam and Lathwood are in prime position to enter Bedrock’s Top 10 p4p final rankings.
“Lathwood is one of the most coachable wrestlers I’ve ever seen from Day 1 until today,” Misaki said. “He does everything the right way.”
Teammate Rachel Oshita, who is now a tw0-time state placer and No. 7 p4p, didn’t win a state title, but she made a big difference in the Motown wrestling room.
“Rachel is an all-timer at Moanalua,” Misaki said. “Just her energy in the room, the way she conducts herself and the positivity she brings to the whole team. She’s a big part of why the girls wrestled the way they wrestled (Saturday). I can’t say enough about Rachel.”
Sumiye had a king’s crown on his head during the awards ceremony.
And he had a lot to say about, well, everything.
On Lathwood, Sumiye said: “He keeps asking me questions, never stopping. Any time there’s an opportunity to work more, any tine that there’s an opportunity to get better, he’s always there. He’s always challenging me. He’s like, ‘OK let’s do one more sprint.’ Then I’ll tell him, let’s do two more. We’ll keep going until somebody breaks. You can’t beat that. That’s why his conditioning is so insane. He’s going to be something special. I love that kid.”
On teammate Karter Nitahara (No. 3 p4p), the 182-pound state champ: “So much props to that guy. I met him freshman year. He wasn’t a starter. He just came in and was getting bust up by everyone. Now he’s out there winning a state championship. That’s my dog. That’s my training partner.”
On college and the future: “I am going to the University of Providence in Montana and I am definitely going to coach some day. My main goal is to impact lives. That’s it. After COVID, I was a veteran involved in getting people to put in the work and trying to help build up the program we lost last year and teach the culture we have here.”
And a note from Na Menehune 117-pound state champ Isabelle Asuncion (No. 6 p4p) can go VERY FAR for anyone who listens:
“The best wrestler in the room is You. You’re the choice.”
PROPS TO LEILEHUA’S KHANSITH CHABTABOUASITH
All year long, Bedrock has been mentioning previous state placers, but somehow we missed Leilehua’s Khansith Chantabouasith, who is also known as Mikey.
It turns out that Chantabouasith placed fifth at states at 106 pounds in 2019 as a freshman.
This year as a senior, he won the OIA title and made it all the way to the 113-pound state final, where he lost by fall in 3:33 to Saint Louis’ Cyrus Bucsit (No. 7 p4p).
And now, the videos and photos (all still photos are by EJ ABRAMO PHOTOGRAPHY):
GIRLS 97
>> Erin Hikiji (Mililani) def. Angelina Godoy-Holt (Kapolei), fall, 2:31
GIRLS 102
GIRLS 107
GIRLS 112
GIRLS 117
GIRLS 122
GIRLS 127
GIRLS 132
GIRLS 138
GIRLS 145
GIRLS 155
GIRLS 168
GIRLS 184
GIRLS 225
BOYS 106
BOYS 113
BOYS 120
BOYS 126
BOYS 132
BOYS 138
BOYS 145
BOYS 152
BOYS 160
BOYS 170
BOYS 182
BOYS 195
BOYS 220
BOYS 285
MOANALUA’S DANCE/WARMUP ROUTINE
