When first-year Kealakehe coach Ivan Louis first saw Seannacy McNeill wrestle, his talent stood out right away.
What Louis tried to instill in McNeill was patience, and it’s a trait the senior had to rely on time and again in the BIIF.
How dominant was McNeill?
“We had to change it up,” Louis said. “We asked him not to pin kids so he could get his work in.”
McNeill faced no such restrictions last Saturday at the BIIF championships at Hilo High. He pinned Waiakea’s David Diaz to claim the 132-pound title, and the Waveriders threw their weight around in the heavier divisions, getting titles from Keoni Miles, Pulama Louis and Aaron Arellano to unseat the four-time champion Warriors for their first boys title since 2010.
“I saw a little disorganization,” Louis said of when he first took over. “Discipline was the No. 1 goal for me. We wanted them to have pride in their school.”
Numbers were never a problem.
Kealakehe filled all 14 weight classes at BIIFs, and 10 Waveriders advanced to the HHSAA tournament, set for March 6-7 in Honolulu.
Not surprisingly, Louis said McNeill would lead the way.
“We just wanted him to control his emotions as a senior,” Louis said.
Like McNeill, Pulama Louis, the coach’s son, also capped an undefeated BIIF season with a first-round pin, besting Konawaena’s Joe Pacuyo for the 195 title. The younger Louis wrestled at Kamehameha as a freshman but sat out last season as he recovered from a knee injury.
After Louis wrestles at states for the second time in his career, his father said he’d move on to his true passion: baseball.
While Miles pinned Kamehameha’s Ethan James-Ramos in the 182 final, the Waveriders had to sweat out Arellano’s 3-2 victory against Kamehameha’s Joyden Madriaga at 220.
“Jordan came down from heavyweight and gave (Aaron) a very good match,” Louis said. “Aaron is easy to work with and accepts criticism.
“Keoni is a sophomore, but he put it all together this year.”
Four Waveriders earned silver.
At 106, Hilo’s Kumakani Lee Ubedei thwarted Elison Galanto’s repeat bid with a 5-2 victory, while Keaau’s Hoku Kahaakaulana earned his second consecutive crown at 160 with a 16-0 victory against the Waveriders’ Russell Transfiguracion.
With its wrestlers reaching the final in the six heaviest classes, Kealakehe won going away with 161 points. Waiakea’s Ben Camero (170) edged Ulu Obrey 3-1, and heavyweight Josiah Kea took Kamehameha’s Pono Davis to the second round before getting pinned.
“That’s the best (Josiah) has done against Pono all season,” Ivan Louis said. “It was Pono’s time. I just told Josiah to work hard and stay off your back.”
Waiakea edged Kamehameha 116-115 to take runner-up.
Waiakea’s Trysen Galigo pinned Hawaii Prep’s Tristen Kilkenny to claim the 138 weight class, and Kamehameha’s Trey Galigo made sure Waiakea’s Xylon Takata didn’t repeat at 126 with a 4-0 victory.
Hilo’s Shaedon Quevedo (113) and Keaau’s Reed Hayashikawa (152) successfully defended their titles. Quevedo pinned Waiakea’s Patrick Bayley in the first round, while Hayashikawa did the same to Kamehameha’s Brendon Figueroa.
The Vikings matched Kealakehe with four golds. Kolton Pang pinned Kamehameha’s Ka’au Estrella for the 120 title, and Kaleo Miyasaki downed Honokaa’s Payton Cawagas to rule 145.
The other Waveriders heading to states are Raulin Santiago (third, 113) and Brad Transfiguracion (third, 126).
“It’s a new adventure,” Ivan Louis said. “It told the kids no excuses. Just be intense.”
Team
1. Kealakehe, 161; 2. Waiakea, 116; 3. Kamehameha, 115; 4. Hilo, 98; 5. Keaau, 64.5; 6. Konawaena, 52; 7. Honokaa, 40; 8. HPA, 31; 9. Pahoa, 15
106 pounds
Final: Kumakani Lee Ubedei def. Elison Galanto (Kealakehe), 5-2
113
Final: Shaedon Quevedo (Hilo) pins Patrick Bayley (Waiakea), 1:31
Third place: 3. Raulin Santiago (Kealakehe) def. Ryuji Takaoka (HPA), 6-0
120
Final: Kolton Pang (Hilo) pins Ka’au Estrella (Kamehameha), 5:12
Third: Trenton Galigo (Waiakea) pins Edevin Feliciano (Kealakehe), 2:36
126
Final: Trey Galigo (Kamehameha) def. Xylon Takata (Waiakea), 4-0
Third: Brad Transfiguracion (Kealakehe) def. Shevan Fujisawa (Hilo), 14-6
132
Final: 1. Seannacy McNeill (Kealakehe) pins David Diaz (Waiakea), 1:54
Third: 3. Lihau Matsuoka (Konawaena) def. Izik Nakamasu (Hilo), 6-1
138
Final: Trysen Galigo (Waiakea) pins 3:16 Tristen Kilkenny (HPA), 3:16
Third: 3. Talan Nakamura (Kamehameha) def. Gabriel Hubbard (Konawaena), 14-5
145
Final: Kaleo Miyasaki (Hilo) def. Payton Cawagas (Honokaa), 9-0
Third: Haili Kapela (Konawaena) pins Peter Mina Ferreira (Pahoa), 3:31
152
Final: Reed Hayashikawa (Keaau) pins Brendon Figueroa (Kamehameha), 1:23
Third: Thomas Kahooilihala def. Cameron Fuhrer (Honokaa), 9-2
160
Final: Hoku Kahookaulana (Keaau) def. Russell Transfiguracion (Kealakehe), 16-0
Third: Caleb Caves (Waiakea) pins Tyler Boromeo (Pahoa), 2:16
170
Final: Ben Camero (Waiakea) def. Ulu Obrey (Kealakehe) 3-1
Third: Kawika Andrian (Keaau) pins Isaiah Kramer (HPA), 3:42
182
Final: Keoni Miles (Kealakehe) pins Ethan James-Ramos (Kamehameha), 1:46
Third: Wrendal Kiwaha (Konawaena) def. Kaeoliko Burley (Keaau) 8-6
195
Final: Pulama Louis (Kealakehe) pins Joe Pacuyo (Konawaena), 1:13
Third: Kekoa Pires (Kamehameha) pins Thierry DeVost (HPA), :17
220
Final: Aaron Arellano (Kealakehe) def. Joyden Madriaga (Kamehameha), 3-2
Third: Riley Rechiro (Honokaa) pins James Iaukea (Pahoa), :47
285
Final: Pono Davis (Kamehameha) pins Josiah Kia (Kealakehe), 2:54