KAILUA-KONA — Much like the sport, what lies beneath may provide the most intense battles in the BIIF water polo season.
With five-time defending champion Kamehameha asserting its familiar dominance at the season-opening event at Kona Community Aquatic Center on Saturday, the rest of the league is part of a knock-down-drag-out battle for playoff seeding and a precious HHSAA state tournament berth.
The Warriors (1-0) clobbered Kealakehe 20-3 in their only matchup of the day. Senior Halia Nahale-a provided six goals for the Warriors, while Kaitlyn Kubo and Zoey Chang notched three apiece.
It is that kind of consistent dominance that the Warriors have displayed for the better part of a decade that has led to the widely accepted statement that it is a one-horse race for the top seed in the BIIF.
For the rest of the BIIF, Saturday was an early-season measuring stick for how they will survive the skirmish. Five of the six teams were represented, with HPA being the lone team yet to play a game.
“It’s a battle to stay in the top three,” Kealakehe head coach Derek Monell said, citing that a No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup in the BIIF playoffs means a matchup with Kamehameha in the first round. “We haven’t seen HPA, but I know they have four or five starters coming back and will probably have the most continuity coming into the season — outside of Kamehameha.”
Kealakehe played a much tighter game earlier in the day with rival Konawaena.
Down 5-8 entering the fourth quarter, the Waveriders stormed back to within a goal. Mikala Fernandez scored her fourth goal of the contest to give the Wildcats a two-goal cushion with 29 seconds left, but Kealakehe made it 9-8 with five ticks remaining.
Then the Waveriders pulled off an all-out attack hoping to send the game to overtime. However, after a short meeting, the referees nullified Kealakehe’s eighth goal, giving Konawaena a 9-7 victory.
Despite the slight controversy, the Waveriders took the loss well.
“It was quite the first game of the season,” Monell said with a chuckle.
Kealakehe, the BIIF-runner up last year, faces an uphill battle after the 0-2 start and the task of replacing its entire starting lineup.
“Fundamentals rule at this point,” Monell said. “Hopefully by the third weekend we will be trying to run plays and get beyond just basic water polo.”
Sarah Somsanguansit, the only returning player for the Waveriders, missed Saturday’s action because of a senior project.
“(Somsanguansit) will be our rock,” Monell said. “She will direct traffic and help the other girls out.”
A trio of talented freshmen in Skyler Hudson, Maiana Villegas and Hannah Tomlinson will help fill the void left by graduate Mehana Pilago (a league-high 57 goals last year). Hudson and Villegas are both surfers who can hold their own in the water. Tomlinson has a cannon for an arm and showed it off against Konawaena. She recorded a game-high five goals, and managed another against Kamehameha.
“Just from the first half to second half it was at least 50 percent better water polo,” Monell said. “They were getting hit. The only thing I ever get frustrated with is if they give up. I don’t care how much they know, I just never want them to give up.”
Konawaena came up just short of a state berth last season, but is already out to a solid start. After defeating the Waveriders, the Wildcats (2-0) beat Hilo 12-1 behind six goals from Fernandez, who tallied 10 for the day.
“The girls were playing very well today,” Konawaena head coach Michael Godden said. “Our main problem is not having a lot of depth. Even today we were a few girls short, so hopefully we can continue this when those girls get back.”
Fernandez was a standout on the Konawaena soccer team, and is not the only familiar face from the BIIF championship squad. Kaulana Ruedy, Chloe Delaney and Taiana Tolleson will also see time for the Wildcats.
Tolleson is one of the best soccer keepers in the state, and showed as strong a stopper in the pool. Against Hilo she turned away shot after shot, allowing only a lone goal from Kaylyn Ellis-Hookano.
“She carries her soccer experience into this game and she knows how to anticipate shots and get in front of them,” Godden said. “On top of that, she has a big arm and can throw the whole length of the pool. She is a big asset for us.”
Hilo went 0-2 on the day, with its second loss coming in a 15-8 defeat against Waiakea (1-0). Mary Economy scored seven times, and Kelee Shimizu added five goals for the Warriors.
