Camara’s Goal Lifts Lahainaluna over Kamehameha Maui, 1-0

Lahainaluna midfielder Noah Camara prepares to hit the game-winner against Kamehameha Maui Tuesday night at Lahainaluna Stadium. Photo by Glen Pascual.

By Rodney S. Yap

Lahainaluna High School’s Noah Camara couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first prep goal.

The 5-foot-3, 108-pound junior midfielder accounted for the only goal of the match Tuesday night, when his shot at the 54-minute mark ricocheted past Kamehameha Maui’s goal keeper and padded the Lunas’ lead in the Maui Interscholastic League boys standings.

The 1-0 win, before a home crowd at Lahainaluna Stadium, improved the Lunas’ record to 8-2-1, good for 25 points, four points better than second-place Baldwin (7-3). The two teams meet next Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Keopuolani Park. Lahainaluna, which caps its 14-game schedule with a double-header against winless Hana next weekend, has never won the MIL boys title or qualified for postseason play.

Third-place Maui High (6-2-2) trails Baldwin by one point, 20, and King Kekaulike (6-3-1) remain alive with 19 points. Kekaulike faces Baldwin on Saturday at 5 p.m. at War Memorial.

Meanwhile, in MIL girls soccer, Lahainaluna and Kamehameha Maui played to a 2-2 draw in Tuesday’s early match at Lahainalua Stadium. The match capped the MIL regular-season for both teams. The Warriors (10-2-2) have already locked up a state tournament berth next month by securing a second-place finish in the girls division behind league champion Baldwin (12-1). The Lady Lunas, who enjoyed goals by Casey Egan and Casey Vanderlaan on Tuesday, finished 5-6-3.

In canoe padding, Seabury Hall girls and mixed canoe-paddling crews clinched MIL titles by winning their respective races in regatta No. 3 last Saturday at Ka Lae Pohaku in Kihei.

Both crews remain unbeaten with two regattas left on the MIL schedule. A team’s top three finishes count toward the final standings.

On Saturday, the Spartans’ mixed crew of Mogul Lu’uwai, Alex Chappel, Kamaile Lee, Alden Simmer, Isabela Hamilton and Kaulu Lu’uwai won in 4 minutes, 6.27 seconds.

Lee, Hamilton and Kaulu Lu’uwai teamed with Ali Hoeck, Mikela McDaniel and Marina Sanchez to take first place in the girls race in 4:30.19. Kamehameha Maui was the runner-up in the girls race for a third consecutive week, with a time of 4:42.32.

The race of the day came in the varsity boys division, where the Maui High claimed the two opening regattas, but finished second to Baldwin on Saturday by 1.23 seconds. The Bears’ Xavier Leon, Justin Firmignac, Vetekina Malafu, Vili Tolutau, Kaimana Hookano and Jeffrey Tokanang won in 3:51.40.

The Baldwin boys were second in regatta No. 2 after failing to finish in the opener. The King Kekaulike boys, second in the season standings, placed fourth.

Baldwin was the mixed runner-up for a second straight time, in 4:11.87. The Bears and Warriors are tied for second in the season standings. Kamehameha’s mixed crew posted a second straight third-place finish on Saturday.

Ka Lae Pohaku is scheduled to host this Saturday’s regatta, with the league finale on Jan. 28 at Kahului Harbor.

In swimming, Seabury Hall’s Renny Richmond won a meet-high five individual events during the two-day MIL Invitational, held last Friday and Saturday at Kihei Aquatic Center.

Richmond won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:45.78, the 100 butterfly in 51.23 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.82. He followed that up with second-day titles in the 50 free (21.12) and 100 backstroke (53.91). Richmond also helped the Spartans win the team competition and a victory in the 400 free relay.

Baldwin’s Jonah Hu led the Bears to a first-place finish in the team competition Friday, with legs on two winning relays as well as placing first in the 50 free (23.13). On Saturday, Hu added individual titles in the 100 fly (54.92) and 100 breast (54.92).

The Bears claimed the girls team competition on the strength of Sheila Altura’s four individual victories — 200 individual medley, 100 free, 100 fly, 100 back — and part on three winning relay teams.

Also winning four individual events was Maui Prep’s Danielle Jefferies (100 fly; 50, 100 and 200 free).

MIL meets Nos. 4 and 5 are scheduled for Friday at Kihei Aquatic Center and Saturday at Kamehameha Maui Pool.

In wrestling, the Lahainaluna High School boys wrestling team won five of 14 divisions in last Saturday’s MIL round-robin tournament at the King Kekaulike gym.

B.J. Pagdilao-Bala (125 pounds), Nathan Inovejas (140), Giovani Perez (160), Justin Taylor (171) and Hercules Mataafa (215) were the Lunas’ winners. King Kekaulike’s three champions were Curtis Palmeira (130), Romeo Cabbat (135) and Austin Bloch (145).

Other winners were Molokai’s Jordan Gorospe (120) and Dhavin Spencer Basa (285), Maui High’s Gerald Dionio (114) and Totauhelotu Lotulelei (189), Baldwin’s Jahffrey Akina (108) and Kamehameha Maui’s Andrew Kahalewai (152).

The Bears had four winners in the girls division – Fallyn Young (125), Hailey Namauu (155), Courtney Taua (175) and Sydney Ibarra (220) — while the Lunas got wins from Kiana Yamat (120), Jina Miyamoto (130) and Caryl Jaramillo (140). Also winning were the Sabers’ Ann Marie Andres (103) and Ashley Bumatay (114), and the Farmers’ Kaila’oe Cabanting (108) and Mikayla Pico (98).

This Saturday’s meet is at Kamehameha Maui.