By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Unexpected presents are always nice, especially when it’s another title that continues a reign of dominance.
The No. 2 seed Waiakea boys defeated No. 1 Hilo to capture the BIIF team championship on Saturday at Konawaena’s Ellison Onizuka Gym, extending its streak to five years in a row.
The Vikings won back-to-back BIIF crowns in 2009 and ’10.
Keaau claimed the girls BIIF team title, taking down defending champion Hilo.
The BIIF individual championships will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Waiakea.
The Warriors walked into Onizuka Gym as an unlikely underdog, but with a long track record of finding a way to win.
“We were the No. 2 seed and didn’t have high hopes,” Waiakea coach Jason Tanaka said. “We had eight guys on our roster. Hilo had 10. So they all had to kind of step up. We’ve got a bunch of new kids and one of our rookies ended up beating Hilo’s Cody Minemoto.”
If there were an award for upset of the day, it would have gone to Waiakea senior Anthony Dollwet.
Last year, he played on a talent-packed Warrior volleyball team. But in his last year, he decided to try something different.
Dollwet, the rookie, won his 178-pound weight class with an ippon against Minemoto, an experienced judoka.
Last season, Minemoto was third at the BIIF championships in the most competitive weight class at 198.
Waiakea’s Kayed Rodrigues won gold and Keaau’s Haaheo Chan settled for silver. Both have graduated.
Rodrigues and Alan Ikehara, the 161-pound BIIF champ, were the inspirational leaders for the Warriors last year. Both are gone.
Dayton Towata has stepped up as a perfect replacement. At 145, he beat Hilo’s Kaleo Miyasaki in a match that went the whole four minutes.
Towata is the defending 132-pound BIIF champ, and jumped a weight.
He comes from a judo family, and got into club judo in the fourth grade. His grandfather James Shimazu and uncle Jason Shimazu are black belts.
As a sophomore, Towata was upset by Konawaena’s Shon Inouye, a long-time rival, at BIIFs. As a freshman, Towata won gold.
He’ll need to find a new rival because Inouye has graduated, but that’s the beauty of the BIIF individual championships, where grudge-match reunions are often common.
“Dayton is also the captain and he pushes his teammates to keep them on track,” Tanaka said. “He’s filled the shoes that Kayed and Alan left. He’s the same as before, hard working, a great student (nearly 4.0 grade-point average). He’s always humble, always helping the other kids get better. He’s a role model for the rest of the team, and sets the tone.”
If there’s a BIIF battle to watch it’s between Dollwet and Minemoto if they both reach the 178-pound championship.
“I know Cody doesn’t want to lose to him again,” Tanaka said. “Tony is strong. His technique is not perfect, but he’s a really hard worker, and willing to learn. He puts in the time. It’s only been 2½ months of judo practice on the mat, but he comes to practice determined.
“I noticed that about him the first day I met him. All he wants is to learn. He’s that type of kid. He reminds me of Alan, who was the same way.”
At 121, sophomore Kilar Fujimoto won by ippon against Hilo’s Cedric Sagucio at Onizuka Gym.
At 132, senior Xylon Takata defeated Hilo’s Dylan Galdones.
Junior Kellen Goya and senior Joshua Ohara, both at 132, didn’t compete at the BIIF team championships, but will be back in action for a shot at an individual medal.
At 161, senior Kaleb Caves beat Hilo’s Kamuela Mamone by a half-point on a throw with five seconds left.
At 198, senior Elias Yadao defeated Hilo’s Chris Kubota by ippon.
The BIIF team title is already in the history books for the Warriors, who can gear up for individual medals and a high seed for the HHSAA state meet.
“It’s going to be exciting with all our weight classes. We’re hoping to contend in every weight class, except for the top two heavyweights,” Tanaka said. “We’re covered for every class except the two heavyweights. We’re hoping to have a champion at every weight.”
