During his days as a standout running back at Kamehameha, things just didn’t seem to work out for Ina Teofilo when it came to all-conference recognition.
No matter, Teofilo continued to give it the college try at Pacific University in Oregon and he was finally rewarded for his efforts. Now a middle linebacker, Teofilo was named second-team all-Northwest Conference earlier this month after getting in on a team-leading 41 tackles, two for a loss, during his senior season for the Boxers, who finished 4-4.
The 2014 Kamehameha graduate made 10 tackles and intercepted a pass Oct. 7 to help the Division III Pacific beat Pacific Lutheran 24-20.
In nine games as a junior, Teofilo was credited 43 tackles, five for loss.
As a senior at Kamehameha, Teofilo made honorable mention all-BIIF, and some felt he was snubbed as a junior when he didn’t grab any of the four all-league running back slots available.
• Georgia Tech senior Shaun Kagawa, Teofilo’s former high school teammate with the Warriors, will play his final home game Saturday when the Yellow Jackets host No. 7 Georgia in their annual rivalry game.
Kagawa, a defensive back, has played in all 10 games this season, making eight tackles, and 46 in his career.
Kamehameha has a BIIF-best four players on Football Bowl Subdivision rosters this season:
SMU sophomore defensive lineman Pono Davis has played in each game this season and has 22 tackles and a sack entering the Mustangs’ regular-season finale Saturday at home against Tulane.
After making a tackle Nov. 11 at Navy, Davis was lauded on the national-TV broadcast for his “wild hair” and for playing “bigger than he is” as a “legit nose tackle-type;”
Pono’s brother, TCU senior fullback Paka Davis, didn’t play Friday as the the No. 12 Horned Frogs ripped Baylor 45-22 to secure a spot in the Big 12 championship game;
Oregon State sophomore lineman Russel Montibon is in his first season with the Beavers.
• Kansas senior defensive lineman Isi Holani, a Hilo High graduate, has played in two games this season as the Jayhawks play their final game of the season Saturday at No. 18 Oklahoma State.
Basketball
Konawaena graduate Chanelle Molina started Friday for Washington State but only played 14 minutes, scoring two points, as the Cougars lost 82-45 to No. 17 South Florida at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.
Working her way back from a knee injury that prematurely ended her promising freshman season, the sophomore guard is averaging 7.4 points in five games (22 minutes per) for the Cougars (1-4).
Freshman Celena Molina has yet to play for the Washington State.
• Honokaa graduate Kizzah Maltezo is averaging 9.3 points per game for Division II Concordia (Ore.), which is poised to start Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a 4-2 record.
Maltezo’s best effort of the season so far came in the opener Nov. 10 against Cal State Monterey Bay. The sophomore guard scored 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3 of 3 on 3-pointers.
Water polo
Getting a goal from Waiakea graduate Kelee Shimizu, Santa Barbara City College beat Siera 8-6 on Nov. 18 to win its first California Community College Athletic Association women’s water polo championship.
Shimizu, a freshman attacker, played in all 34 games on the season for the Vaqueros (31-3), scoring 11 goals with 14 assists in 14 starts.
Cross-country
Former Kealakehe runner Keili Dorn, a junior at Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), placed 45th at the NAIA cross-country championships Nov. 18, finishing the 5K in 18 minutes, 28 seconds in what was her third national meet.