Kamehameha had already shattered Punahou’s aura of invincibility in girls water polo. On Tuesday night, it took the logical next step.
The Warriors, who earlier this spring dealt the Buffanblu their first losses in the sport in 16 years, beat the storied power for a third time, 7-4, for the overall 2023 Interscholastic League of Honolulu Championship.
When the final horn sounded at the Warriors’ pool, the Kamehameha side of the near-capacity crowd erupted, and players splashed around in jubilation and were quickly joined by teammates jumping in from the bench.
The Kamehameha baseball team lined the top balcony of the Warriors' pool complex and added to the cheers. Just a couple of hours earlier, those Warriors defeated Saint Louis for the school's first league title in 17 years.
It bears repeating: Punahou had been untouchable in the pool for 15 years, a run that spanned two canceled seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was electric,” said Warriors senior Kohia Rego, who scored both of her goals in the first quarter, after which point Kamehameha led 4-1. “The crowd makes it better. They make me want to play for them and I think my teammates can back me up on that.”
Leinaala Wong scored a hat trick, and Ava Gurney and Jordyn Nishimura added a score apiece for the Warriors. Goalkeeper Kahala Neumann was stalwart between the posts with some big deflections as Punahou was kept off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.
The last time Punahou did not win the ILH was in 2007 when Iolani won the league and went on to win states. Kamehameha – which for most of Punahou’s run of dominance fulfilled the role of the hard-luck runner-up – last won the ILH and its only state title in 2006.
Kamehameha earned the ILH’s seeded berth to the state tournament, which begins May 8. Punahou, led by the legendary Ken Smith, will still have a chance to defend its dynasty of 13 straight HHSAA championships, but will have to traverse the path that Kamehameha has typically occupied; it will not receive a bye and must beat three teams, not two, to reach the final, which has almost always been an all-ILH affair.
Kamehameha has always had a core of strong swimmers among its water polo players. This year was no different, with all six starters recently competing in events at the state swimming championship meet.
The difference this year, Warriors coach Anthony Cabrera said, was that there was particularly strong chemistry among a group of starters who played water polo together for five or six years. That included plenty of offseason work, including trips to compete on the mainland.
When the Warriors went to Punahou on March 4 and beat the Buffanblu 5-2, it represented a sea change in the pool.
“I think it set the pace for us for sure. It made us think that it’s possible, and that both teams are really balanced this year and anybody can come out with the win,” Rego said.
Kamehameha went on to win the ILH regular season but faltered in the last two meetings against Punahou, allowing the Buffanblu to take the ILH tournament title and setting up a winner-take-all match in the Warriors’ pool.
“I think we just played a little more confident than we have in the past two games,” Cabrera said. “Punahou’s really good, so we knew they were going to bring some different elements and we just tried to adjust as best we could. The girls put in the hard work and did a really good job.”
Kamehameha led 5-3 at halftime, and Punahou stayed within range going into the fourth down two.
But Wong ‘s third score came midway through the fourth quarter, effectively icing the contest.
“The girls and I, we worked really hard. I think one thing that worked really well is we had this concept of dominate, and then domination,” Rego said. “Finishing really at the end of the last quarters.”
Synnove Robinson led the Buffanblu with two goals, both coming in the first half.
Some more photos of the match:
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.