LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders faced its most important test to date Saturday night at the Kaua‘i High School gym.
Kapa‘a came back to take the first half away from the Red Raiders, and Kaua‘i had an opportunity to square things up in the standings once again.
Kapa‘a’s Lance Miyashiro has been there all season for the Warriors, and Saturday he put forth one of his best efforts to date with a game-high 21 points.
What is more impressive than the amount scored was the way he scored. Miyashiro has shown not only the ability to bang inside amongst bigger players, but also the touch to step out to the perimeter and knock down jump shots. He couples those attributes with superior ball-handling skills and supreme effort on defense, which pushed Kapa‘a to a 57-43 win over Kaua‘i and cemented Miyashiro as possibly the best player in the KIF.
The Warriors have shown they are not afraid to push the ball on the fast break, and Saturday it was the team’s ability to move the ball efficiently on those breaks which pushed Kapa‘a in the fourth quarter to outscore Kaua‘i 18-7.
At the end of three, Kaua‘i only trailed the Warriors 39-36. Almost right on cue, the Warriors went on a 6-0 run at the start of the final quarter and never looked back.
Kaua‘i’s Jessem Cumlat has been the Red Raiders’ most efficient scorer all season and got off to a hot start hitting two three-point balls in the first quarter. However, Cumlat rarely got other opportunities throughout the rest of the game and finished with 10 points, which included another three-ball after the game was already all but decided in the fourth.
A major bright sport for Kaua‘i was the play of Mikal Moranz, whose play has seemed to get better and better as the season has progressed.
Moranz finished with 16 points, with 12 of those coming in the second half. His play helped keep the Red Raiders in the game for three quarters.
Archie Valatini also got his first extended run of the season since coming off of injury, and he pitched in with 8 points and played solid inside.
Despite the effort from the Red Raiders, it is Kapa‘a’s scoring depth which proves to be a major asset for the Warriors. To go with Miyashiro’s consistency, every game it seems to be someone new coming up with a big game.
James Stevens stepped up to add 10 points this game, all of which came in the second half. Morean Clemente, who had not played until the fourth quarter, helped the Warriors run away with the game with 6 points in the final frame.
Brison Nacapuy and Matt Cummings both added 7 points.
The total team effort and the ability for different players to step up at different times has allowed Kapa‘a to win in different ways.
Miyashiro has done a fantastic job leading the team, but just as important is that his teammates follow, and thus far, it has proved to be a recipe for success.
