KALAHEO — Fireworks lit up the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center as the Papalina Orange launched five bombs from outside the three-point arc en route to its 55-12 opening night win over Island School Gold Monday. The game was one of three
KALAHEO — Fireworks lit up the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center as the Papalina Orange launched five bombs from outside the three-point arc en route to its 55-12 opening night win over Island School Gold Monday.
The game was one of three as the County of Kauai opened its Winter Basketball League for Division I players, or students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Papalina Orange, under the coaching of Clyde Vito and Sean Andrade, lost little time in putting distance between themselves and the Voyager Gold team. Pono Carvalho led the opening stanza with four of the team’s 11 points as the buzzer sounded on an 11-4 bulge. Carvalho finished with 10 points in the win.
David Sabo Jr. led Papalina Orange with 27 points, including a trey in the final ticks. Carvalho followed with 10 marks and Nate Herbig, launching two of the team’s five treys, added eight points.
Charles Wolfork, a social studies teacher at Island School, teamed with Corey Dobashi to lead the Island School Gold who got six points from Caleb Brown, the jersey with no number showing no fear as he matched up against a taller and bigger Sabo Jr. on defense.
“I’ve got to congratulate him on the play,” Wolfork said following the game. “They all need to play like that.”
The Voyager Gold team stood its ground until the final buzzer, Nate Sullivan getting a straight-up shot from the foul line as the seconds ticked down. Reagan Wilson found the net in the opening stanza and Luke Hunadi, using his height to move the ball up court, added a charity pair.
Papalina Basketball completed its sweep when the Papalina White, coached by Andrade and Vito, took a 21-17 win over Kauai Thunder Basketball, coached by Chad Plowman, behind seven points from Ty Tsukayama. Joshua Rego led the Kauai Thunder effort with four points.
Earlier in the evening, the Yung Ballers forfeited a match to Island School Blue.
The girls next take the court for its debut Thursday when the Kauai Lynx A meets the Kauai Ballers at 6 p.m. The Kauai Lynx B takes on the Aoaku Rebels at 7 p.m. and Kaulupono goes up against Westside in the 8 p.m. nightcap.
Games are six 6-minute periods, running clock and three games are on tap for the weekdays, and five games scheduled for Saturday starting at 9 a.m.
