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Caden Williams

Radford basketball  •   #4  G  Junior

Caden Williams was ready at the jump Friday night. 

Williams, a 6-foot-2 junior on the Radford boys basketball team, matched his career-high of 32 points scored – including 20 in the first quarter alone – to lead the Rams in a 53-35 win at Waianae.

"Caden can shoot 3s, he can hit the mid-range shot, but he likes to attack the basket a lot and he's got a knack for getting in the lane and getting by guys," Radford coach Travis Armstrong said of Williams, who is in his third varsity season and second as a starter. 

"I like to call him a little bit slimy because he can get to the rim and he just gets around guys pretty easily. Most of his buckets are on the inside just because, I don't know if it's confidence for him or what, but at this point he does like to take it to the basket and make the play driving to the basket," Armstrong added.

The Rams held a 30-7 lead on the Seariders after one quarter, but the pace of the game slowed down significantly after that. Armstrong's squad scored only 23 points over the final three quarters after Waianae made a change defensively. 

"They switched to a zone and it's crazy because (Williams) could have had easily 40 (points) except my guys didn't look for him," Armstrong lamented, "so we had a little bit of trouble making the right reads, but he was open a lot in the zone and we just decided not to go for him. He only missed three shots against Waianae."

Williams is primarily a shooting guard, but often slides over to the small forward and even power forward positions.

"He kind of plays everywhere. He's mostly a two-guard, but he's the second biggest kid on our team so he does play inside sometimes," Armstrong explained. 

Williams is averaging 19.8 points per game this season, including 18.3 per game in league play. He ranks among the top scorers in the Oahu Interscholastic Association and the state, but scoring is just part of Williams' skillset. 

"When he sets his mind to it, he can easily get double-digit rebounds, but sometimes he's gotta be reminded of that because we do have him on the outside. He also leads our team in blocks, he probably gets two to three steals a game on top of his blocks. He's up there in rebounding and he's third in assists," Armstrong said. 

Armstrong noted that Williams has worked to improve his passing out of the double team when defenders collapse on him in the paint. 

"It does open up shots and that's one thing I've been working with him to get better at, is when you do have more than one guy on you, hit the open guy and we've seen tremendous improvement especially in the last four, five games of him giving that extra pass to the guys," Armstrong said. 

Williams has also put in the work to improve in the classroom, noted Armstrong, a social studies teacher at Radford. 

"He's gotten better at keeping his body in control because he goes so hard to the basket and he also came out of his shell as far as just being a little bit more vocal – because he's a quiet guy – so he's improved in that area, but what I'm most proud of him for is he's got his GPA up above 3.0," Armstrong said. "It was a struggle the first couple of years, but he definitely dedicated himself more in the classroom than he had done previously."

As the player on the roster with the most experience, Armstrong often looks to Williams to provide leadership for the rest of his teammates. 

"Last we had another guy that kind of kept the team together although Caden was our leading scorer, but this year Caden is kind of our glue guy, our heart and soul and when he's not in the game we definitely have a hard time figuring out what's going on because he does so much – he plays defense, he blocks shots, he rebounds, he scores for us – he knows everything we do and how to run everything that we run," Armstrong said. 

Williams has scored in double digits in all five regular season games and in all but one of Radford's 14 contests this winter. He also scored 32 points in a 62-55 win over Aiea on Dec. 30. Williams has been a prolific scorer despite dealing with some nagging bumps and bruises all season. 

"He's definitely mentally tough. He's resilient, he plays with a lot of emotion, which sometimes can go a little bit too far, but he's definitely matured in that area where it hasn't affected him in games where it has in some of his younger years," Armstrong said. "He's a quieter kid, he's not quiet on the court, but he's a quieter kid and leadership-wise, he leads by example more by example than verbally. He's definitely a hard worker and the kids respect him for the work ethic he has."

To be sure, Williams has earned what he has achieved, Armstrong points out. 

"When you look for guys who you want on your team, you want guys who have a passion and a love for the game and don't' have an attitude problem and he shows up every day and he works and is coachable and I ride him hard, man, but he pushes through it and he's just a great kid to work with and he's a fun individual to be around," Armstrong said. 

After dropping its first two games in league play, Radford has won its last three and is currently tied for third place in the OIA Division I West standings. 

"They're starting to play a lot better together considering some of the adversity we've faced, but it's a hard working group of kids that give everything they've got for each other and I'm just proud of the way that they've come together and bonded as a team," Armstrong said. "Caden has definitely held us together; He plays a vital role and we don't get to where we're at without him."

Williams and the Rams (6-8 overall, 3-2 league) next play Tuesday night when they host Waialua at Jim Alegre Gymnasium, followed by a road game at Waipahu Thursday.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Trey Ambrozich, University Lab — Scored 21 points in a win over Punahou II 

Aukanaii Arcala, Castle — Scored 20 points in a loss to Kaimuki 

Anthony Bautista, Pearl City — Scored 17 points in a loss to Radford 

CJ Bostic, Kalaheo — Scored 25 points with seven assists, six rebounds and a steal in a win over Moanalua 

Levi Damo-Agcaoili, Damien — Scored 26 points in a win over Hawaii Baptist 

Preston Daquip, Waianae — Scored 17 points in a win over Waipahu 

Matthew Dobashi, Island School — Scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in a loss to Kapaa 

Ivan Domingo, Maui — Scored 37 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to Kekaulike 

Bromo Dorn, Seabury Hall — Scored 20 points in a win over Lanai 

Timothy Dorn, Mililani — Scored 20 points in a win over Aiea 

Garrett Hadley, Island School — Scored 20 points in a win over Waimea 

Lucas Hipa, Kamehameha II — Scored 18 points in a win over Iolani II 

Miles Hornage, Campbell — Scored 17 points in a win over Kapolei 

Aidan Johnson, Kapaa — Scored 22 points in a win over Island School 

Michael Joshua-Price, Saint Louis II — Scored 17 points in a win over Le Jardin 

Kache Kaio, Kahuku — Scored 18 points in a win over Castle 

Dylan Kuia, Baldwin — Scored 21 points in a win over Lahainaluna 

Ikena Leao, Hilo — Scored 21 points in a win over Waiakea 

Daysen Lupica, Kaimuki — Scored 20 points in a win over Castle and scored 17 points in a win over McKinley 

Todd McKinney, University Lab — Scored 18 points in a win over Punahou II

Ronin Naihe, Kahuku — Scored 22 points in a win over Castle 

Sebastian Peterson, Seabury Hall — Scored 17 points in a win over Lanai 

Maddox Pung, Kailua — Scored 17 points in a win over Kalani 

Shancin Revuelto, Saint Louis — Scored 18 points in a win over Iolani 

Joshua Schutter, Kalaheo — Scored 21 points with three assists, two rebounds and two steals in a win over Moanalua 

Eli Shibuya, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 21 points in a loss to Damien and scored 25 points in a loss to Saint Louis II 

Jackson Swirsky, Le Jardin — Scored 17 points in a loss to Saint Louis II 

Noah Takahata, Hanalani — Scored 25 points in a win over Iolani II and scored 21 points in a loss to Damien 

Jeremiah White, Kaimuki — Scored 23 points in a win over Castle and scored 20 points in a win over McKinley 

Kiai Yasso, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 35 points, including eight 3-pointers, in a win over Konawaena 

BOYS SOCCER

Zekiel Balmoja, Waialua — Scored four goals and assisted on another in a win over Nanakuli 

Gideon Gonda, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua 

Travis Goto, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae 

Dani Habiak, Hawaii Prep — Scored three goals in a win over Makua Lani 

Caleb Ishizaka, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Aiea 

Keoni Kalulu, Leilehua — Scored two goals in a win over Nanakuli 

Lucas Kay-Wong, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored three goals in a win over Keaau 

Cale MacMillan, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley 

Katie Oh, Pearl City — Scored four goals in a win over Waianae 

Skye Raymond, Hawaii Prep — Scored three goals in a win over Makua Lani 

Kekoa Tani, Castle — Assisted on three goals in a win over McKinley 

Barnabas Voros, Radford — Scored two goals in a loss to Kapolei

Ellana Klemp

Hanalani basketball  •   #33  F  Junior

Not long after the girls' prep basketball season came to a close last February, Hanalani coach Charles Hiers discussed the future with then-sophomore Ellana Klemp. 

It was during that not-so-lengthy conversation that Hiers made it clear to Klemp that the proverbial torch was being passed into her hands. 

"We had just took second in the state and were coming back from the Big Island and I wanted to keep it fresh in her mind that with summer coming up, I told her to ‘be ready for the school year because it's your team now,' " Hiers recalled. 

In the aftermath of a 54-37 loss to Kapaa in the Division II state championship game just one day prior, Hiers was already looking to the future. 

"We were graduating four seniors and I'm huge on leadership and everything falls and rises on leadership, so I wanted her to lead, I wanted her to have that comfortability that this is her team," Hiers affirmed. "I remember when I told her this flying back from Hilo and she put her book down that she was reading and she looked right at me and said, ‘I'll be ready.' "

Hiers was empowering the junior-to-be to take initiative and make it her own. 

"I wanted her to be vocal, to be an encourager, to be a builder-upper, and that it's OK to be firm and have the right reason to be firm and not be worried about stepping on toes, but just doing it correctly – that was my expectations of her," Hiers stated. 

Klemp did just that, working diligently over the summer and throughout the offseason to better herself, and in the process, her team. 

"She knew she was going to be the primary captain. Last year we had a senior that was the primary captain and she was the other captain, but she really just led by example. She was in the best shape I've seen her prior to her injury; She was laser focused," Hiers added. 

Early on in the lead up to this season, Klemp suffered a setback after a foot injury sidelined her for nearly the entirety of the preseason; She also missed the first five games of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season as a result. 

"I felt so bad for her because she works so hard and was in the best shape she's been in and then to have to sit out was tough, but again, part of that is the process of her growing too. You can learn a lot from watching the game and she needed to be a leader on the bench now for a little bit, that was also important," Hiers said. 

Despite Klemp's absence the Royals were able to win four of their five games without her. 

"We struggled early in the season just to score without her, not because we needed her to score, but just the confidence she brings to the other girls. There's a calmness that she brings to her teammates. We didn't need her to win the games that we won, but it was maybe harder than it needed to be. What I liked about the beginning part of the season – and we're still trying to figure it out how to win because there's a difference between winning a game and finishing off the better teams to win – so there's a beauty about it that the other girls had to play without her because she's one of our chief communicators and she leads with her voice and with her play," Hiers described. 

Klemp finally made her regular season debut last week, but was held to three points in limited minutes in a lopsided 47-19 loss to No. 6 Maryknoll. Two days later, however, she poured in a game-high 24 points to lead Hanalani to a much-needed 47-43 win over Damien. 

"Some nights we don't need her to score and she does other things, but against Damien we needed her to score," said Hiers, who was without two starters against the Monarchs. 

"It was really only her second game of the season so she had to get some of that rust off and everybody knows she can score, but she also rebounds, she can pass the ball – she does a little bit of everything for us and does it well all around; I'd call her one of my glue players," he added. 

Klemp also tallied nine rebounds and four steals in addition to a handful of assists. She made three of her five 3-point attempts that night. 

"Ultimately, her game is to shoot the ball. She's a flat out shooter, that's her gift. If there was a game on the line and I needed a free throw, it would be her, but I don't want that to overshadow the other things she can do as well. She can score if we need her to score, but she does all the little things well, which is important," Hiers said. 

He noted that Klemp has played on Team Aloha, a travel team made up of local players who are hand-picked by program organizer Mufi Hanneman. 

"Mufi calls her the female Larry Bird," Hiers chimed in. "In the past all I needed her to do was spot up and shoot and to play defense because I had others to do other things, but now she helps with the ball handling, too."

With one of his primary ball handlers out for the Damien game, Hiers put the ball in Klemp's hands, which helped the Royals erase a halftime deficit and outscore the Monarchs, 27-20, over the final two quarters. 

"She played a significant role in that. We made her our primary ball handler in the fourth quarter. Knowing that they're probably going to foul, we wanted her at the line because she's a high-percentage free-throw shooter. She's one that every offensive set, the ball needs to touch her hands. She doesn't have to score, but the ball needs to flow through her and we need to make sure we get her the touches because she's probably our best decision-maker as well," Hiers said. 

The win helped Hanalani keep pace with the leaders in the ILH Division II race. 

"That Damien game was obviously important. Every game is important, but just to stay in the seeding race is important and the girls have learned that we have to put in the work and stay focused from game to game because the strategy changes from game to game – it's not always the same. Damien is a good team, they've got some good players, for sure, and it was a battle and very close, but we were able to pull it out. It was a good win and we were thankful, but not satisfied because we know that we have to continue to improve," Hiers said. 

To be sure, Klemp has continually improved since her freshman year, when she averaged 11.2 points per game. She picked up Second Team All-ILH distinction and earned All-Hawaii Honorable Mention that year. Hanalani finished third in the state that season. The following year, it reached the state title game and Klemp represented Hanalani on the all-tournament team; The 5-foot-9 forward averaged 15.5 points per game as a sophomore and received both All-ILH and All-Hawaii first team honors. 

Klemp, who is involved with her school's National Honor Society and owns a 4.0 grade point average, was voted as a team captain by her peers prior to the start of the season. 

"She's one of a kind in the sense of just being super coachable and she's kind of that all-around package who just does what's needed. She's got a great spirit about her, she's a funny, happy-go-lucky, encouraging young lady who loves others, loves God, but she's a competitor and when we get on the court, she's coming focused. She works at her craft – you can't get where she's at without putting in the work," Hiers said. 

Klemp scored a team-high 10 points for Hanalani in a 49-37 loss to Maryknoll Monday. She and the Royals (5-3) continue league play against Damien Friday. 

GIRLS BASKEBTALL

Kalena Akinaka, Kekaulike — Scored 15 points in a win over Baldwin and scored 28 points in a loss to Maui 

Makenzie Alapai, Kamehameha — Scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in a win over Punahou 

Isabella Arrisgado, Maryknoll — Scored 17 points in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Aliyah Bantolina, Campbell — Scored 21 points in a win over Pearl City 

Kate-Lynn Calipano, Kekaulike — Scored 22 points in a win over Baldwin

Kaila Chun, Castle — Scored 15 points in a loss to Kaiser 

Kiana Cueto, Damien — Scored 17 points in a loss to Hanalani 

Kaiesha DeWeever, Pearl City — Scored 17 points in a loss to Campbell 

Lola Donez, Lahainaluna — Scored 39 points, including six 3-pointers, in a win over Baldwin 

Nihoa Dunn, Kamehameha — Scored 15 points in a win over Punahou 

Puaena Herrington, Waiakea — Scored 20 points in a win over Keaau 

Maela Honma, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 22 points in a win over Pahoa and scored 16 points in a win over Parker 

Kiani Hoolulu, Kailua — Scored 15 points with three rebounds, two steals and a block in a loss to Kahuku 

Leila Hooper-Phifer, Molokai — Scored 23 points in a win over Seabury Hall 

Haley Hosino, McKinley — Scored 19 points in a win over Farrington 

Keanu Huihui, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 23 points in a win over Pahoa and scored 32 points in a win over Parker 

Telia Iaeli, Honokaa — Scored 17 points in a win over Christian Liberty 

Chayley Jacobs, Kauai — Scored 18 points in a loss to Waimea 

Kristle Kagawa, Mid-Pacific — Scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Hawaii Baptist 

Makana Kamakeeaina, Kahuku — Scored 10 points with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a win over Kailua 

Justice Kekauoha, Iolani — Scored 15 points with six assists, one rebound and a steal in a win over Kamehameha 

Ruby Kofron, Seabury Hall — Scored 15 points in a win over Haleakala Waldorf

Brooke Kurasaki, Mililani — Scored 19 points in a win over Waianae 

Alexus Maae, Kaiser — Scored 20 points in a win over Castle 

Jolie Mantz, Waiakea — Scored 15 points in a win over Keaau 

Hailey Mata, Waimea — Scored 19 points in a win over Kauai 

Kailanu MacGuire, Molokai — Scored 18 points in a win over Seabury Hall 

Alexa Pascual, Lanai — Scored 15 points in a win over Hana 

Lyndee Sabas, Maui — Scored 21 points in a win over Kekaulike 

Talei Laury-Schaefer, Haleakala Waldorf — Scored 15 points in a loss to Seabury Hall 

Emma Mangalao, Sacred Hearts — Scored 24 points in a win over University Lab 

Heather Neumann, Baldwin — Scored 23 points in a loss to Kekaulike 

Brooke Samura, Hawaii Prep — Scored 34 points with 11 rebounds, nine steals, four assists and two blocks in a win over Kealakehe 

Keilani Stewart, Punahou — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha 

Jirah Villanueva, Radford — Scored 20 points in a win over Aiea and scored 20 points in a win over Waialua 

Posia Wily, Kahuku — Scored 16 points with 10 rebounds, six steals and five assists in a win over Kailua 

GIRLS SOCCER

Olivia Ellis, Baldwin — Scored two goals in a win over Kekaulike 

Atianna Tauiai Fuamatu-Maafala, Mililani — Scored four goals in a win over Radford 

Faith Hines, Kapolei — Scored three goals in a win over Radford 

Taja Kaaihue-Tollefson, Castle — Scored three goals and assisted on two others in a win over Kaimuki 

Mixtli Lindsey-Robles, Hawaii Prep — Scored three goals in a win over Honokaa 

Alexyz Nakamoto, Leilehua — Scored three goals and assisted on another in a win over Nanakuli 

Camrynn Nitta, PAC-5 — Scored four goals in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Laken Palmer, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Moanalua 

Rhacelyn Respicio, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Keaau 

Xehlia Salanoa, Punahou — Scored three goals in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Marisol Salas-Salem, Kapolei — Scored four goals in a win over Waialua 

Stecya Santos, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae 

Mia Shizumura, Kalani — Scored the lone goal in a win over Roosevelt 

Miyah Sister, Campbell — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea 

Caitlin Jane Ucol, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua