Moanalua quarterback Micah Kaneshiro completed 29 of his 48 passes for a career-high 417 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions against Kaimuki. Joshua Lopez | Mililani HS

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091713_081013__MG_6586.jpg - Joshua Lopez | Mililani HS

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Male Athlete of the Week: Micah Kaneshiro, Moanalua football

For Micah Kaneshiro, practice makes perfect.

The Moanalua senior quarterback parlayed a week of great practices into a great game Saturday in a 40-13 win over Kaimuki. Kaneshiro completed 29 of his 48 passes for a career-high 417 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions at Kaiser Stadium.

"I thought it was amazing," said Na Menehune coach Arnold Martinez, who noted his team racked up nearly 200 yards of penalty yardage. "It got pretty frustrating for everybody, but all things considered, he did pretty good."

Martinez said he had an inclination that Kaneshiro was due for a breakthrough game after a solid week of practice.

"He had a great week of practice. I kind of had a feeling that his timing would be exceptional and it really turned out that way," Martinez said. "His delivery, his mechanics were smooth. He had great touch on the ball when he needed touch and great spin on the ball when he had to zip it in there. There was a four-day stretch where the ball was really coming out nice and on time, but you never know how if it will translate to the game. He looked comfortable and confident in practice and he played that way."

Kaneshiro, who stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 170 pounds, benefitted from three 100-yard receivers in Chad Aragon (11 catches, 177 yards), Jason Sharsh (4 catches, 114 yards) and Donald Lambert (7 catches, 103 yards) against Kaimuki. He connected with Lambert on three touchdown passes, Aragon two and Sharsh one.

"The boys were talking about that on the bus ride back and that's pretty dang good - I'm happy for them, they all look good," Martinez said. "When I say Micah had a good week of practice that means they have, too. Those receivers worked hard and Micah will be the first to tell you it's not just him - it's a combination of those guys working together and building a cohesion."

Through the first six games this season, Kaneshiro has completed 55.2 percent (143 of 259) of his passes for 1,654 yards - which leads all Division I quarterbacks. He has thrown 17 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Saturday's win over the Bulldogs was the first time Kaneshiro was not intercepted in a game this year.

"He doesn't say much, you know, he's a real soft-spoken kid, but you can tell he's disappointed when he feels like he let the team down," Marinez said. "He's kind of a low-key guy with that stuff, which is good, because you want guys to have short memory when they do throw those picks."

Kaneshiro's previous game-high was 295 passing yards in a loss at Waianae earlier this season. He matched the mark of six touchdown passes he threw in a win over Kailua more than two weeks ago.

"No question, it's a good feeling for him and for the offense that he is on that trajectory and showing progression each week and every day in practice - I think the kids notice it and the coaches notice," said Martinez, whose team hosts Farrington Friday on Homecoming night. "This is where we want to be going into a big game like this. It's a good thing to get a confidence-booster going into this game like this. We feel good about where he his, but he knows that he can continue to improve, too."

Kickoff between the Govs and Na Menehune is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised live statewide on OC16.


Female Athlete of the Week: Mary Eccles, Leilehua girls cross country

One could call Mary Eccles the ultimate team player. The irony, of course, is that the Leilehua senior is a cross country runner - perhaps the most solitary of sports.

Eccles is an impressive student-athlete, to say the least. She maintains a 4.0 grade point average, is a team captain of the Mules' girls cross country team and is an inspiration to not just her teammates, but coaches alike.

"I've never ever seen someone with the spirit and dedication that she has," Leilehua first-year girls' coach Erin Yonamine said. "I've never heard her say that 'I want to win this.' She's always saying to her teammates 'We can do this,' and the team totally has respect for her because of her work ethic. She's very inspirational to them and she's a perfect example of leading by example."

Saturday, Eccles' work ethic paid off with medalist honors at an Oahu Interscholastic Association preseason race at Kailua. Eccles completed the three-mile course in a time of 20 minutes and 43 seconds.

"It was a little bit confusing, because I'm not used to being in front, but it was enjoyable," said a humble Eccles, who was quick to deflect the attention to her teammates. "I'm proud of all my girls, they all did really well. We had a couple of (personal records) and it's really exciting, as a captain, to see that."

Another one of Eccles' coaches, James Cabralda, said he's hardly surprised by her early success this season.

"The two meets before this one she came in third, so I know she was pretty excited about getting first and reaping the fruits of her labor," said Cabralda, who along with Yonamine agreed to coach the team after it was still without a coach when the school year started in late July. "As first-year coaches, we lean on her to help us a lot."

Eccles placed eighth at the OIA championships as a junior to help her team to a co-team title (shared with Roosevelt) and their second straight league crown. She was named to the All-OIA Western Division All-Star Team each of the past two years.

Yonamine says Eccles' best quality is her resilience and mental toughness.

"She's given a goal and she will do everything to achieve that goal, she strives for perfection," Yonamine said. "I pulled her aside and asked her what keeps you going when you're on your 12th mile and your other teammates are dying - what is going through your mind? - and I thought she would say something like I can't stop or I just have to keep going, but she said 'I'm running for my teammates. I need to get stronger for my team.'"

For Eccles, her demeanor at practice is much like her perspective on life.

"I've had some really great captains in the past to look up to and I've learned a lot from them," Eccles said. "It's just really important to stay confident and stay positive in front of all your runners and, of course, just to keep that good outlook on life - if you're positive, you'll achieve a whole lot more and it'll mean a whole lot more to you."

Both of her coaches have grown to admire Eccles for her competitiveness and compassion.

"Her spirit and her resilience is very strong," Yonamine said. "Every practice, she is the one that calls the team together, huddles them up, tells them what to focus on - the task at hand - she gives them some motivational words and then she'll turn over to us and say 'Coaches, do you want to add anything?' and it's like 'No, you did it all, you're awesome!'"

Cabralda, who like Yonamine is also a teacher at Leilehua, says he expects good things to come for Eccles in the future.

"Sometimes you wonder about a kid and how they will do after high school, but I have no worries about Mary that she will be successful," Cabralda said. "It shows in her work ethic, it shows in practice and it shows in her school work."

Eccles and the Mules return to competition Saturday at the Iolani Cross Country Invitational at Kualoa Ranch. Races start at 2 p.m.


AIR RIFLERY

Kayla Hooker, Kailua - Shot a high-score of 513.07 in win over Kahuku

Matthew Pak, Moanalua - Shot a high-score of 510 in win over Roosevelt

BOWLING

Jaren Apana, Moanalua - Bowled a high-game of 222 and a three-game series of 588 in an OIA Eastern Division tournament

Austin Finster, Leilehua - Bowled a high-game of 269 in an OIA Western Division tournament

Haunani Inouye, Kalani - Bowled a three-game series of 522 in an OIA Eastern Division tournament

Jennifer Lee, Castle - Bowled a high-game of 211 and a three-game series of 518 in an OIA Eastern Division tournament

Chelsi Morishige, Pearl City - Bowled a high-game of 235 and a three-game series of 632 in an OIA Western Division tournament

Matther Perry, Kapolei - Bowled a high-game of 258 and a three-game series of 721 in an OIA Western Division tournament

CROSS COUNTRY

Makai Clemons, Kalaheo - Won an OIA preseason boys race at Pearl City in a time of 15 minutes and 45 seconds

Toshiro Kosins, Kalani - Won an OIA preseason boys race at Kailua in a time of 16 minutes and 24 seconds

Vanessa Roybal, Mililani - Won an OIA preseason girls race at Pearl City in a time of 19 minutes and six seconds

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Amnesty Dawson, Iolani - Had seven kills, one ace and a block in a three-set loss to Punahou

Remo Gaogao, Punahou - Had seven kills and three blocks in three-set win over Iolani

McKenna Granato, Punahou - Had a match-high 16 kills in a three-set win over Iolani

FOOTBALL

Akio Abdul-Adal, Kalani - Scored on an 80-yard interception return in win over Roosevelt

Reno Abero, Pearl City - Ran seven times for 134 yards and a touchdown in win over Anuenue

Dustin Albarado, Roosevelt - Scored on a 54-yard interception return in loss to Kalani

Kelson Andrade, Kauai - Passed for 108 yards with two touchdowns and ran in another score in win over Waimea

Chad Aragon, Moanalua - Caught 11 passes for 177 yards with two touchdowns in win over Kaimuki

Manaia Atuaia, Kahuku - Scored on a 35-yard punt return in win over Castle

Sione Atuekaho, Hilo - Passed for 120 yards and three touchdowns in won over Honokaa

Edwin Aumua, Damien - Rushed 16 times for 83 yards and three touchdowns in win over Saint Francis

Kainoa Brown, Kapolei - Ran for two touchdowns in win over Leilehua

Noah Brum, Kalani - Completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 431 yards with six touchdowns and one interception in win over Roosevelt

Kea Cambra, Campbell - Scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone in win over Waianae

Tristan Centeio, Kapolei - Scored on a 2-yard interception return in win over Leilehua

Syles Choy, Damien - Passed for 191 yards with two touchdowns and rushed seven times for 43 yards in win over Saint Francis

Justin Dupio, Pearl City - Ran for two touchdowns in win over Anuenue

Koa Ellis, Hawaii Prep - Completed 10 of 16 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns in win over Waiakea

John Farley, Kahuku - Intercepted a pair of passes in win over Castle

Makoa Filikitonga, Lahainaluna - Ran for 150 yards and a touchdown in win over Baldwin

Filou Fisiiahi, Kaiser - Ran for two touchdowns in win over Nanakuli

Absolom Henry, Radford - Caught two touchdown passes in win over Waialua

Brandon Howes, Konawaena - Completed 10 of 16 pass attempts for 245 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and also rushed 10 times for 55 yards and a touchdown in win over Keaau

Cameron Howes, Konawaena - Caught three passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns in win over Keaau

Keola Himan, Campbell - Caught three passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns in win over Waianae

Makaio Hopeau-Lampitoc, Kaiser - Scored on a 10-yard interception return in win over Nanakuli

Isi Holani, Hilo - Recorded three sacks in win over Honokaa

Isaac Hurd, Campbell - Passed for 282 yards with two touchdowns and ran in two other touchdowns in win over Waianae

Alapaki Iaea, Kamehameha-Hawaii - Caught eight passes for 153 yards in win over Kealakehe

Travis Joe, Pearl City - Ran for two touchdowns in win over Anuenue

Anthony Johnson, Leilehua - Scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone in loss to Kapolei

Kainoa Kahilihia Jr., Pearl City - Scored on a 65-yard fumble return in win over Anuenue

Micah Kanehailua, Kamehameha-Hawaii - Completed 16 of 27 pass attempts for 202 yards and four touchdowns in win over Kealakehe

Kahoalii Karratti, Kaiser - Completed eight of 10 pass attempts for 151 yards and two touchdowns in win over Nanakuli

Canton Kaumatule, Punahou - Recorded two sacks in win over Kamehameha

Donavan Kelley, Hilo - Ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in win over Honokaa

Drew Kobayashi, Saint Louis - Caught three passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in win over Iolani

Ryder Kuhns, Saint Louis - Completed 13 of 17 pass attempts for 257 yards and two touchdowns in win over Iolani

Donald Lambert, Moanalua - Caught seven passes for 103 yards with three touchdowns in win over Kaimuki

Izaiah Lavatai, Radford - Scored on a 98-yard interception return in win over Waialua

Sanele Lavatai, Farrington - Ran for two touchdowns in win over McKinley

Stephen Lee, Castle - Passed for 148 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Kahuku

Thomas Leong, Kaiser - Ran for two touchdowns, caught another and scored on an 87-yard kickoff return in win over Nanakuli

Polikapo Liua Jr., Kahuku - Ran for three touchdowns and recovered an onside kick in win over Castle

Cody Lui-Yuen, Radford - Completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 318 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in win over Waialua

Bobby Lum, Hawaii Prep - Ran 27 times for 189 yards and two touchdowns in win over Waiakea

Ranan Mamiya, Saint Francis - Ran 26 times for 128 yards and a touchdown in loss to Damien

Blaise Manabe, Kalani - Caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns in win over Roosevelt

Jacob McEnroe, Farrington - Scored on a 32-yard interception return in win over McKinley

Kai Mercado-Aiona, Waipahu - Passed for 127 yards with a touchdown and rushed for another 102 yards and a score in win over Aiea.

Maake Muti, Leilehua - Recorded a game-high 13 tackles, including two sacks, and forced two fumbles in loss to Kapolei

Jonathan Nagaseu, Waipahu - Recorded a game-high 12 tackles and recovered a fumble in win over Aiea

Kahi Neves, Kaiser - Threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score in win over Nanakuli

Pookela Noa-Nakamoto, Waianae - Caught five passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Campbell

Adam Noga, Saint Louis - Ran 16 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns in win over Iolani

Jameson Pasigan, Radford - Caught four passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in win over Waialua

Tristan Pebria, Kapolei - Rushed 23 times for 99 yards with a touchdown and caught a 12-yard pass in win over Leilehua

Tobias Powell, Radford - Rushed eight times for 90 yards and two touchdowns in win over Waialua

Devin Preston, Waiakea - Ran 19 times for 103 yards and a touchdown in loss to Hawaii Prep

Mana Reis, Kapolei - Ran nine times for 104 yards and three touchdowns in win over Leilehua

Jared Rocha-Islas, Lahainaluna - Ran for 156 yards in win over Baldwin and a touchdown in win over Baldwin

Jason Sharsh, Moanalua - Caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in win over Kaimuki

Tristin Spikes, Hilo - Ran in a pair of touchdowns in win over Honokaa

Chase Takaki, Konawaena - Caught four passes for 132 yards with two touchdowns in win over Keaau

Wayne Taulapapa, Punahou - Ran for two touchdowns in win over Kamehameha

Elijah Tausaga, Aiea - Passed for 168 yards with a score and rushed 15 times for 52 more yards and another touchdown in loss to Waipahu

Chazz Troutman, Nanakuli - Ran 11 times for 101 yards with a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass in loss to Kaiser

Larry Tuileta, Punahou - Completed 16 of 30 pass attempts for 206 yards and a touchdown

Logan Uyetake, Kamehameha-Hawaii - Caught three touchdown passes in win over Kealakehe

Torenzo Vereen, Leilehua - Made 10 tackles, including two sacks, in loss to Kapolei

Salanoa Wily, Kahuku - Ran for a touchdown and had two sacks in win over Castle

Trevor Yamashita, Kalani - Caught five passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns in win over Roosevelt