Judo
Terao looking to go out on top Saturday




This weekend has been a long time coming for Josh Terao.

The Mid-Pacific senior can become the first-ever four-time state champion in both judo and wrestling if he captures the 132-pound weight class at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Judo State Championships Saturday. Matches begin at 10:30 a.m. at Stan Sheriff Center.

"I've got mixed feelings going into this one," Terao said. "Part of it is I want to have fun in my last judo tournament of high school and the other half of me is wanting to get this done and finish the season out with a bang."

WHAT: Hawaii High School Athletic Association Judo State Championships

WHEN: Saturday

WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center

WHO: Top 16 individuals in 10 boys and girls weight classes

TIME: Weigh-ins 9 a.m., matches begin 10:30 a.m., finals approx. 4 p.m.

ADMISSION: Adults $9, seniors (62-and-over) and students (K-12) $5

PARKING: $6 (one-time entry)

As a freshman Terao won at 108 pounds before moving up to 132, where he has won the past two seasons. Terao would be the eighth judoka to win four times. He is the top seed in his weight class and can make history with four wins in as many bouts Saturday. He would be the second in his family to take home four judo state titles. Older brother, David, won from 2008 to 2011 and also took home a pair of wrestling crowns.

"It would be an unbelievable honor," Terao said, who will join his brother on the American University wrestling team next year. "Hopefully I'll get to join my brother this weekend with four state titles in judo. I look up to him, he's helped me a lot obviously, and he knows this is one of my goals, so hopefully this will be something that we'll be able to celebrate together."

Most expect Terao to complete his decorated prep on top this weekend.

"It'd be a real shocker if he doesn't," Iolani coach Dan Nishita said of Terao. "He's on a different level than a lot of his competitors. He has so much mat time and so many more hours of experience than the rest of the competitors and that gives him that much more of an advantage. The thing about him is he never takes anything for granted. He probably knows he's the best, but he doesn't let it get to his head or affect the way he prepares."

Kapolei coach Marc Narciso echoed Nishita's sentiment.

"He has good judo, he's strong, he's definitely in condition and he's on a mission to finish with his fourth title," Narciso said of Terao. "The chances that he loses are very slim. There are some quality players in that weight with him, but it's going to take a lot more than just your 'A-game' to beat him, you've got to outsmart him and if you do that, maybe you've got a chance, but I think his chances are very high to make it a four-peat."

According to Moanalua coach, Brandon Maki, Terao has the complete package to finish as one of the best in state judo history.

"I think it's his competitiveness, his tenacity, his instinct to attack, and just knowing how to win, whether it's in wrestling or in judo," Maki said.

Two other returning state champions will be looking to add to their hardware collection Saturday. Iolani's Jordan Ng won at 108 pounds the last two years and moved up this season to 114, where he is the No. 2 seed behind Campbell's Micah Platt. Kapolei's Kekua Marumoto claimed the 145 title in 2013, but is seeded fourth at 161 this week.

Maki said the 161-pound division will be key to the team competition, which figures to come down to Iolani and Punahou of Interscholastic League of Honolulu teams and Kapolei and Moanalua from the Oahu Interscholastic Association.

"I think 161 is a key weight class because you have the first- and second-place guys from 145 last year in Kekua and (Moanalua's) Kulana Salera and the ILH champion from Iolani, Robert Main, so it'll be a key one scoring-wise for the team title."

Kapolei, which won the OIA dual meet championship over Moanalua last week, has 12 entrants in the 10 weight classes. Na Menehune, which finished tied with the Hurricanes for second last year behind state champion Kamehameha, have 10 entrants in nine weight classes. Punahou, which finished runner-up to Iolani in the ILH race this year, covers nine weights with 10 players and Kamehameha has 11 judoka in seven divisions. Iolani qualified 10 players in nine weight classes.

"I think Kapolei is a heavy favorite, but I think Iolani is a dark horse because we haven't really gotten to see them play," Maki said. "If Punahou can get their guys to the finals, they might be in it, but I think it's going to be a three-team race with Kapolei, Moanalua and Iolani and whoever has the best day will probably win. I don't think any one will run away with it. I think it'll be a low-scoring team-championship race."

Punahou coach Greg Chow agreed that the Hurricanes are the team to beat and pointed to their club experience as a main reason why.

"Kapolei has been building a good program for a while and I think it goes back to having Kapolei Judo Club right there in the high school and serving as a direct feeder program," Chow said. "All of the kids that started there as little kids are now growing up, so they'll probably be solid for a few more years to come, too."

Narciso, who took over the program this season after several years as an assistant, has coached many of his current players for years on the junior level.

"I'm comfortable with these players and they're comfortable with me because they've come up with us through Kapolei Judo Club and now they're in our program," Narciso said. "Our team is really young — we're mostly freshmen and sophomores — so we may not have that state-tournament experience as teams like Moanalua and Punahou have, but we have experience in judo and that's all that counts. They all the necessary tools to beat the best."

Despite being tabbed by coaches as the favorite, Narciso knows it will come down to the matches Saturday.

"That's flattering to know that people think we're the team to beat, but there's still Moanalua, Iolani and Punahou to contend with, so it's going to be a tight one. We have a lot of good players, but anything can happen in the state tournament, so we'll give it our best shot and cross our fingers."

> HHSAA Boys bracket



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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