Mid-Pacific's Zion Shepherd grabs a rebound in a game against Maryknoll on February 14, 2015. Shepherd scored a game-high 16 points — including the game-winning basket — to put the exclamation point on last Monday's 39-38 win over then second-ranked Kaiser. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Male Athlete of the Week: Zion Shepherd, Mid-Pacific basketball
The hard work that Zion Shepherd put in during the offseason is paying off nicely for the Mid-Pacific junior this year.

Shepherd, a 6-foot-2 forward, scored a game-high 16 points — including the game-winning basket — to put the exclamation point on last Monday's 39-38 win over then second-ranked Kaiser.

It was a significant win for the Owls — not just in this preseason, but over the past few years, according to second-year coach Ryan Hirata.

"That was a big win for our program, not just because it was over a great team like Kaiser, but because of how we battled our way back," Hirata said.

Mid-Pacific trailed 16-7 after the first quarter and 23-7 early in the second.

"It was getting pretty ugly and I think we could have gone either one of two ways: Either we get blown out or we slowly start to chip away," Hirata said. "Our defense really helped us out in that game because Kaiser is such a dynamic offensive team. They have so many weapons, but we started to chip away. We made some layups, hit some free throws and got some good looks on offense."

The Cougars' lead diminished to 27-26 after three quarters. The Owls tied it at 36 on a bank 3-pointer by Cody Nitta before Kaiser reclaimed a two-point lead. Logan Hutchinson then made a free throw to get them within a point. Shepherd grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer and got the outback with 4.5 seconds remaining.

"That kid has just pure hustle and heart in his veins," Hirata said of Shepherd. "He is relentless on the offensive glass and deceptively quick with the ball in his hands for a big guy. There's never a ball that he can't get. He's always hunting the ball and he has energy for days."

As a sophomore last year, Shepherd started the season on the junior varsity squad before being promoted to the varsity.

"He started a couple of games for us last year, but he wasn't as polished as he is now," Hirata said. "He's very, very raw still, but he has so much potential because of his athleticism and his will. He has just an unbelievable motor."

Shepherd's role has evolved from mostly a defensive stopper last year to a legitimate offensive threat this season. He also brings versatility as he can play the small forward, power forward or center positions.

"I think he really worked hard during the summer," Hirata said. "He goes back home to Texas and he works out during the summer to really get his skills sharpened up. He also went to the Hawaii Elite camp. He really works his butt off to be the best player that he can be."

Shepherd's athleticism should come as no surprise. His father, Tim, was a standout player for the University of Hawaii and later served as director of basketball operations under former coach Bob Nash. The elder Shepherd is an assistant on the Owls' staff.

"I think the one thing about that is Zion can really learn from Tim because of how tough Tim was as a player at UH," Hirata said. "I mean, the guy was just a solid 6-5 post and the paint was his. Tim has a lot of great advice for him and having him on staff to help Zion is a great help."

Mid-Pacific (5-5) moved up two spots to No. 8 in this week's Hawaiian Electric/ScoringLive Boys Basketball Power Rankings.

The Owls are participating in a 16-team tournament in Garden Grove, Calif. this week and open Interscholastic League of Honolulu play against Punahou on Jan. 6.

Female Athlete of the Week: Sunshine Fontes, Pearl City soccer
Things are looking bright for the Pearl City girls soccer team.

The Chargers (3-0) are tied atop the always-tough Western Division of the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Sunshine Fontes has played a key role in their hot start this year.

Fontes, a freshman forward, has scored a league-leading eight goals, including five goals in a 12-0 win over Radford last Tuesday.

"She has a tendency to take charge and she can rip it from anywhere on the field," longtime Pearl City coach Frank Baumholtz III said of Fontes. "She's got all the tools, she's a team player and she's got a great sense of the game."

Fontes, who stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall, has scored in each game for the Chargers, who have outscored their opponents by a margin of 27-2. She had two goals in a season-opening win over Waianae and netted another goal in a thrilling 3-2 win over reigning Division I state champion Mililani Monday night.

"Her goal against Mililani was off of a throw-in and on the football field, I think it was from somewhere between the 15- and 20-yard line," Baumholtz III said. "It bounced once off the throw-in and she put it on a rope right under the crossbar. The goalie had to be 6-feet tall to stop that one."

The goal by Fontes was the Chargers' second in the first nine minutes of the match and gave it them a 2-1 lead, but it wasn't even her most impressive play of the night.

"Sunshine made a pass that led to our first goal that was just fabulous," Baumholtz III said. "Daelynn Tokunaga passed it to Sunshine, she turned to shoot it but instead of shooting, she hit a perfect backspin shot that bounced once and died about six yards from the goal and Zoe (Sano) couldn't do anything but put the ball in the goal. Very few players would have put that ball right there."

Fontes is one of just two freshman on the varsity roster for Pearl City (the other is starting sweeper Bree Fuller) and reminds her coach of former Chargers' standout Kim Sandhoff, who also started since her freshman year before going on to a collegiate career at East Carolina University in the early 2000's.

"Kim was just an outstanding young lady that had a great skill set. She could use her right and her left foot — she beat Mililani a couple times with her left foot — and she was just an all-around good player with all the tools," Baumholtz III said. "Right now Sunshine is a good player and a good team player, but in a couple years she could be great. Everybody could want her on their team."

Baumholtz III credits Fontes' skill and toughness to her older sister Randi, a junior and three-year varsity member on the team.

"Randi is outstanding and I have a feeling she worked her little sister relentlessly," Baumholtz said. "I've had about four or five sister pairs over the years and a lot of times the younger sister is a talented person because they were subjected to the older sister pounding on them, beating on them, making them do drills. Most times the little sister is more tuned in, more intense, more driven maybe."

With the win Monday night, Pearl City kept pace with Kapolei and Aiea atop the Western Division. Despite the magnitude of the victory, Baumholtz III forced his team to turn the page quickly with reigning league champion Campbell (2-0) looming next Tuesday.

"I told the girls the day before the Mililani game that ‘tomorrow is the first day of the rest of the season. You have to take that game on and when its over, forget about it because it doesn't mean anything,' " Baumholtz III said. "Campbell is going to be another tough one. They knocked us out of the state tournament last year, so we've got to come back and play our best match."

BOYS BASKETBALL
Keanu Akina, Kahuku — Scored 15 points in a win over Kaimuki and scored 20 points in a loss to Maryknoll

Bradlee Anae, Kahuku — Scored 25 points in a win over Kaimuki

Jordan Annaguey, Radford — Scored 16 points in a win over Castle

Jaylen Cain, Maryknoll — Scored 17 points in a win over South Kamloops

Cole DeSilva, St. Joseph — Scored 19 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Solomon Escalante, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 16 points in a win over St. Joseph

Miah Fepuleai, Farrington — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kaiser and scored 19 points in a loss to Wuhan No. 2

Manato Fukuda, St. Joseph — Scored 16 points in a loss to Campbell

Joseph Gouty, Leilehua — Scored 15 points in a win over Guangming

Micah Harrell, Mililani — Scored 18 points in a win over Saint Louis II

Hugh Hogland, Iolani — Scored 17 points in a loss to The Master's Academy

Kobe Ikari, Kalani — Scored 15 points in a loss to Punahou

Kirk Imai, Keaau — Scored 16 points in a win over Kohala

Kaeler Kahana, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in a win over Farrington

Noah Kurosawa, Saint Francis — Scored 18 points in a win over Maui and scored 16 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Alex Layi, Kalaheo — Scored 15 points with 11 rebounds in a loss to Iolani

Cameron Ma, Kaiser — Scored 17 points in a win over Farrington

Bayley Manliguis, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 15 points in a win over Hilo

Kameron Ng, Saint Francis — Scored 21 points in a win over Seabury Hall, scored 20 points in a win over Maui

Bryce Nishida, Saint Francis — Scored 18 points in a win over Maui and scored 18 points in a win over Radford

Christian Ono, Kaimuki — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kahuku

Ashton Soderberg, Castle — Scored 16 points in a loss to Radford

Brian Washington, Maryknoll — Scored 16 points in a win over Kahuku

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Sarah-Jordan Bannister, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 15 points in a win over St. Andrew's

Lehia Benson, Kahuku — Scored 15 points in a win over Kailua

Shaelie Burgess, Radford — Scored 18 points in a win over Aiea

Lydia Earles, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 18 points in a win over Lanakila Baptist

Cameron Fernandez, Lahainaluna — Scored 20 points in a win over Kamehameha-Maui

Kimani Fernandez-Roy, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 15 points in a win over King Kekaulike

Moli Heimuli, Farrington — Scored 17 points in a win over Kalani

Victoria Kintz, Kaimuki — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kaiser

Alana Nuuanu, Nanakuli — Scored 17 points in a win over Waipahu

Kalina Obrey, Kamehameha — Scored 19 points in a loss to Iolani

Rose Shimaoka, Kaiser — Scored 26 in a win over Kaimuki

Tara Takata, Kailua — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kahuku

Tia Thompson, La Pietra — Scored 16 points in a loss to Hanalani

Keala Quinlan, Roosevelt — Scored 31 points in a win over Moanalua

Delcie Williams, Kailua — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kahuku

BOYS SOCCER
Tyler Allen, Mid-Pacific — Scored three goals in a win over Saint Louis

Shandon Hopeau, Kapolei — Scored four goals in a win over Waialua

Takahiro Kosins, Kalani — Scored three goals in a win over Kailua

Ju Chen Lee, Pearl City — Scored the lone goal in a win over Radford

GIRLS SOCCER
Kerstyn Afuso, Roosevelt — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kalaheo

Jacey Iwane, Moanalua — Scored three goals in a win over Farrington

Tatum Kauka, Kamehameha — Scored the lone goal in a win over Punahou

Sara Olanda, Aiea — Scored three goals in a win over Waipahu

Ciana Rivera, Castle — Scored four goals in a win over Kaimuki

Taylor Strong, Kailua — Scored three goals in a win over Kalani