On the backs three individual champions, the Hurricanes pulled away from runner-up Iolani at the Max Muscle Hawaii/HHSAA state championships Saturday to win their third consecutive state title. Steve Erler | SL

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On the backs three individual champions, the Hurricanes pulled away from runner-up Iolani at the Max Muscle Hawaii/HHSAA state championships Saturday to win their third consecutive state title. Steve Erler | SL

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MANOA — The title is staying in the Second City.

On the backs of three individual champions, Kapolei ran away with its third straight team title Saturday at the Max Muscle Hawaii/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Boys Judo State Championships at the University of Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center.

The Hurricanes scored 86 points and finished well ahead of runner-up Iolani, which tallied 66 points.

Seniors Anthony Brett, Rodman Salangdron and Kaulana Narcisco won at 132, 161 and 178 pounds, respectively, to pace Kapolei, which also got a runner-up finish from 220-pounder, Johnny Morrison. Others earning points for the Hurricanes were Andre Pagurayan (fourth at 114 pounds), Jayson Pagurayan (third at 121), Aaron Sotoa (fifth at 198) and Isaac Alapai (fifth at 285).

Of the bunch, Narciso was the lone judoka to win his second straight individual crown after he threw Baldwin's Troy Waki twice for waza-ari (half point) and the consequent ippon (full point) in the final minute of the 178-pound final.

"I played him in a club tournament and I beat him by shido (penalty), but this time I actually threw him," said Narciso, who moved up three weight classes this season after winning at 132 pounds last year.

Narciso overcame a vast weight disadvantage. He weighed in Saturday at just 148 pounds.

"It was pretty tough, but basically my dad (Hurricanes' coach Marc Narciso) told me, it's all in my mind and my heart and who wants it more," Kaulana said.

Brett improved upon back-to-back runner-up finishes the past two seasons by topping Moanalua's Chase Wusstig — the same opponent he defeated in the Oahu Interscholastic Association championships a week ago — with a right uchimata (inner thigh throw) for ippon two minutes and 48 seconds into their 132-pound title bout.

"It feels super good because I've taken second the past two years, so to finally get it just feels amazing," Brett said.

Salangdron also finished second last year after placing third as a sophomore and missing the medal stand altogether as a freshman. He beat Mililani's Paxton Horiuchi for the fifth time this season in the 178-pound final.

"After all the hard work that I put into this season, it feels really good to be on top of that podium, in first place," Salangdron said, who threw Horiuchi with a ko soto gake (minor outer hook) for waza-ari late in the match.

It also marked the final tournament for Marc Narciso, who has coached many of his players since well before high school in club judo.

"Out of all the (state championships) that we took, this is probably the most special one and the most emotional one," he said. "This group, I've mentored and trained them from baby time and now they're all graduating so this was probably the most emotional tournament for me. I don't have any words to explain how special this is."

Brett said there couldn't have been a better way for the bunch to go out.

"The bond between us and coach Marc is super strong," Brett said. "We've been together ever since we were little kids, so it's kind of like a storybook ending how all of us were all state champs and then we all grew up doing judo together so we all get to see each other progress as we grow up, so it's a great story, and he coached us through every second."

Likewise, Salangdron also expressed his deep gratitude to his coach.

"He means a lot to me and all of us," Salangdron said. "All the training that he put us through, it was all for us, all for this tournament right here. I really thank him for the coaching that he's given us for the past four years. It's been a pleasure."

Kalani finished third in the team standings with 34 points, Mililani was fourth with 31 points and Moanalua fifth with 28 points.

Iolani's Dane Yamashiro successfully defended his 285-pound individual title with a win by ippon over Molokai's Kuikamoku Han.

Other individual champions were Damien's Landon Obra (108 pounds), Mililani's Tayler Otsuka (114), Moanalua's Noah Wusstig (121), Kalani's Micah Tateyama (145), Pearl City's Matthew Keopuhiwa (198) and Kahuku's Lerod Tongi (220).