Two-part column by SL reporter Michael Lasquero on some of the best high school sports moments of the decade. ScoringLive photo illustration

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I had the desire to write up this blog since the start of the calendar year, but just never get around to doing it.

With current world events, there's no excuses now — and now more than ever, is a good chance to reflect on some of the magical moments that Hawaii high school sports has provided over the years.

A few ground rules with this post however as I don't want to disrespect any worthy moments as well as offend anyone if a team they rooted for did not make it on here.

If I did not physically see the game, it's not on here. Some moments that I wish I got to witness include Mililani beating Moanalua for the OIA Boys Volleyball title in 2017 and the pitchers duel between Waiakea's Kodi Medeiros and Saint Louis' Jordan Yamamoto in the 2014 baseball state tournament.

One thing I want to make note of is I only started with ScoringLive in the Fall of 2012 so some of the earlier years of the decade isn't represented as well as I wish they can be.

Also, I listed them in order of recency so it's not a ranking of any kind. Part one will cover the past four years while part two will be posted next week.

Oct. 26, 2019
Moanalua wins championship in magical fashion

This game was the very definition of magical. The more the game progressed, the more the odds were stacked against Moanalua, but somehow some way, Na Menehune pulled through with the ball bouncing their way in the end. This contest was truly a game of matchups between Leilehua's dominance in the trenches and Moanalua's talent at the skill positions on both offense and defense. Ultimately it was a team win for Na Menehune with unsung heroes like third-string quarterback Brayden Faamasino and receiver Dacryes Domingo making his reception in double overtime to tie the game.

April 23, 2019
Raiders dethrone Buffanblu for ILH Vball title

The 2019 Boys Volleyball season was one to remember. Punahou is definitely premier program in the state - and one of the best in the nation - so it was cool to see some parity. It was just shocking to see the Buffanblu's rival in Iolani win the league crown on Punahou's home court, given that Iolani defeated the Buffanblu on neutral courts in the previous two meetings. Most people would say it was a down year for Punahou, but I think it's just a testament to how well other teams in the state have progressed.

Oct. 15, 2018
Mililani takes down reigning champ Moanalua

For any volleyball fan, this match was a thriller with all four sets being decided by the minimum two points. Moanalua was poised to force a fifth set after going up 24-23 in the fourth set, but Gabby Naniseni and Aysia Miller came up with a big block to tie the set. Naniseni then had two straight aces to win the match. I thought it was an awesome moment for Naniseni, who often got overshadowed by other big names on Mililani's roster. Another thing I enjoyed from this match was Mililani's ability to toggle between a 6-2 and 5-1 offense freely during each set. Teams often change system in between sets, so to see coach Val Crabbe do an "audible" multiple times showcased the chess match in the sport.

Feb. 16, 2018
Ka Makani dig deep to rally past King Kekaulike, 3-2

This was the season where neighbor island teams dominated the sport. Not only did you have two Maui teams in the final four, but you also had Hawaii Prep making its Division-I debut after winning the past two Division II state titles. What was cool about this match was the back-and-forth between Ka Makani and Na Alii. HPA trailed twice in the match before Jake Schneider's go-ahead goal in the 78th minute. Schneider also provided a much-needed goal of a penalty kick rebound in the final minute of the first half to tie the match heading into the break. Every goal in soccer is huge so to see HPA rally from two deficits was a night to remember.

Feb. 4, 2018
Konawaena makes it four titles in a row

Maryknoll was the odds-on-favorite to win the state title this year with its loaded, experienced roster - yet Konawaena and the youngest of the Molina sisters turned in flawless second half to add another title to its name. To this day, I still cannot believe that the Wildcats held the Spartans to zero points in the third quarter. Maryknoll also did not convert on a second-half field goal until there was 1:25 left in the game. The huge second-half performance by Konawaena saw the Wildcats turn a five-point deficit at half into a 47-32 win when it was all said and done.

Nov. 18, 2017
No. 1 Saint Louis posts late rally to edge No. 2 Kahuku, 31-28

These two teams faced off in four of the past five state championship games, but none were more memorable than the matchup in 2017. No one gave Kahuku a chance heading into this game - and even when Saint Louis scored 24 straight points to take a 24-7 lead - but the Red Raiders rallied to take a 28-24 advantage midway through the final period of play. When Saint Louis got the ball back with 46 seconds to play, Chevan Cordeiro and Jonah Panoke hooked up on deep pass for a 53-yard TD pass that sealed the Crusaders' second straight title. What made the moment even more magical was that it happened early Sunday morning sometime after midnight. For a long triple-header day of football that included a seven-overtime matchup in the Division II state title game, Cordeiro's game-winning throw was the icing on the cake.

May 6, 2017
Aiea brings home first-ever state softball title

One of the things I like to do is cover D2 sports because the student-athletes work just as hard as their D1 counterparts. This championship was memorable to me because I got my first experience taking sports photos at an Aiea home game in 2015, so I knew of all the highs and lows that this program went through before this moment. Na Alii rode the arm of senior left-handed pitcher Poamai Tuli, who missed her junior season due to a knee injury. Based on what I saw from Tuli in her senior year, she was the best pitcher in the state regardless of division. Despite getting tagged for three unearned runs in the state final, she was never rattled in the circle and even added a double and a solo home run at the plate. Still, championships are a team effort and Tuli's defense came through and turned a game-ending double play in the bottom of the seventh for the school's first-ever state title.

Oct. 22, 2016
No. 6 Farrington rallies to stun No. 4 Kapolei, 33-27

This game was straight bonkers, no joke. This season everyone was hyping up a potential OIA championship game between Kahuku and Kapolei with Taulia Tagovailoa and offensive coordinator June Jones, but the Governors said otherwise in the semifinals. The contest looked like a runaway at the start with Kapolei scoring in the blink of an eye and an interception on Farrington's first offensive series. Still, the game was far from over and the Governors emptied the playbook to stun the Hurricanes and the oddsmakers. Running back Challen Faamatau throwing the game-winning score was crazy, but I'd like to also point out that Farrington had a play where all 11 players started out in single-file line before getting set. Defensive back Iosefo Ah Ching-Noga also deserves a mention for catching a 12-yard TD pass in double coverage on the final play of the second quarter, as well as scoring on a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter where he leaped horizontally over the offensive line.

May 7, 2016
KS-Hawaii captures first state crown over Kapolei, 5-4

What makes this game and this moment special to me was that I was one of the few Oahu media guys to witness it. For the record, Kapolei should have won this game - but a routine pop-up for what should have been the final out of the game was dropped and the Warriors tied the game to force extra innings. In my game recap I wrote that the heavens dropped a miracle, because I found out after the game that several members of the program had loved ones past earlier in the year. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, this win and moment for Kamehameha-Hawaii was truly touching as the Warriors won their first-ever state championship.

Feb. 19, 2016
Baldwin upsets defending champ Mililani in PKs

I'll be honest. When I covered this match, I was still learning the nuances of the sport. Before I write about this particular contest, I just want to say that I am thankful and blessed to have met and worked alongside the late Chester Chee, who helped me fall in love with the beautiful game. As a novice at the time, naturally I pegged reigning champion Mililani to advance to the final, but the Baldwin Bears and freshman keeper Malie Kuia proved me wrong. Kuia was legendary in this game with 12 saves, which included a couple of point-blank saves on Tia Furuta, who earned All-Hawaii Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2015. The Trojans definitely had their chances before the shootout with 26 shot attempts, but the Bears' defense held strong to give Baldwin an opportunity in PKs.