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Skylar Miyasato

Moanalua basketball  •   #2  G  Senior

Things are coming together for Skylar Miyasato and the Moanalua boys basketball team. 

The maturation process of Miyasato, a senior guard for Na Menehune, has been an accelerated one since the end of last season, much to the delight of his coach. 

"You can see the development he had from last year to this year," Moanalua coach Brandon Dumlao said of Miyasato, who averaged a team-high 8.8 points per game as a junior. 

Miyasato is averaging better than 14 points per game this year. He upped his production last week, when he averaged 23.3 points in three games over a three-day stretch. 

In a tightly-contested 58-57 win over then-No. 4 Saint Louis Tuesday, Miyasato poured in a game-high 30 points to help Na Menehune rally past the reigning Division-I state champions. 

The following day against No. 10 Kamehameha, Miyasato led all players with 23 points, but Moanalua fell in overtime, 61-60. Na Menehune went 2-2 in the Iolani Classic and Miyasato was selected to the all-tournament team. 

"I think it made him believe that he can play with everybody. It's given him the belief — and kind of given the coaching staff the belief — that we have a guy that our guys can rally around. That run gave him the belief that we're right there with everybody else," Dumlao said. 

But Miyasato and the Menes weren't done yet. They returned to league play Thursday night and came away with a 46-41 win over an upset-minded Roosevelt squad that led by 17 points after the first eight minutes. Moanalua, however, outscored the Rough Riders the rest of the way, 41-19, and Miyasato finished with a game-high 17 points. 

Dumlao, whose team went 5-7 in OIA East play a year ago, said the difference with his group this year is the buy-in that he has received from the players. 

"They're all bought in and sold on what we're trying to do. It's starting to click and they're starting to see the way we approach taking care of the gym, treating everyone with respect around campus — we're trying to change the culture and change the mentality and they're starting to see it — they're starting to see what those kinds of things start to do, both on and off the court and them buying into that culture is kind of bearing its fruit a little bit this season," Dumlao said. 

"Being down 22 to 5 against Roosevelt after the first quarter the other night, last year we crack; there's no chance we come back from that, (but) this year we've had about four comebacks, especially that run against Punahou, Saint Louis, Kamehameha: we were down and out in those games, but they're starting to realize the way we approach mentally in practice and the way it just carries over (into games)," he added.

Miyasato's own attitude adjustment has been a big part of his team's turnaround this winter. 

"Last year he was super immature. Kinda just strolled into practice, ‘it is what it is,' Mr. Cool Guy and then this year Skylar's become a much more vocal leader for us in practice," Dumlao divulged. "His vocal leadership and his understanding of urgency for him has really kicked in and it was kind of unexpected for me, to be honest, but what he's been doing has been awesome to this point."

Dumlao feels that Miyasato has benefitted greatly from the addition of assistant Pakalani Bello to the coaching staff this year. Dumlao himself has a soft spot for Bello, who was his coach as a freshman at Kamehameha. 

"After I tore my ACL my senior year, he asked me to coach with him the year after and I've been with him ever since; He's the reason I got into coaching," Dumlao said. "He has experience working with different kids all these years. He's coached the longest of anybody on my staff and bringing him on staff has really helped in a lot of ways."

Whereas the rest of the coaching staff had worked with Miyasato last season, Bello brought a "fresh set of eyes."

"Over the summer, with all of us on the coaching staff, we've all kind of taken an approach in reaching out Skylar and getting him to believe in what we're trying to do. It's really something where I think just having the numerous conversations and being able to connect with him, not only through basketball, but off the court, it's started to tie in and click for him with his play on the court, but I really think (Bello) has been able to connect with Skylar from a different approach and I think that's really allowed him to flourish," Dumlao expressed. 

He also credits former interim coach and JROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Michael Wingfield, who has been one of the team's biggest supporters behind the scenes. 

"He's a guy that Skylar can call and he'll go open up the gym so that he can put up shots and he provides him with leadership advice — he's been amazing," Dumlao shared. "I mean, he bought the shooting machine at the gym with money out of his own pocket, so he deserves a shoutout. All summer, Sundays, the kids call him — after school — he's over there opening it up, just whatever they need. He's been a super big help. He'll go check on kids' grades, call the office, he's been washing our uniforms; He just does so much."

Despite a laid-back mantra off the court, Miyasato has definitely brought a sense of urgency for eighth-ranked Moanalua this season. 

"The mentality and attitude that he's really brought has become infectious to the squad," Dumlao said. "They know they've got a guy they can carry and they've just gotta support offensively and defensively. The kid deserves everything that's coming his way because he definitely put in a lot of work in the offseason. His level of play this year is a thousand times better than his play last year, it's not even close."

Miyasato and Na Menehune (3-0) will host No. 4 Kailua (3-0) Wednesday at 7 p.m. The winner will move into sole possession of first place in the OIA Division I East standings. 

BOYS BASKETBALL

Jordan Babcock, Kekaulike — Scored 20 points in a win over Maui 

CJ Bostic, Kalaheo — Scored 24 points in a loss to Roosevelt and scored 15 points in a loss to Kailua 

Julius Bueno, Maui — Scored 22 points in a loss to Kekaulike 

Linday Constantino, Waimea — Scored 24 points in a loss to Kapaa 

Kyle Davies, Kekaulike — Scored 25 points in a win over Maui 

Kainalu Davis, Roosevelt — Scored 17 points in a win over Kalaheo 

Noah Flores Alexander, Lahainaluna — Scored 27 points, including six 3-pointers, in a win over Kamehameha-Maui 

Jaron Gilmore, Kalaheo — Scored 22 points in a loss to Kailua 

Chaizelen Gomes, Nanakuli — Scored 16 points in a win over Waianae 

Kache Kaio, Kahuku — Scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win over Kaimuki 

Keaka Kauhane, Kapaa — Scored 23 points in a win over Waimea 

Layden Kauka, Kohala — Scored 20 points in a win over Kealakehe 

Dragon Kekahuna, Nanakuli — Scored 19 points in a loss to Pearl city 

Dillon Kellner, Punahou — Scored 18 points in a win over Leilehua 

Kinohi Lindsey, Honokaa — Scored 19 points in a win over Hilo 

Daysin Lupica, Kaimuki — Scored 32 points in a loss to Kahuku 

Coby Molina, Konawaena — Scored 19 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Abraham Ogata, Konawaena — Scored 17 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Peyton Pana, Hilo — Scored 18 points in a loss to Honokaa 

Jonny Philbrick, Kailua — Scored 27 points in a win over Kaimuki and scored 31 points in a win over Kalaheo 

Maddox Pung, Kailua — Scored 19 points in a win over Kaimuki

Flavio Sailiai-Leon, Waianae — Scored 18 points in a loss to Nanakuli 

Dylan Schnitzer, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 22 points in a win over Baldwin 

Joshua Schutter, Kalani — Scored 25 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over McKinley 

Pupualii Sepulona, Saint Louis — Scored 19 points in a win over Baldwin, scored 23 points in a loss to Moanalua and scored 17 points in a win over Radford 

Josiah Shinbara, Castle — Scored 17 points in a loss to Farrington and scored 19 points in a win over Kalani 

Mauloa Tagabi, Honokaa — Scored 20 points in a win over Hilo

Trey Toyama, Kaiser — Scored 17 points in a win over McKinley 

Ayndra Uperesa-Thomas, Punahou — Scored 16 points in a win over Leilehua 

Jeremiah White, Kaimuki — Scored 20 points in a loss to Kailua 

Caden Williams, Radford — Scored 18 points in a loss to Leilehua 

Justin Yap, Maryknoll — Scored 22 points in a win over Leilehua 

BOYS SOCCER

Kainoa Carvalho, Kahuku — Scored three goals in a win over Roosevelt 

Leo Davies, Kaiser — Scored four goals in a win over Castle 

Elijah Dinkel, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored three goals in a win over Kohala 

Dominic Edwards, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua 

Keenan Ferry, PAC-5 — Scored two goals in a tie with Le Jardin 

Trevor Hirata, Moanalua — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley 

Landen Kalani, Roosevelt — Scored two goals in a loss to Kahuku 

Shane Kudo, Kalani — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki 

Caden Matsumoto, PAC-5 — Scored two goals in a win over Damien 

Connor Reece, Kailua — Scored four goals in a win over Farrington 

Sawyer Rogoff, Island School — Scored three goals in a win over Kauai 

Jirah Villanueva

Radford basketball  •   #10  G  Junior

Jirah Villanueva has but one speed on the basketball court: full speed. 

That's the approach that Villanueva has always taken, which almost instantly caught the eye of Charles Chong when she joined the Radford girls basketball team three years ago. 

"As soon as I met her and even as a younger player, you tell her to do something and she goes out and does it hard," Chong recalled. "Whether it be sprinting — because some people are not used to the conditioning part — but you could see that, I don't know if it came from her previous coaching or just from within herself, that she's not afraid to get after it; She works hard and she pushes herself hard and so her upside potential is huge."

After COVID robbed Villanueva of her freshman season, she made a splash as a sophomore last year, when she averaged a team-high 14.0 points per game in league play and earned All-OIA West Second Team recognition. But the 5-foot-6 combo guard has taken her play up a notch this winter. She posted 27 points in a lopsided win over Nanakuli to open up the regular season two weeks ago. 

"She kind of has the complete package: she's got the ball handling, she's got the passing — she can see, she knows how to set-up her teammates to make good passes — and she's a really dead-eye shooter and she can finish the midrange, which you don't see too much," Chong described. 

He went on, "She has that ‘attack' mentality and if she's not looking to score herself, then she's looking to set-up her teammates to score, but she missed out because of COVID as a freshman and last year she was kind of that quiet assassin kind of a player, but it's nice to see her now coming out of her shell."

Villanueva continued her hot streak last Wednesday, when she poured in 23 points to lead the Rams in a rout of Pearl City. 

Chong noted that despite the one-sided nature of some of Radford's games so far this regular season, Villanueva has done more than just score a lot of points. 

"If you watch her, you see how she's trying to create for her teammates consciously and I really appreciate how when we were up by a good amount and we wanted to focus on executing, like a good point guard, she was out there trying to execute what the plan was, even tif that meant she had to forego a shot because she knows that we're working on something and she's the one who, on the fly, if we say, ‘Let's try this, let's do this,' she'll go out and execute it, so those are good signs the last few games," Chong said. 

He went so far as to describe Villanueva as potentially "one of the most complete players we would have had as a freshman." 

Her sophomore season showed signs of that, including a 25-point outing against Waianae and a career-best 30-point game against Pearl City. Villanueva helped the Rams post an 11-3 record and reach the quarterfinals of the Division I state tournament. She received Honorable Mention All-Hawaii distinction. 

"She came in as a really great player, but quiet, kind of stayed within herself. She had to get used to the system on offense and defense and she's doing that really well. She's much more mature now and to me, she looks a little bit taller every time I see her, so she's physically filling into her body and at the same time, maturing as a player, so I'm really excited to see what she does this year and her senior year," Chong said. 

Although Villanueva is not a captain this year, Chong made it clear that she will be expected to lead next year's team as a senior and three-year starter. 

"I already told her that next year she's getting the keys to the car and that the car is not perfect, but what she does with it is up to her and she understands," Chong detailed. "She understands that it's her car to drive next year and so it's nice to see her already coming out of her shell and connecting with her teammates better and really turning into someone who's gonna be a good leader in the future."

Whether Villanueva likes it or not, the fact of the matter is — as Chong points out — her teammates look to her to set the tone. 

"Often the most skilled people on the team, whether they like it or not, get put in that position. I'm not saying she's not a good leader — she definitely does a lot of leading by example — but to be a complete leader, you have to be able to vocalize, but the thing about her is she's also very competitive," Chong said. 

"She wants to win and so I know that when push comes to shove, she's gonna do and say what she needs to do to make things happen and I would say what really separates her is her willingness to work hard all the time and also that killer instinct that she has to go with her skills," he added. 

Off the court, however, it's quite the opposite persona for Villanueva. 

"She's a very amiable, nice young lady and she has a great smile. I'm always commenting that if she's not saying something to you, at least she's smiling," Chong laughed. "It's like the big Cheshire Cat smile all the time, that's what I think of when I think of Jirah."

Villanueva and the Rams (5-0) are tied for first place atop the OIA D1 West standings half-way through the 10-game regular season. 

Radford continues league play this week when it visits Aiea (1-3) Tuesday night and hosts Waipahu (4-0) Thursday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.  

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Shynastee Ahina, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 25 points in a loss to St. Andrew's  and scored 24 points in a win over La Pietra 

Kalena Akinaka, Kekaulike — Scored 16 points in a loss to Maui 

Nina Batacan, La Pietra — Scored 18 points in a loss to Hawaiian Mission

Shayniah Catabo-Machado, Farrington — Scored 15 points in a win over McKinley 

Katelyn Constantino, Waimea — Scored 19 points in a win over Kauai 

Nihoaokelii Dunn, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in a loss to Maryknoll 

Anniversary Filisi, Leilehua — Scored 15 points in a win over Waialua 

Miyah Galdeira, Kailua — Scored 16 points in a win over Roosevelt 

Keanu Huihui, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 26 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Kau 

Akemi Kawamata, Mililani — Scored 15 points in a win over Kapolei 

Ellana Klemp, Hanalani — Scored 16 points in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Khiana Kauweloa, Nanakuli — Scored 17 points in a win over Kapolei 

Brooke Kurasaki, Mililani — Scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Kapolei 

Kylie La Fountain, Waipahu — Scored 27 points in a win over Aiea 

Shailoh Liilii, Moanalua — Scored 17 points in a win over Anuenue 

Alexus Maae, Kaiser — Scored 23 points with seven rebounds, nine steals, an assist and a block in a win over Castle 

Olivia Malafu, Kapaa — Scored 23 points in a win over Kauai 

Alana Nagata, University Lab — Scored 27 points in a loss to Mid-Pacific 

Hema Nakaahiki-Young, Kauai — Scored 21 points in a loss to Waimea 

Laynee Torres-Kahapea, Punahou — Scored 18 points in a loss to Iolani 

GIRLS SOCCER

Aaliyah Racadio-Kahoohanohano, Baldwin — Scored two goals in a win over Lahainaluna 

Maddison Shearer, Kamehameha — Scored two goals in a win over Punahou II 

Ava-Rose Whitmer, Campbell — Scored three goals in a win over Leilehua