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Aiden Takuma

Punahou football  •   #12    

Aiden Takuma's path to success on the football field has not included any shortcuts. It's what makes the Punahou senior easy to root for, in the words of his coach. 

Takuma, a second-year starting cornerback for the Buffanblu, is coming off arguably the best game of his career in a 42-28 win over Saint Louis in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Open Division game at Farrington's Edward ‘Skippa' Diaz Stadium at Kusunoki Field Saturday night. 

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Takuma recorded a pair of interceptions in the end zone for touchbacks, blocked a pair of extra points and tallied three solo tackles to help Punahou pull away from the Crusaders. 

"When we needed somebody to make the play that came their way, he did his job," Buffanblu coach Nate Kia said of Takuma. 

Takuma's first pick came about midway through the first quarter. Three plays after Punahou got on the board with Astin Hange's 80-yard touchdown reception from Ty McCutcheon, Takuma stepped in front of a Saint Louis pass for the first turnover of the night and a touchback. 

Early in the second quarter, the Crusaders pulled back ahead, 12-7, on a short touchdown run by Keola Apduhan. However, just as he did on Saint Louis's first PAT, Takuma blocked the ensuing extra point to keep it a five-point game. 

"It's one thing to come free, but to actually make the block twice – that's saying, ‘You can rely on me to get it done,' " Kia said. 

He went on, "It was huge and having the potential to do things as opposed to the guy that does that thing he's assigned to do every time, a hundred percent of the time, is better than the potential to do that every time and that's how he's created value for himself being on this team and just being a rock for us in that sense and that's not just assignment-wise and Xs and Os-wise, (but) just mentally knowing that you have someone consistent on the field every single down and when things don't go right he's unflappable in that sense because he's just going to keep playing, play though it and he never takes his foot off the gas."

Takuma's didn't let off the gas until the final whistle Saturday night. In the closing minutes of the contest – with his team nursing a two-touchdown lead – Takuma made a key tackle on a third down that left Saint Louis with a fourth-and-1 inside the Buffanblu 5-yard line. On the very next play, he came up with his second interception in the back of the end zone to give his team the ball back with 40 seconds to play. 

"Throughout a few of those series, we had guys not doing their job and stead looking to make plays that weren't theirs, but the guy who is making the biggest play is the guy making his play and doing it right and it was textbook on his part," Kia said. "It was his play to make and his reliability showed right there and when it came time for him to do his job, he executed."

McCutcheon took a knee to run out the clock and preserve the win. 

Takuma has three interceptions on the season, but that's only partially telling of the success he's had on the gridiron this fall. 

"He's got some interceptions on his statsheet this year, but he's also made a lot of really good tackles and big hits and that's kind of defined him from the beginning, is his willingness to be physical as well; He's a very physical player," Kia said. 

Kia added that Takuma's performance against the Crusaders gave a good snapshot of the ability that the third-year varsity player possesses. 

"It just kind of epitomized all of his strengths for us and we know that when it's his turn to make a play, he's gonna do it, no doubt. With both of his picks, it was kind of the same story: (Saint Louis gets) some movement and guys are looking all over the place and trying to find answers instead of just being steady and executing and both times he took care of business," Kia said. 

Kia reiterated the fact that Takuma has been selfless and the ultimate team player for a Buffanblu defense that has held opponents to an average of 171 yards and fewer than three touchdowns per game. 

"He's kind of set the tone for the last few years in terms of the demeanor and attitude that we want from our guys in the defensive backfield. He's a selfless player, but I think it's probably tired the way people say ‘lead by example,' but it's more that he models exactly the kind of grit that we want," Kia said. "He's very aggressive, yet he's also disciplined. He's got a lot of control in fulfilling his assignment within the integrity of the defense, at the same time when it comes time to make a play, he's not afraid to pull the trigger at all."

Kia said that Takuma, who earned All-ILH Honorable Mention distinction a year ago, worked his way up the depth chart over the years and has grown to become "maybe the most reliable guy" on the team. 

"On a team that is loaded with veterans, he's probably the most reliable guy and that's saying a lot with this group," Kia expressed. "He's just so steady and for young athletes these days, consistency is not always an easy thing and he's so consistent."

Although he has been making a lot of noise with his play on the football field, Takuma, who is also a member of the Buffanblu baseball team, is described as anything but loud by Kia. 

"He's very reserved, not loud at all, but at the same time he's friends with everybody and is just a very respectful young man," Kia said. 

Takuma and the Buffanblu (5-2 overall, 2-0 ILH Open) will have a few weeks off before they host Kamehameha on Oct. 21 at Alexander Field.

FOOTBALL

Tiger Ader, Pearl City — Scored on a 51-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Kalaheo 

Tai Aipia-Barrett, Waipahu — Caught four passes for 118 yards and a touchdown in a win over Castle 

Keoki Alani, Konawaena — Threw for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 14-of-15 passing without an interception in a win over Waialua 

Zed Anahu-Ambrosio, Konawaena — Caught two touchdown passes and scored on a 73-yard punt return for touchdown in a win over Waiakea 

Jayvie Arellano, Waialua — Caught six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in a win over McKinley

Timothy Arnold, Leilehua — Caught eight passes for 185 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Nanakuli 

Christian Asinsin, Nanakuli — Ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in a loss to Leilehua

Avery Baybayan, Lahainaluna — Caught a touchdown pass and scored on a 69-yard kickoff return for touchdown in a win over Baldwin 

Armenio Blanco, Konawaena — Made four tackles, including one for a loss, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, intercepted two passes and returned one 30 yards for a touchdown in a win over Waiakea 

Ethan Bowden, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Ran for 145 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries in a win over Kohala

Jheremie Cacpal, Aiea — Caught 11 passes for 110 yards in a loss to Farrington 

Alika Cavaco-Amoy, Punahou — Made 10 1/2 tackles, including one sack and recorded a pass break-up in a win over Saint Louis 

Kainoa Ferriera, Mililani — Scored on punt returns for touchdowns of 54 and 68 yards in a win over Waianae 

Makoakai Fierro, Waialua — Made field goals of 41 and 35 yards and ran for a touchdown in a win over McKinley 

Vaaimalae Fonoti, Kahuku — Ran for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in a win over Moanalua 

Kekainalu Fuerte, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored on a 65-yard punt return for touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in a win over Kohala

Devon Green, Kapaa — Made 5 1/2 tackles, including four for losses and two sacks in a win over Waimea 

Astin Hange, Punahou — Caught five passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Saint Louis 

Kaikea Hueu, Kamehameha-Maui — Ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in a win over Maui

Lyric Kahula, Lahainaluna — Threw for 95 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing in a win over Baldwin 

Zayne Kalulu, Waialua — Scored on a 74-yard interception return for touchdown and ran for another touchdown in a win over McKinley 

Makana Kamaka-Brayce, Kamehameha-Maui — Threw for 289 yards and 17-of-21 passing without an interception in a win over Maui 

Ioane Kamanao, Roosevelt — Threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing without an interception in a win over Kalani

Iosefa Letuli, Kaimuki — Threw for 222 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-22 passing without an interception and ran for a touchdown in a win over Kaiser 

Iosepa Lyman, Punahou — Caught six passes for 110 yards in a win over Saint Louis 

Noah Macapulay, Punahou — Caught seven passes for 128 yards in a win over Saint Louis 

Waikahekili Makena, Kapaa — Ran for 217 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries in a win over Waimea 

Aiden Manutai, Kahuku — Made two tackles and scored on a 16-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Moanalua 

Ty McCutcheon, Punahou — Threw for 427 yards and five touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing without an interception in a win over Saint Louis 

Elijah Mendoza, Waipahu — Threw for 386 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-21 passing without an interception in a win over Castle 

Sitani Mikaele, Farrinton — Ran for 169 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries in a win over Aiea 

Cole Northington, Leilehua — Ran for 136 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in a win over Nanakuli 

Romeo Ortiz, Kailua — Threw for 169 yards and four touchdowns on 10-of-13 passing in a win over Radford 

Frankie Boy Quiban-Mahuka, Mililani — Scored on a 25-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Waianae 

Hanohano Plunkett, Leilehua — Threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing without an interception in a win over Nanakuli ]

Jacobjames Ramos, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored on a 30-yard interception return in a win over Kohala

Dylan Schnitzer, Kamehameha-Maui — Caught five passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Maui 

Eric Stephens, Waipahu — Caught three passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Castle 

Donte Utu, Punahou — Made 10 1/2 tackles, including two for losses, in a win over Saint Louis 

Makana Williams, McKinley — Made 5 1/2 tackles, including 2 1/2 for losses with one sack, and scored on an 88-yard interception return for touchdown in a loss to Waialua 

Rayden Wilson, Waialua — Scored on a 25-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over McKinley 

Kamaluhia Garcia

Moanalua volleyball  •   #18  OH  Senior

Alan Cabanting does not mince his words when speaking of Kamaluhia Garcia and her ability on the volleyball court. 

The longtime Moanalua coach ranks Garcia, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, as being among the very best athletes he has had the distinction of working with. 

"One of the most highly-skilled volleyball players I've coached on the girls' side," Cabanting stated. He should know, as Garcia has been in the starting lineup for Na Menehune since her freshman season four years ago. 

"She's always had the skills, just mentally she would be in and out of her. As a freshman you knew the potential she had, but the mental part would be really unstable for her, but this year it doesn't matter what's going on, whether she's doing well or not, she continues to play hard and understands that she's going to make mistakes here and there, but she gets back into the swing of things much faster this year than she did before that," Cabanting explained. 

To be sure, Garcia has put in a lot of hard work that has translated to her more-steady play this fall. Garcia, who is originally from Hilo, has committed herself to a heavy practice load both in the gym and on the sand. 

"That has helped her really control that ball," Cabanting said. 

Cabanting noted that the left-handed Garcia is naturally a right side hitter, but that she has taken well to the added demands that he has placed on her for the high school season. 

"Opposite is her true position but when she comes to Moanalua I force her to do more than she's used to, so she takes on that role of premier outside hitter and she's been doing that really well," he said. 

Garcia's development in that regard continues to be a work in progress, Cabanting said. 

"Last year she wasn't used to it and definitely a lot of servers on other teams attacked her on the serve-receive, but this year they're finding it's harder to break her in terms of her passing, so they've gone to the other outside hitters, but Malu has been passing really well and hitting really well and as a lefty, it's different coming from the left side than the right side, so to be able to play around with the lineup this year where at times she'll be on the left side then also on her natural, right side will allow us to get more production out of her," he said. 

Garcia earned All-OIA Eastern Division First Team honors in each of the last two seasons. She was an Honorable Mention All-Hawaii selection as a sophomore in 2021, then earned First Team recognition in her junior campaign last fall. 

"I think the maturity and the mental toughness that she's acquired over the years has really gotten her to that elite level," Cabanting said of the second-year captain. 

Garcia has embraced her leadership role and seized the opportunity to steer her team toward a common goal. 

"She's made it a priority to have team outings to make sure the girls are all on the same page," Cabanting said. He recalled a recent instance where Garcia called a team meeting ahead of several big matches. 

"About two weeks ago the girls called a team meeting and I was like, ‘What's going on?' She said that they were having a team meeting to make sure they were all on the same page for our next few matches and I was like, ‘Oh, okay. Right on. Go take care of that and I'm good with that,' " Cabanting chuckled. 

The planning paid off for Garcia and her teammates, who came away with a pivotal win at Kahuku last Tuesday. Garcia tallied a match-high 20 kills on 47 swings and hit .255 in the four-set win for Moanalua. The set scores were 25-10, 19-25, 25-16 and 25-14. 

"Kahuku is always gonna be a great team. They're big, they're physical, they're athletic and to be able to win, especially on their home court, creates a culture and creates a tradition," Cabanting said. 

Cabanting said that pre-pandemic, the program had established an expectation of winning that he hopes his current team will reinstitute. 

"We were able to get that mindset that when we play these teams like the Kahuku's, that we bring the confidence that we are going to win and that plays a big mental part of it because Kahuku has such a great home crowd that if we're doubting whether we can win a match or not, it's gonna be difficult for us to win, especially when a Kahuku crowd starts going, so I think this helped us get back into establishing that culture where we know we can matchup with them and we can have that win," he expressed. 

Garcia started the match off hot with seven kills and no errors in the opening set. Moanalua hit .455 as a team in set 1, but that dropped to minus-.162 in set 2; Garcia had just one kill against four errors in the set. She rebounded with six kills and no errors in set 3, then added another half-dozen kills — including the final point of the night — against four errors in the fourth set. 

"I think she did an excellent job. She is really playing the way we need her to be playing, to be our go-to person and go after things whether it's serve or attack. There were a couple times that we went to her in the second set and she hit two balls out to end the set, but then she came back strong in the third set and in the fourth set she ended it with that kill to get us that match and the win," Cabanting said. 

Garcia also notched five digs, 1 ½ blocks and one set assist in the win. She was a perfect 16 for 16 on serve-receive and put 11 of her 12 serves into play. 

"It's one of those where she's trying to figure out her serves," Cabanting said. "Her serves are really tough when she goes after them, but she's still trying to find consistency in them. Against Kahuku I think she trusted her team a little bit more and didn't go as hard on her serve as she usually does, but she was able to get a ton more in and as a result of that we were able to transition and get a lot of attacks."

Garcia, who plays all six rotations, committed to the University of Iowa earlier this year. Cabanting knows that Garcia will bring the local culture to the Iowa City campus. 

"She comes from the Big Island and you see that community, that family really instilled in her and so when she's going about the things with the team, she's out there looking at it as if the team is continuing to become a family and if somebody's not quite in it or if there's something wrong, so she's really become kind of the mother of the team where she's taking care of all the girls and making sure they're okay and ready to go," Cabanting said. 

Garcia and Na Menehune (4-0) continue play in the Eastern Division of the Oahu Interscholastic Association this week with matches against Farrington (2-2) and No. 9 Kalaheo (5-0) on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Jamilyn Amina, Campbell — Had 15 kills, 12 digs and three aces in a four-set loss to Waialua 

Natronai Anana, Baldwin — Had 29 digs, two set assists and one ace in a five-set loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Adrianna Arquette, Kamehameha — Had 10 kills, two total blocks and one ace in a three-set win over Damien 

Sela Atualevao, Leilehua — Had 19 kills and seven total blocks in a four-set win over Pearl City and had 13 kills, three aces, three total blocks and two digs in a three-set win over Aiea 

Rella Binney, Punahou — Had 28 set assists, three kills and 2 1/2 blocks in a three-set win over Damien 

Sarai Brezee, Kaiser — Had 20 digs, eight kills, four aces and one-half block in a five-set loss to Castle and had 24 digs and six kills in a four-set loss to Kalani 

Katie Brown, Island School — Had 37 set assists, 11 digs, two kills and an ace in a five-set win over Kapaa 

Lauren Brown, Maui Prep — Had 14 kills, one dig and one ace in a four-set win over Lanai 

Kiana Cueto, Damien — Had 13 kills and one-half block in a three-set loss to Kamehameha 

Ashley Davis, Maui Prep — Had 34 set assists, two kills and two aces in a four-set win over Lanai 

Kealohi Dudoit, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Had 25 digs and three aces in a four-set win over Waiakea 

Annie Filisi, Leilehua — Had 18 kills, 12 digs, six set assists, five aces and 2 1/2 blocks in a four-set win over Pearl City 

Natalie Fukumoto, Moanalua — Had 19 digs, five set assists and two aces in a four-set win over Kahuku 

Mandy Gokan, Island School — Had 15 digs, three aces and one set assist in a five-set win over Kapaa 

Maela Honma, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Had 10 kills and 16 digs in a four-set win over Waiakea 

Kalei Huihui Caberto, Waimea — Had 34 set assists, 13 digs, five aces and two kills in a four-set win over Kauai 

Kuuipo Hunt, Kapaa — Had 16 kills, 14 digs and one ace in a five-set loss to Island School 

Kaila Kalama-Bajet, Damien — Had 14 kills and one block in a three-set loss to Punahou 

Kiana Kauweloa, Nanakuli — Had 31 set assists, six digs, one kill and one ace in a three-set win over Pearl City 

Hope Kepa, Kailua — Had 13 digs, three kills and one ace in a three-set loss to Kalaheo 

Savai Kilaulani, Campbell — Had 12 kills, 19 digs and one ace in a four-set loss to Campbell 

Avery Kirkham, Maui Prep — Had 10 kills, 19 digs and nine aces in a four-set win over Lanai 

Halimaileaulii Kuamoo, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Had 20 set assists, 15 digs and four kills in a four-set win over Waiakea 

Ryan Leclair, Leilehua — Had 15 digs, three set assists and one ace in a four-set win over Pearl City 

Emma Lilo, Kamehameha — Had 29 set assists and three kills in a three-set win over Damien 

Trystin Lum, Castle — Had 33 digs, eight kills, one ace and one-half block in a five-set win over Kaiser 

Haylee Lyons, Kalani — Had 24 kills, 14 digs, two blocks and an ace in a four-set win over Kaiser 

Macy Matsushima, Kaiser — Had 27 digs, three aces and three set assists in a five-set loss to Castle and had 41 digs, three set assists and one ace in a four-set loss to Kalani 

Kailee-Lei McKee, Kalani — Had 10 kills and 18 digs in a four-set win over Kaiser 

Tehani Militante, Waialua — Had 10 kills, nine digs, eight set assists and three aces in a three-set win over Waianae 

Amanda Naipo, Baldwin — Had 11 kills, 15 digs and two blocks in a five-set loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Ariana Naipo, Baldwin — Had 11 kills, five digs, two aces and one block in a three-set win over Kekaulike and had 20 kills, 12 digs and one ace in a five-set loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Makenzie Nii, Kauai — Had 16 digs and one set assist in a four-set loss to Waimea 

Lilinoe Paschoal, Baldwin — Had 20 set assists, eight digs, two aces, one kill and one-half block in a three-set win over Kekaulike and had 40 set assists, 16 digs, three aces, two kills and two blocks in a five-set loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Kelsey Reul, Maui Prep — Had 19 digs and three aces in a four-set win over Lanai 

Emily Robins, Castle — Had 20 kills, eight digs and two aces in a five-set win over Kaiser 

Kanoe Santiago, Waialua — Had 11 kills, six digs and two aces in a three-set win over Waianae 

Ayre Takamoto, Kalani — Had 40 set assists, two kills and one-half block in a four-set win over Kaiser 

Shereya Ufuti, Kaiser — Had 14 kills, 19 digs, two aces and one block in a five-set loss to Castle and had 18 kills, 28 digs and 1 1/2 blocks in a four-set loss to Kalani 

Brittany Valentino, Island School — Had 22 digs, seven kills, three aces, one block and a set assist in a five-set win over Kapaa 

Brooklyn Valentino, Island School — Had 16 kills, eight digs, two aces and a block in a five-set win over Kapaa 

Shyanne Yamada, Kalani — Had 34 digs in a four-set win over Kaiser 

Kalia Yaris, Waimea — Had 13 kills, nine digs and two aces in a four-set win over Kauai