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Raiders halt Buffanblu’s boys title run

By Brad Sherman 5 min read

LAHAINA -- Patience is one thing. Waiting 46 years -- and spending that time watching your rival rack up trophies -- is something else entirely.

The Iolani School boys tennis team had endured those decades, but that reached its end Saturday at the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch. The Raiders won their first team championship since 1971, ending Punahou's streak of 26 straight titles.

"That was our goal from the beginning of the year, winning as a team," said Iolani's Jordan Azuma, who teamed with Joey Hu for the doubles title.

The Raiders finished with 17 points. The Buffanblu were second with nine.

Punahou won a 15th straight girls team championship, led by a singles title for Katreina Corpuz and doubles crown for Clarise Huang and Betsy Wo.

Farrington's Andre Ilagan completed the most dominant performance of the week by claiming the boys singles title.

Azuma and Hu, the top seeds, won 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 over defending champions Reyn Miyagawa and Seann Esaki -- the Mid-Pacific teammates were seeded second.

"I knew what the match meant to us as a team, and I knew we needed to end the tournament on a good note," Hu said. "My team had my back the whole way through."

Azuma also won a boys doubles title in 2015.

"Jordan played unbelievable," Hu said. "The third set, he was flying out there."

Azuma and Hu had not lost a set in four tournament matches before Saturday, and had dropped more than three games only once.

"Regroup, keep playing hard, keep trying your best -- that's all you can do, really," Azuma said of the approach after Saturday's first set. "A final, anything can happen. You just have to keep playing hard."

Corpuz, the No. 1 seed, also won her second state title -- she was a doubles champion in 2015 -- by denying second-seeded Taylor Lau of St. Francis her third singles crown.

"I always wanted a singles title and a doubles title," Corpuz said after her 7-5, 6-3 victory. "That was my dream."

Corpuz had close to a dozen inspirational messages on her arm, written by coaches, teammates and family.

"It's not the statements themselves," she said. "It's more so that people are here supporting me, and I have this whole family behind me, and I'm never alone -- it's a really good reminder."

Punahou finished with 24 points, 17 more than second-place Waiakea.

Huang and Wo, the No. 1 seeds, rallied from a set down for a second straight match, defeating fifth-seeded Annika Alcon and Tristen Bryant-Otake of Mid-Pacific 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Huang and Wo trailed 5-4 in the second set.

"After we won the second set, I felt more confident," Huang said.

"I didn't doubt that we could come back, but I didn't feel that comfortable."

Huang and Wo had split two previous matches this season with Alcon and Bryant-Otake. The Owls' duo won in two sets in the regular season, and the Buffanblu tandem won in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu tournament.

"We knew it could go either way, so we really had to push it and focus on the things we did to win last time," Wo said.

"Me and Clarise practiced a lot together ... We really had to move around the court together as one unit."

The top-seeded Ilagan was a 6-2, 6-1 winner over third-seeded Ryo Minakata of Hawaii Prep.

Ilagan, a state runner-up in 2016, lost just 10 games in this year's tournament.

"I was just thinking about last year. ... I've got to redeem myself," Ilagan said.

* Brad Sherman is at sports@mauinews.com

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HMSA STATE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday's Results

At Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch

Finals

Boys singles--Andre Ilagan (1), Farrington, def. Ryo Minakata (3), Hawaii Prep,

6-2, 6-1.

Girls singles--Katreina Corpuz (1), Punahou, def. Taylor Lau (2), St. Francis, 7-5, 6-3.

Boys doubles--Jordan Azuma and Joey Hu (1), Iolani, def. Reyn Miyagawa and Seann Esaki (2), Mid Pacific, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

Girls doubles--Clarise Huang and Betsy Wo (1), Punahou, def. Tristen Bryant-Otake and Annika Alcon (5), Mid Pacific, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Team scores

Boys--1. Iolani 17, 2. Punahou 9, 3t. Farrington 8, 3t. Mid-Pacific 8, 5. Hawaii Prep 7, 6. Mililani 6, 7. Kamehameha Kapalama 4, 8. Kealakehe 3, 9t. Le Jardin 2, 9t. Kohala 2, 9t. Pearl City 2, 9t. Seabury Hall 2, 13t. Kapolei 1, 13t. Konawaena 1, 13t. Kalani 1, 13t. Moanalua 1, 13t. Hilo 1, 13t. King Kekaulike 1, 13t. Maui High 1, 13t. Kaiser 1.

Girls--1. Punahou 24, 2. Waiakea 7, 3t. Iolani 6, 3t. St. Francis 6, 3t. Mid-Pacific 6, 6. Kealakehe 5, 7t. Mililani 4, 7t. Kamehameha Maui 4, 7t. Pearl City 4, 7t. Konawaena 4, 11. Maui High 2, 12t. Waialua 1, 12t. Moanalua 1, 12t. Parker 1, 12t. Lahainaluna 1, 12t. Kalani 1, 12t. Hilo 1.

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STATE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday's Results

At Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch

Third-place matches

Boys singles--Phuc Huynh, Iolani (2), def. Andrew Yip, Kamehameha Kapalama (4), 6-2, 6-0.

Girls singles--Alyssia Fossorier, Punahou (3), def. Tayvia Yamagata (4), Konawaena, 6-4, 6-3.

Boys doubles--Kailuhia Lam and Jaryd Ma (3), Punahou, def. Cody Ching and Robert Chang (4), Iolani, 6-4, 7-6 (1).

Girls doubles--Michelle Uyeda and April Wong (3), Kealakehe, def. Maile Brilhante and Kianna Oda (4), Waiakea, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

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