Photo courtesy of Coach Fred Wawner
Closing the Book: Hawaii Prep (21-5, 11-1 BIIF)
> vs. Top 10: 2-1 (.667)
> Top 10 wins: KOH, KOH
> Top 10 losses: WAIK
> Non-Top 10 losses: HIL, ROOS
> Home: 6-2
> Away: 7-1
> Neutral: 8-2
> Playoffs: 2-0
> HHSAA D-II: 2-1
In the 1990s, Hawaii Prep made an impact in the BIIF boys basketball race with Merv Lopes leading the charge.
The legendary Chaminade coach had settled into life in nearby Waikoloa. Throwing his net for fish, enjoying the company of grandchildren. But the competitive fire remained, and HPA was in prime position to build something new.
The program struggled in year one, learning the flex offense, studded with young, promising players like Nathaniel Watterson. In year two, they were 9-2 in league play when Lopes stepped down for good. He wanted a state championship team, and the players weren’t giving him the full maximum effort in his eyes. That team showed what kind of potential always lives beneath the surface at HPA, the small school on the slopes of the Kohala Mountains in Waimea, or Kamuela.
In this decade, Ka Makani have become a Division II powerhouse. HPA has reached the final four of the state tournament six times since 2012, winning the ’14 crown under Fred Wawner and Dave Huntington.
This year, HPA posted the best regular-season win-loss mark (11-1) in the combined BIIF schedule for a third time in a row. Ka Makani defeated Kohala, 60-42, in the league final and headed to Oahu with their eyes on the prize.
Kohala went on an epic run to reach the final, while Hawaii Prep ousted University, then lost to OIA champion Roosevelt, 41-37, in the semifinal round. HPA finished third after a 51-39 win over McKinley. Ka Makani did something that rarely happened on a senior-heavy team. They lost a close game. The all-BIIF title game was not meant to be.
“I look at it two ways. As a Big Island team and coach, we’re like brothers. We fight like brothers. We’re throwing haymakers at each other, but there’s a mutual respect. I’m happy for Kihei (Kapeliela) and his coaches. It’s another championship for the Big Island,” Wawner said. "But the burn hasn’t gone away. The sting. It’s no guarantee. You get there a third time, it’s hard to equal. And not to play them in the final, in the end, we didn’t do our part. They did theirs. It’s a bitter pill to think we could’ve been in that final.”
The numbers are sparkling with a 21-5 overall mark and 11-1 regular season record against the BIIF’s Division I and II teams.
“It’s an interesting group. Of the seven seniors, only one would call basketball his main sport. Solid as we were the past couple of years, I didn’t know what we would have. And we had some injuries. Umikoa Kealoha didn’t play until the final two regular season games and the playoffs. Even our young guys had played a lot, so we’re feeling pretty good,” Wawner said.
The promise of the 2019-20 season was disrupted when Kealoha, an athletic, 6-foot-2 senior, suffered an injury during football season. Ka Makani opened at the Waiakea-Keaau tournament, defeating Kealakehe, Kapolei and Pahoa. They closed with a loss to Waiakea, the preseason favorite.
A week later, after Thanksgiving, HPA was jolted by Hilo, 71-49, at the Honokaa tournament. Ka Makani then defeated Keaau and St. Joseph and was 5-2.
“Those two losses in the first week and a half, we got handled pretty good by Hilo and Waiakea, so there were some question marks,” Wawner noted. “Hilo handled us so much, but we weren’t at full speed. Michael Hughes had some injures.”
HPA’s Ka Makani Tip-Off followed with a win over Le Jardin, a loss to Hanalani and a 47-38 win over Kauai.
“We were feeling OK, but starting to tinker. We didn’t have a lot energy against LJA. Losing to Hanalani, we didn’t play well and were kind of flat. That was one of the low points. We didn’t have the same energy and it was right after exams. In a three-game tournament, not a lot, I questioned a little bit our give-a-darn. We hold a high standard for energy and effort, and the rest, we can’t really control whether it gets in the hoop or not,” Wawner said. “They were tired, but I always tell them, what else would we rather be doing? We get to play hoops. Thinking back, we didn’t have it dialed in yet in terms of our attention to detail and our energy.”
Kauai eventually lost to state champion Kohala, 68-64, in the first round of the state tourney.
“The beauty of it was we lost on a Thursday, and we played Friday against Kauai, a good team. I felt pretty good heading into the Christmas break,” Wawner said.
After an 8-3 preseason with Kealoha still out, the BIIF regular season began with nine wins in a row, including six on the road. A 61-34 win at Ka‘u was followed by a 55-49 overtime victory at Konawaena.
“It’s never easy beating Ka‘u down there, especially not having school three weeks. Then our boarding kids come back and it’s a different energy, and we play on a Monday at Kona. We travel seven guys,” Wawner recalled. “Just a bunch of stuff happened with sickness and wisdom teeth and travel didn’t come back. Michael jammed his finger horribly against St. Joe. Dislocated it.”
Konawaena was also in evolutionary development and would finish fourth in the league before reaching the BIIF final. The road win at Col. Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium was huge for HPA.
“KJ (Walker) was our tallest guy. Ry Bleckel, he was supposed to sit (with an injury), but he played. It took all of those seven. KJ was out of his mind good. Javan was playing like a 4. He’s usually our 2 guard. We’ve got my son, two sophomores in, a gritty tough win (in OT) that was a crucible moment in our year,” Wawner said. “We were locked in from that Kona time through the rest of the year and we got people back week to week. The Kona game really gave us the confidence in who we are and the pride and the attention to detail.”
Nine days after the win at Konawaena, Hawaii Prep drove from Waiaka to Waianuenue Ave. to battle Hilo, the team that blew them out in November. HPA returned home with a stunning 54-44 win.
“That was probably one of our most complete games. Everyone played really well. Obviously, they didn’t play as well as they had been playing. Getting off the bus, we were up 17 at the half. Probably Michael and KJ and Javan (Perez), it was really the first time we played with a little more speed. We saw glimpses of it against Kauai in terms of secondary break, getting in transition, we were effective on defense for 32 minutes,” Wawner said.
Two days later, on Jan. 17, HPA escaped with a 30-28 win over Kealakehe.
“We should’ve lost that game. You just fight and hang around because nothing’s going right and they’re playing well. We found a way at the game. I wanted to leave out of the side door at halftime. We were down 7-0 after one quarter. They had a good defensive plan. Javan Perez just willed us to win. He made a couple plays, offensive rebounds, steals, if he’s not playing that hard, we lose,” Wawner said.
On Jan. 22, HPA traveled to Kamehameha-Hawaii. Just two days earlier, Hawaii Prep had played at Keaau. Fatigue could’ve been a factor, but Ka Makani pulled out a 51-50 win over the Warriors. KS-Hawaii later won the BIIF D-I title.
“Another wild one. It would be funny to hear from Coach (Mea) Wong to get his perspective. We both felt like we won it, we lost it, won it, lost it. A wild one. We were lucky get out of there with a win. It’s great just to compete on their court on their court,” Wawner said. “Coach Wong is a good coach.”
Close wins and losses revert to the mean for most teams. Three days after the win at KS-Hawaii, HPA host Waiakea and fell in overtime, 49-46, its first league loss.
“They tied it at the end of regulation. We should have won, so those close games balance out,” Wawner said. “We were OK being in close games.”
With two regular-season games left, HPA was still in position to finish with a share of first place among all D-I and D-II schools in the BIIF.
“That whole stretch with two games to play in the regular season, you don’t know who’s going to win. Credit to our group, they just fought,” Wawner said.
HPA overwhelmed Honokaa on the road, 56-42, and fought off Kohala, 69-59, at Castle Gymnasium.
“That was a pretty special night here in Waimea,” Wawner said of the win over rival Kohala. “At that time, they had a half-game on us for the (Division II) league (regular-season) title. There was a lot of good energy around them and we’d won the league twice, so we felt like we had to bring our side of the fight. The gym was packed, such a good environment for a high school game. Hopefully, it’s a game our fans will never forget. In my 11 years, that’s the best energy in the gym we’ve had. Granted, most of the were from Kohala, but it was awesome.”
Hawaii prep then played the same two teams, Honokaa and Kohala, in the BIIF D-II playoffs at Kealakehe. Ka Makani toppled Honokaa, 61-36, and Kohala, 60-42, for the crown.
“Kohala ended up beating Waiakea (in the regular season), so we don’t get the automatic bid. That puts an immense amount of pressure on that first game, you lose, your season is done. But the kids were locked in and played really well. It was Umikoa’s breakout game,” Wawner said. “It’s the first time (in years) we played on the west side (for a playoff). That was nice for the west-side schools. Definitely a different environment.”
Eleven years into life as an HPA coach, Wawner believes the friendly rivalry with Kohala makes both programs better.
“That’s what I mean when it’s hard to describe our season. We’re playing our best basketball. We weren’t running on fumes. We were rolling. As much as I thought, as tough as it is to beat Kohala twice, that’s something our kids should remember for a long time. It was the first time in school history winning the league a third time, with a league that’s so competitive. That’s special,” he said.
Kohala’s fast pace and constant defensive pressure are successful against a plethora of D-I and D-II opponents statewide. HPA’s familiarity with the Cowboys narrows the scope.
“It was kind of similar game plans on both (matchups). We continued to shoot it well. We had a nice inside presence and we were able to handle their pressure and handle it a little bit. Umi added a lot of energy coming in. Offensive rebounds, playing well on the defensive end. We had to mix it up in terms of defending them,” Wawner said. “Their speed can take your size out of the game, so we mixed up zones. Third quarter, we went 1-3-1 a little bit and that helped us. That slowed it down. They didn’t shoot it as well as they normally do. Credit to my kids. They were locked in and playing well.”
The bottom man in that 1-3-1 has the unenviable task of coverage from corner to corner in a crucial role.
“Usually, that’s Tre Walker,” Wawner said. “If not him, then KJ.”
The BIIF playoffs ended on Feb. 5. The state tourney began on Feb. 15.
“Couple of funny things. Our league tournament was two weeks before states, a long time. It’s not an excuse, just a fact. I thought we were good against University. They gave us fits in the first half. We made some shots and got some stops,” Wawner said. “Against Roosevelt, they play that really good extended 2-3 (zone), and we’d struggled with it a little bit through the year. That’s what Hanalani ran, Waiakea ran some. In hindsight, we have a good shooting team and a lot of sets to run against that zone, but that was probably the equalizer.”
Still, Ka Makani had their chances with Roosevelt.
“We got good looks. Fact of the matter is we were up six with about four minutes to play. At the two-minute mark, there were three possessions where they hit two 3s and it was tied. At the end of the day, they made a few more plays at the end. We were at the free-throw line earlier than that where we had a chance to take the lead. The thing I remember clearly is we were getting the looks we wanted to get in the second half and we just couldn’t get it to go down.”
Win or lose, HPA accepted the result with grace.
“As coaches, you have to live with that. Our kids were fighting like heck. It was hard to swallow. Just one of those nights, it breaks your heart for this group,” Wawner said. “We felt we had all the pieces to get back in the final. That’s a special feeling to play in Stan Sheriff Center on the last day. It wasn’t like we could point to something. They had a good game plan and stuck with the zone. They came out with it at the end which I thought would be a benefit for us, but we couldn’t get the ball in the hoop. We were 1-for-4 on free throws in the last minute. Tough locker room after that.”
Coach Wawner chatted about his players and the future.
This season was ________.
Wawner: “It was an amazing journey. Satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time.”
This season was the movie ________.
Wawner: “I’m thinking Rocky III. One, we won our (regular season) league title for the third year in a row, and that’s really hard to do over here on the Big Island. We battled through some adversity. Besides playing in the (consolation) game instead of the state final.”
Review: Starters and key rotation/role players
KJ Walker, 16 ppg, 5-11, Jr.
Wawner: “I felt like he should’ve been player of the year based on his regular season and tournament games. He did everything for us. There are times when we’d go small and he’d guard the other team’s 5 or 4. He’d bring it up and go post up. He’s super smooth and thinks like a coach. He has the respect of his peers, never has to raise his voice. He’s invaluable. It’s good to have him when you roll into another school and he steps off your bus. I’d like him to get ready for the next level, get a little more explosive. He can shoot it well, get to the rim. He’s working on his mid-range game. Getting his own shot with a little more explosiveness.”
Michael Hughes, 10 ppg, 6-0, Sr.
Wawner: “Michael was great. He’s a Division I baseball player. I didn’t know if he was going to play (basketball) this year. I was never more scared than when he dislocated his finger (on his shooting hand. he battled through. He popped it back in but had to follow medical advice. When he was good, we were great. He’s a force. Not a real big guy, but has such explosion around the rim. He kind of anchors our offense. We ran everything through him on the post. I’m thankful he laced them up one more year. I think he had a good experience.”
Tre Walker, 10 ppg, 5-7, So.
Wawner: “Tre, he had the ball in his hands as a 10th grader a ton. Played a lot of minutes. Handled the ball against pressure. Ran the operation for us. Guarded the other team’s point guard. He’s a fighter, man. He brings toughness to our group. What he’s working on this summer is add some dimensions to his off hand. Work on his athleticism.”
Javan Perez, 10 ppg BIIF, 5-10, Sr.
Wawner: “Javan, heart and soul guy. Just a tough, fierce competitor. In our man schemes, we put Javan on the other team’s best player regardless of position and we help. He’s been doing that for four years. He’s a dependable shooter for us. When he scores, an aggressive offensive player, we’re really good. Him adding a 3-point shot to his game was really valuable for us this year. He was tireless. We’re really going to miss him. He would outwork people.”
Umikoa Kealoha, 6-2, Sr.
Wawner: “I felt like how he came back when he came back gave us a shot in the arm. He added a dimension, I’d throw him in as one of the three guys subbing in at around the 4-minute mark (in the first quarter). I think he played Waiakea a couple of minutes, Kohala a couple of minutes, then he kind of blew up in the BIIF tournament. He’s an athletic dude, a college-level athlete. He was the quarterback on the football team.”
Justin Lina, 5-8, Jr.
Wawner: “Justin was one of those three that goes in at the four-minute mark. Really athletic. Really helped us defensively and gained more and more confidence offensively. He had a really good BIIF tournament, as well.”
Ry Bleckel, 6-2, Sr.
Wawner: “Classic, selfless senior. Started most games for us. Just smart, always in the right spot. Not a huge stat guy, just a great effort and good basketball player.”
Did the rotation change?
Wawner: “We always kind of blended. Tried to get 10 in every game. Sometimes we could do all 12. My son, Bear, Justin, Todd, Umikoa were kind of in that group that would come in and we would mix and match from there throughout the game.”
Who or what surprised you most?
Wawner: “I was really excited that this group came together the way they did one more time. The culture of this team is really strong. It continued to get tighter and more productive as the season went on. I don’t want this group to be defined by the state semifinal. What they did is historic. Those games were battles and they won 11 of them (out of 12) and won the (D-II) tournament, so I’m really proud of this group as a whole. I’m not surprised, but it was hard to do. Very few teams realize their potential, fight through stuff, and I proud of their journey.”
What were the most adverse challenges?
Wawner: “We thrived in the adversity of close games. That’s a character trait of a good team. I think, you know, down to waking up on that last game of the season, picking up your head and playing the consolation game, they rallied and played for each other. In a season that went so well and ended so abruptly, that’s handling adversity and I’m proud of them for that.”
What was the peak and what was the low?
Wawner: “Our message is always to never to get too high or too low and this team did a good job of doing their work every day, and enjoying their work. That kept us out of the peaks and valleys. We were comfortable climbing the ladder, playing with enough gas in the tank in the league tournament. It wasn’t a matter of us running out of gas in the (post-season).”
What will you miss about this group?
Wawner: “The culture. It’s different every year for every team. You try to establish it in similar ways. We try to align with the school’s core values, and it doesn’t always happen, but this group has maintained it for four years. That’s going to be hard for the next group to carry it on, but that’ll be the group. Mainly, it’s a fun group. That’s what I’ll miss if it goes away, the joy of being around them.”
What are you anticipating for offseason and next year?
Wawner: “The way we’re built as a boarding school, it’s tough to keep everyone together. We just had a Zoom meeting for the guys returning, they set up their individual goals and we’re working on plans to get individual goals. It won’t be much different this summer. They’ll continue to feel that pain as motivation and they certainly have some high goals for next season as they should.”
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