The 2016 Chevron Hawaii/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships begin Friday. To get you ready, we will preview the matchups in each weight class for both boys and girls.
FIRST ROUND
Corbett def. Adiniwin, 3:57
Transfiguracion def. Canancio, 12-7
Miyasaki def. Boland, 10-6
Carreriro def. Joy, 5:57
Lealamanua def. Wengler, 7-4
Leanio def. Alvarado, 3:09
Kim def. Deponte, :47
Pascua def. Esperas, 3:05
QUARTERFINALS
Corbett def. Transfiguracion, technical fall ,19-3
Miyasaki def. Carreiro, 5-3
Leanio def. Lealamanua, 2:57
Pascua def. Kim, 1:10
Liam Corbett, Leilehua
vs.
Richard Adinwin, Moanalua
Mason Canancio, Punahou
vs.
Rammell Transfiguracion, Kealakehe
Corbett threw the state tournament on its ear two weeks ago when he dropped from 160 to 152 to presumably challenge fellow state champion KJ Pascua. That means one of the state’s best wrestlers will walk out of the Blaisdell without a second state title but should they meet they will both know that they can handle anything the college game can throw at them. Corbett is a three-time state placer, two time state finalist and defending state champion. He looked unstoppable on his way to a third OIA title last week and beaten everyone in front of him. Poor Adinwin, whose top claim is being second in the OIA East, is Corbett’s first target. Like Corbett, Canancio wrestled at 160 most of the year and will get a shot at the famous Transfiguracion name.
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Dominic Boland, Damien
vs.
Kaleo Miyasaki, Hilo
Zhachary Carreiro, Waianae
vs.
Laakea Joy, Baldwin
There are no state placers in this quad, MIL champion Joy is probably the favorite. He wrestled at 160 for most of the year and took fourth at Officials, losing twice to Kamehameha’s Cullen Slavens. If that is the reason he dropped to 152, it may not have been a wise move since Corbett came with him. He can still win this quad easily, though, Carreiro was sixth in the OIA West and got his state seeding when Radford’s Michael Watson forfeited after beating him earlier. Damien’s Boland was sixth at MIT in December but is in the state tournament for the first time while Miyasaki won his first-round match last year before being knocked out by Alvarado.
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Manu Wengler, KS-Hawaii
vs.
Jacob Lealamanua, Kamehameha
Madison Leanio, Kauai
vs.
Trevor Alvarado, Pearl City
Alvarado is the only state placer in this bunch, he fought back for sixth last year after being pinned by Pascua in the second round. The Chargers has certainly taken steps forward this year, but the best he could do was third at MIT. He wrestled only one match before the final at the OIA championships and he was blown out by Corbett. Should he get past Leanio, who was winless at states last year, he would get either the BIIF champ or Kamehameha’s Lealamanua. Neither of them wrestled on the big stage last year, that has to help Alvarado.
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Diego Deponte, Molokai
vs.
Nicholas Kim, Mililani
Kawena Esperas, Castle
vs.
Brian Pascua, Iolani
Pascua has been described as college ready right now, and this weekend will test that. Pascua has been to two state finals and won last year. He just wrapped up his third ILH title and a looming battle with Corbett is probably the best thing for him since he destroyed everyone in this weight class at Officials. Esperas gets the unlucky draw against Pascua in the first round, he battled hard last week but took fifth after being pinned by Kim in under a minute. Kim has been steadily rising since taking fifth at Officials because of an injury. Both Kim and Depont are making their state debuts.
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