The Kalani boys pulled a huge upset in the OIA Air-Riflery semifinals on Saturday, beating defending champion and host Pearl City by the narrowest of margins.
The Falcons move on the face Leilehua for the league team championship next Saturday, also at Pearl City.
The Falcons got solid performances from each of their shooters to down the Chargers by two points, 1,872, 1870. Pearl City hit the target 23 times to Kalani’s 20, but the Falcons were more accurate around the ring.
Kalani’s Shane Xu led all shooters with 495 points. He was accurate from all three positions, leadeing everyone with 184 points in the prone, finishing second to teammate Johnny Tu with 140 points in the standing and beat all comers with 171 points (on three bullseyes) in the kneeling.
Tu scored 469 points for the Falcons while Austin Neumeier carded a 457 and Benjamin Raff scored a 451. Shane Inouye shot a 423 and Blake Yamamoto had a 418 for the Falcons, but only the top four scores for each team count.
Chayto Otsuka was strongest in the loss for the Chargers, shooting a 478 with a match-high seven bulls. Zane Grzeskzak contributed a 475, Travis Ibera had a 467 and Blaze Lovel put up at 450.
Leilehua made the final an all-East affair with an easy win over West second-seed Moanalua, 2007-1860.
The Mules had three different shooters score more than 500 points while the top shooter for Na Menehune managed only a respectable 475.
Joshua Mauricio led the way for Leilehua with 514 points, followed by Bennet Cariaga with 510 and James Sison with 505.
Mauricio started strong with seven bulls in the prone, but Moanalua’s Scott Wesly beat him 184-182 for top honors at that position. Mauricio rallied for the top score in the standing with a 161, 17 points better than Moanalua’s best shooter. Cariaga closed out Na Menenune with a 182 in the kneeling.
Joshua Shin was Leilehua’s fourth point-scorer with a 478, but Daniel Santos (471) and Christian Chavez-Jiminez (469) were there in case he faltered.
Matthew Pak led Moanalua with a 475.
Pearl City girls show off depth
The boys OIA final will be all East, but the league’s best girl shooters are in the West.
Ashley Somera and Kristi Takaki each shot a 521 and Pearl City blew out Roosevelt to return to the OIA Final.
The Chargers had five shooters go over 500 points and their sixth shooter beat all but one Rough Rider. Only the top four scorers count in the team points.
Kristi-Lin Wasano added a 517 and Kiara-Lin Wasano scored 505. Danielle Tanabe carded a 504 and Jennifer Loui shot a 496.
Roosevelt’s Kristen Kaulia shot a 188 to lead everyone in the prone on her way to a 504 total. Takaki led all shooters with a 169 in the standing and Somera was excellent in the kneeling with a 176, including six bulls to go with the seven she registered in the prone and one in the standing.
Roosevelt had only five shooters to Pearl City’s six.
But at least they competed. Moanalua reached next Saturday’s OIA team championship against Pearl City when Leilehua forfeited.
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