The second big wrestling event of the season takes place at Leilehua on Friday and Saturday and the Officials Tournament has some exciting matchups in certain brackets.
Coordinator Rick Williams cautions that it looks like some wrestlers may have entered the wrong weight classes, so a lot can change on on these brackets before tomorrow morning. But if they hold up, it promises to be quite a show over the next two days.
There is a big clash looming in girls 225, where Hawaii Prep World pound-for-pound No. 5 Lavenia Fotu of Farrington and No. 6 Jennie Fuamatu of Pearl City are on opposite sides of their bracket. Fuamatu and Fotu both won state titles last year and are defending champions at Officials.
UPDATE, 11 p.m. Both Corbett and Fotu are ranked second in their weight classes nationally. Fuamatu is unranked.
Fuamatu is no longer entered at 225, so Fotu has an easier road. Instead, the state champion has dropped down to 168 where she can test No. 2 Kelani Corbett after both survive to the final. Corbett has a bye to the quarters.
The other big showdown on the girls side is a battle for Maui supremacy, where Jahnei Miguel of Baldwin and Kauanoe Keahi of Lahainaluna are both in the 138 bracket and both defending state champions. Miguel is No. 8 in the preseason P4P and Keahi is clinging to the No. 10 spot.
Eight of the top 10 wrestlers are entered. No. 1 Teniya Alo of Kahuku is skipping because of an ankle injury and No. 3 Ashley Gooman of Kamehameha is also not entered.
Alo and Gooman have four state championships and two Officials titles between them.
Nine of the top 10 boys are entered into the action, with Leilehua’s Brett Barefoot the lone holdout.
No. 1 Corey Cabanban of Saint Louis is at 126 pounds but Moanalua’s Logan Garcia, who is ranked No. 5, is also on the bracket. Cabanban is going for his third Officials title.
11:11 A.M. UPDATE
Newest brackets are out, Corbett and Fuamatu appears to be still on.
Moanalua’s Logan Garcia disappeared from boys 126, so we won’t get to see a potential matchup between he and No.1 Corey Cabanban of Saint Louis. Isaac Stalcup of Leilehua steps into the second seed in that bracket.
BRACKETS UPDATED AFTER WEIGH INS:
HWOA (Boys) 2017 Brackets
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