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
Louis advances with a bye
Bito def. Nitta, 14-0
Cardus def. Kahunahana, 4-3
Dimaggio def. Eieta, 2:37
Fautanu def. Gushi, 4-3
Toldeo def. Cardinez, 3:43
Allen def. Pires, 19-3
Young def. Arakawa, 9-8
QUARTERFINALS
Louis def. Bito, 8-6
Cardus def. Teruya Dimaggio, 2:20
Fautanu def. Toledo, 5-4
Young def. Allen, 5-3
Pulama Louis, Kealakehe
vs.
James Allen, Leilehua
Aaron Bito, Moanalua
vs.
Thomas Nitta, Mid-Pacific
This weight class is wide open, as evidenced by BIIF champ Louis being the top seed. He didn’t travel during the preseason and didn’t make it to Saturday in the championship bracket last year, falling to Moanalua’s Spencer Yashiki 5-4 in the second round. He fought back to take fifth and is one of the few state placers here. Allen didn’t compete in states last year, he was second in the OIA West this year and went 2-2 in the OIA championships. Aaron Bito went into the OIAs third in the East and was much more impressive in the championships, losing by a point to Arakawa and fighting back to earn third with a 10-0 win over Whitehead in the third-place match. Nitta was the most impressive in this quad in December, traveling to Maui for the Garner Ivey and taking second ahead of all Hawaii competitors.
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Caleb Cardus, Waianae
vs.
Trever Kahunahana, Kamehameha
Charles Naone, Nanakuli
vs.
Keola Teruya Dimaggio, Maui
Dimaggio, the MIL champ, is another in his first state tournament and did not place in the preseason. Naone didn’t place in preseason and went into the OIA championships as the fifth best in the West but scrapped his way to sixth in the OIA after being pinned by Bito in the winner’s bracket and Gushi in the fifth-place match. Kahunahana placed fifth at Officials and fourth in a round robin a week later but rebounded to make states for the first time. Cardus has not been to the dance before, either, but it was obvious early this year that he would be getting to the Blaisdell this week. He wrestled at 195 in the preseason, traveling to the MIT and taking second ahead of all Hawaii wrestlers then came home to take second at Officials behind Campbell’s Tynanes. He won a round robin at 195 before dropping down and taking first in the OIA West at 182. He was as good as advertised in the OIA championships, riding the top seed all the way to the final before losing a close one 9-8 to Arakawa.
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Saiaiga Fautanu, ‘Iolani
vs.
Gage Whitehead, Kahuku
Micah Cardinez, Kauai
vs.
Taulelei Toledo, Hilo
Fautanu started the season as the class of this weight class, winning the Officials tournament but lapsing to a second place in a round robin a week later. He rebounded to take his first ILH championship at the end of the season. Fautanu lost his first round match to the BIIF champ last year, being pinned in 1:15 but he won a match before bowing out. Whitehead finished second to Fautanu 3-1 at Officials this year, setting up a rematch in the first round at states. He lost to Arakawa last week but bounced back to take fourth, losing 10-0 to Bito. As familiar as Fautanu and Whitehead are with each other, Cardinez and Toledo both stayed home in December and will be making their first state tournament appearances.
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Chadrach Gushi, Campbell
vs.
Kekoa Pires, KS-Hawaii
Kauanoe Kaili, Damien
vs.
Micah Arakawa, Kaiser
Arakawa is a rare state placer in this bracket, taking fifth last year after actually making the semifinals before losing two major decisions in a row and taking fifth because of a forfeit by Punahou’s Cody Martinson. He was busy in December, taking third in the MIT and third at Officials at 170 pounds before moving up to 182. Once there, he won a round robin, took first in the OIA East and beating all comers to take his first OIA championship. Kaili wrestled 170 last year and lost to Kapolei’s Marumoto at states last year, he didn’t place in the preseason but took third in a round robin and has state experience. Pires went 0-2 at states last year, losing by a first period pin and a technical fall. Gushi wasn’t at states last year, he made his mark this year at the OIA tournament where he wrestled Cardus close and pinned Naone for fifth place.
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