ISLE FILE
Lihu'e wins Pop Warner Super Bowl
Advertiser Staff
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The Lihu'e Patriots defeated the Hollister Vikings (San Jose, Calif.), 14-0, yesterday to claim Hawai'i's first Pop Warner Super Bowl title at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla.
The Patriots, playing in Pee Wee Division II for 9- to 11-year-olds, rallied to defeat the East Tampa Bay Bandits, 14-6, in their first game Monday to advance to the title game.
"(It's) an amazing feeling up here in Florida," said coach Mario Longboy. "We came against the best, and these boys played their hearts out for us, representing the state of Hawai'i, and they did it."
Winning must run in the Longboy family. Three weeks ago, Mario's wife Nadine, won the weekly Pigskin Picks contest, receiving a trip for two to Las Vegas and $500.
"I said, 'You may have won the Pigskin Picks, but my team took the nationals,' " he said.
Quarterback Taran Tani scored both Lihu'e touchdowns in the title game. Both came in the fourth quarter. He scored on a 2-yard run at 8:26 and a 22-yard run with 1:29 left. Kalen Kimura kicked the extra point after the second touchdown. In Pop Warner, a point-after-touchdown kick is worth two points while a run is worth one point.
According to Pop Warner officials, Lihu'e is the first Hawai'i team to win a championship since the competition moved to Orlando in 1996. A Hawai'i team, either in the Pee Wee or Midget divisions, is invited every year. The first Pop Warner Disneyland Bowl was held in 1956.
Another Hawai'i team, the Nanakuli Hawks, competed in the Pee Wee Division I for 9- to 11-year-olds, and finished 1-1 . The Hawks lost their first game to Dr. Phillips Panthers, 22-0, Sunday, and defeated the Boston Raiders, 20-0, on Thursday.
SURFING
CHAPMAN LEADS CHARGE
Kalani Chapman led three Hawai'i surfers and Brazilian Bruno Santos into the main event draw of the Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters yesterday.
Chapman scored several perfect-10 rides in waves ranging from 10 to 12 feet at Banzai Pipeline. Chapman dedicated the win in each trial heat to Malik Joyeux of Tahiti, who died last week in a surfing accident at Pipeline.
"It means the world to me to get through the trials, but it will mean more if I win the main event," said Chapman, who will be joined by Hawai'i surfers Dustin Barca and Makua Rothman when the first round begins. "It helps a lot to have the local crowd behind me, too ... it makes me want to go harder. But I said right from the start that this was for Malik. He was a dear friend, he changed my life and he's probably helping me right here today."
The Rip Curl Pro is the final event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Organizers are confident that the first round will be held today as the swell forecast looks positive. The meet can be held anytime between today and Dec. 20.
LIMA SHINES ON MAUI
World title contenders Chelsea Georgeson of Australia and Sofia Mulanovich of Peru advanced through round three of the Billabong Pro Maui yesterday at Honolua Bay.
Georgeson, the current ratings leader, barreled through the elimination round — posting a near-perfect 19.10 two-wave score in the final event on the 2005 ASP Women's World Tour.
Brazil's Silvana Lima, the trials winner and event wildcard, stole the show yesterday with a perfect 10 on her first-ever wave in a World Championship Tour event.
"I saw the wave coming and it looked pretty good, so I thought it must be a good score, an 8.0 or 9.0," Lima said. "I knew the wave was pretty fast, but I went for the barrel, came out and am pretty stoked about it. I think the judges see that I'm here to stay."
Forecasts are currently showing Tuesday as an excellent day to resume competition and run through to the final, but organizers will assess conditions daily.
BASKETBALL
BYUH TRIUMPHS
Austin Smylie had 19 points and 11 rebounds as visiting Brigham Young-Hawai'i defeated Alaska Fairbanks, 76-59, last night in the Glacier Classic.
Eric Boyce hit 7 of 7 free throws to finish with 15 points, and Paul Peterson added 11 points and Wu Tai-hao 10 for BYUH (2-1).
The Seasiders, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, shot 70 percent (14 of 20) in the second half to pull away. BYUH also made 16 of 17 free throws after intermission.
"We made some mistakes early and had a chance to get blown out," said BYUH coach Ken Wagner. "But we settled down and came back to win it."
Jonathan Osborne led Fairbanks (4-2) with 12 points.
HPU FALLS IN OT
Ryan Read scored 34 points and Giovanni St. Amant 26 as The Master's College beat visiting Hawai'i Pacific, 88-84, in overtime last night in a non-conference game at Santa Clarita, Calif.
Read scored five points in the final 14 seconds of regulation and Amant tallied six of The Master's (3-4) 12 points in overtime.
Donnell Dobbins scored 24 points, Joseph Ison added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Audrius Peciukas contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds to pace HPU (1-5).
JUDO
TAKATA SHARES BRONZE
Taylor Takata, a 2000 Iolani School graduate, tied for third in the 66-kilogram division of the British Open last Sunday.
Takata, currently residing at USA Judo National Training Center in Brownsville, Texas, won his first three matches before losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Colin Oates of Great Britain.
Takata then closed with a victory over Japan's Osamu Kawakami.
