With the girls basketball state title suddenly and surprisingly up for grabs this past season, the Konawaena Wildcats went full throttle and never took their foot off the gas pedal in the race for the championship.

The season ended with the Wildcats on top for the second time in four years and their lead driver, senior Jazzmin Awa-Williams, being named Advertiser State Player of the Year after a recent close vote of coaches and members of the media.

Awa-Williams, a 5-foot-9 forward, averaged 18 points per game in helping Konawaena go undefeated (17-0) in the regular and postseason. After being named Big Island Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year for leading the Wildcats to their third league title in four years, Awa-Williams capped her brilliant career with three more outstanding performances in the state tournament.

In a quarterfinal victory over Kalani, she played all 32 minutes, scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had two assists. The next night, despite foul trouble, Awa-Williams scored 27 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two assists to help Konawaena rally past 'Iolani, 50-41.

And in the title game, she again played all 32 minutes, scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished four assists and made three steals as the Wildcats held off two-time defending champion Punahou, 59-47.

But aside from the numbers, Awa-Williams also proved her worth as a leader. As the only holdover starter from the 2004 state championship team, her confidence rubbed off on younger and less-experienced teammates as Konawaena displayed steady poise when the season climaxed.

One example of Awa-Williams' leadership was her free throw shooting, especially in crucial moments. She was 8 for 10 from the line against Kalani, 14 for 18 against 'Iolani and 3 for 4 against Punahou; for the tournament, she made 25 of 32 (78.1 percent).

Awa-Williams narrowly edged Honoka'a senior Keisha Kanekoa for Player of the Year honors. The other three players named to The Advertiser's All-State first team were 'Iolani junior Jamie Smith, Roosevelt junior Iwalani Rodrigues and Kamehameha senior Analee Viena-Lota.

Kanekoa, a 5-6 guard, averaged 18 points per game and put on two of the most spectacular all-around state tournament performances in recent memory.

In a stunning 53-45 quarterfinal upset of No. 1 seed Roosevelt, she scored 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds, had three assists, made two steals and had one block.

The very next night, she topped that performance with 32 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block in a 47-41 semifinal loss to Punahou.

As a point guard, Kanekoa also shouldered much of the Dragons' burden of breaking the Buffanblu's relentless full-court pressure.

"She's a fighter, all the way to the end," Honoka'a coach Shawna Lau Kong said. "She did whatever she had to do, even taking charges in the fourth quarter. She just has that kind of heart."

Like Awa-Williams and Kanekoa, Smith also was a unanimous choice among voters. A 6-foot center, she averaged 16.7 points per game and was named Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year.

In the ILH title game against Kamehameha, Smith scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked five shots as the Raiders won, 53-46, for their first league crown since 1996.

Rodrigues, a 5-9 guard, averaged 16.3 points per game in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association and was named Eastern Division Player of the Year after leading the Rough Riders to their second straight league championship.

She had 22 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the OIA title game victory over Radford.

Viena-Lota, a 5-9 forward, averaged 14.5 points per game and scored a career-high 27 against Punahou in the regular season finale to force the special title playoff against 'Iolani. Her smooth all-around game and leadership helped the Warriors go 11-3 in the ILH and come within one point of advancing to the state tournament, falling just short in an overtime loss to Punahou in the league's postseason tournament.

Konawaena's Bobbie Awa and Punahou's Mike Taylor shared Coach of the Year honors.

Awa guided a short-handed Wildcats team to a perfect regular and postseason. Konawaena had only 10 players on the roster and used only five for most of the state championship game.

Taylor guided the Buffanblu to a surprising state runner-up finish despite losing their two best players, Shawna-Lei and Shaena-Lyn Kuehu, for the entire season to knee injuries.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.