Punahou junior outside hitter Ryan Wilcox was named the Star-Advertiser’s player of the year for boys volleyball in Sunday’s newspaper, continuing an unprecedented three-year run for the program.
Wil Stanley was the player of the year last year and Micah Ma’a took the award after the previous season. In all, the Buffanblu had five players on the Fab 15, for the third straight year. No other program has ever had more than three. Punahou also got five players on the 2008 squad.
Wilcox repeated as a Fab 15 selection, joined by Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Avery Enriques as a second-time selection. The other 13 players are on the list for the first time. Wilcox will have a chance to get his third selection next year and if he can repeat as the player of the year he would be the first since Punahou’s Spencer McLachlin in 2006.
Isaac Kneuble of Kamehameha was the only other repeat POY, but Evan Enriques of Kamehameha-Hawaii won it in 2012 and 2014.
Guy Enriques of Kamehameha-Hawaii was chosen as the coach of the year for the third time, only Punahou’s Rick Tune has more with four. Punahou’s Peter Balding (3) and Iolani’s Mike Among (2) are the only other coaches with multiple selections.
Here are a few notes on this year’s selection, followed by a chart with every Fab 15 selection all-time:
>> HBA has had at least one player on the All-State team every year since 2009.
>> ‘Iolani has two players on the Fab 15 after being shut out the last two years. The last time the Raiders had multiple All-State selections was 2011, when Logan Nowack and Gabriel Vega were chosen.
>> Jon Stanley is Kaiser’s first-ever All-State selection.
>> Kamehameha did not have a selection this year, the first time ever.
>> This is the first time in three years that King Kekaulike did not have a player on the first team. Don Thompson made it last year and Colton Cowell was on it in 2015.
>> Kamehameha-Hawaii has had at least one player on the Fab 15 every year since being shut out in 2010. A member of the Enriques family has been Fab 15 every year since 2011 when Evan Enriques broke through.
>> Mililani got two players on the Fab 15 for the second straight year. Before that, Reid Pangelian was their lone All-State first teamer, making it in 2009.
>> Moanalua has had at least one player on the first team every year since 2010.
>> Punahou has had at least one player on every All-State team since being shut out in 2003.
>> Kolby Aiona is Waiakea’s first Fab 15 selection since Mamane Namahoe picked up his second in 2014.
Congrats to all Fab 15 selections and mentions! Special shout-out to #10 Zack Miyamoto – nice young man (almost to a fault), courteous/respectful, leads by example and does not posture or show up others on/off court, talented (well-rounded vb skills – can set, hit, pass, dig, or serve and high vb IQ; also plays the sax) and smart (2017 MOHS Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, class valedictorian). The best to you, ZM!