LIVE UPDATE: Water Polo State Quarterfinals

Kamehameha is playing host to the Stanford Carr Development/HHSAA State Water Polo Championships for the first time in the event’s 15-year history.

Friday’s semifinals are set. It’s No. 2 Baldwin vs. host Kamehameha at 5:45 p.m., followed by No. 1 Punahou (the 10-time defending state champion) vs. No. 4 Kamehameha-Hawaii at 7.

Here’s a quick summary of today’s four quarterfinal matches of the as they happen at Kalani‘opu‘u Aquatic Center.

KS-Hawaii and Baldwin became the first pair of neighbor island teams to make the state semifinals since 2007. They are on opposite sides of the bracket.

ILH runner-up Kamehameha edged OIA champ Kahuku by scoring a couple of clutch fourth-quarter goals, while Punahou flexed the might of its whole roster in coasting past OIA runner-up Kaiser in the nightcap.

Game 1
No. 4 Kamehameha-Hawaii 9, Roosevelt 5
Behind six goals from senior Lahela Rosario, the Warriors (15-0) became the first neighbor island team to advance to the semifinals since KSH did it in 2011.
BIIF champ Kamehameha-Hawaii led 6-2 going into the fourth. The Rough Riders (14-4), the third-place team out of the OIA, closed to 7-4 before the Warriors reasserted control to win comfortably.
“The first game’s always a tough one because we’ve played in our league but we haven’t played an Oahu team since preseason,” said Dan Lyons, 14-year KSH coach. “So, it’s getting this one out of the way. I never think you play this game very well; you kind of have to struggle through it. But the girls made some nice plays and created some things. But regardless tomorrow night, whether we play Punahou or Kaiser, we gotta play better.”
Roosevelt ousted Lahainaluna in Kihei in the first round Monday but could not make it a third straight year making it to the semifinals.

Game 2
No. 2 Baldwin 16, Kalaheo 7
Bears senior Rebecca Buenrostro Gallimore scored seven goals and MIL champion Baldwin (13-0) advanced to the semifinals for the first time in its ninth state appearance.
Baldwin’s strong preseason results (including a win over eventual OIA champ Kahuku) helped earn it the No. 2 seed — traditionally the province of the Red Raiders — and the Bears justified the positioning with a dominant effort over the OIA’s fourth-place squad.
“It’s historic. I’m really proud of the girls,” fourth-year Bears coach Shawn Donohue said. “I think they worked hard all year long to earn the seed they got, get the game they played, and get there (to the semis). It’s great for us.”
The Bears jumped out to a huge halftime lead and were content to go goal-for-goal with Kalaheo (10-7) in the second half. The Mustangs, in their first state appearance, were coming off a 10-9 first-round win over Kealakehe on the Big Island on Monday in which they stormed back from four goals down in the fourth quarter.

Game 3
Kamehameha 8, No. 3 Kahuku 6
In a tense, back-and-forth game, the host Warriors (8-3) skimmed by and into the semifinals for the fourth straight year. ILH runner-up Kamehameha got goals from Mahie Lee and Laakea Dedrick after the nine-time OIA champion Red Raiders (13-2) rallied to tie it at 6 early in the fourth.
Dedrick and freshman Shaye Story led the Warriors with three goals each, while Lee added two.
It was the earliest winners-bracket exit ever in states for Kahuku, which had advanced to the semifinals in all previous 14 runnings of the tournament. Kahuku is the only team to beat an ILH foe in states — over ‘Iolani in 2013.
Grace Rittenhouse led the Red Raiders with three goals, while Sophia Wilson added two. Wilson’s skimmer shot tied it up for the last time with 4:53 to play.
But an open Lee scored from straightaway with 2:41 left and Dedrick scored a critical clinching goal with 38 seconds left.

Game 4
No. 1 Punahou 14, Kaiser 2
Dani Kauahi scored four goals, Dillyn Lietzke added three and Christina Hicks two as the 10-time defending champion Buffanblu (10-0) moved to 37-0 all-time in state tournament play.
“First game of the tournament, we just wanted to come out and be aggressive, get in kind of a rhythm, and get the other team out of their rhythm by pressing hard on defense and counterattacking,” longtime Punahou coach Ken Smith said. “Get a lot of movement and get ourselves geared up for the rest of the week.”
OIA runner-up Kaiser (15-2) wrapped up the most successful season in school history with two goals by Kanoko Niimura.

Schedule