State girls basketball championships have come in pairs recently for three Interscholastic League of Honolulu schools.
‘Iolani won titles in 1995 and ’96, Punahou in 1997 and ’98, and Kamehameha the past two seasons.
The three schools have combined to win the past 14 state championships, with Kamehameha winning seven, ‘Iolani four and Punahou three.
Last season, Kamehameha finished with a 24-0 record to become the state’s first undefeated girls team in 22 years.
But you won’t hear coach Clay Cockett bragging.
"I don’t like to talk about the championships," Cockett said. "We don’t talk about the past, about what happened last year. We concentrate on getting better."
The Warriors suffered a huge setback a month ago when sharpshooter Ashley DeSilva fractured her right (nonshooting) wrist in a car accident.
The 5-foot-6 senior guard will be out for at least another month, according to Cockett.
The Warriors still have seniors Tai Soo, a 5-9 forward, and Noelle Russell, a 5-7 guard.
‘Iolani has a first-year coach in Glenn Takara while Punahou coach Shelley Fey has announced that this will be her last season.
The Raiders’ strength will be their backcourt of Monica Tokoro, a 5-4 senior, and Trisha Nishimoto, a 5-5 junior.
Tokoro was a second-team all-state selection last season.
"She’s a mighty mite," Cockett said. "She’s been around for a long time and is a real smart player. She’s not intimidated by taller people."
Takara has served as an assistant coach on the boys intermediate, junior varsity and varsity division II teams. He coached the girls junior varsity team in 1990 and ’91.
"The girls I have right now, they practice hard and always give me their full effort," Takara said. "My job is to build the program, intermediate through varsity. I’m looking forward to the challenge."
Fey, who said she wanted to spend more time with her family and pursue other opportunities at Punahou, coached the Buffanblu to three state titles in the past 11 years. In 1994, she became the first woman to coach a state championship basketball team.
"I was thinking about (resigning) for a while," Fey said. "The girls heard a few things about it. They were supportive and understanding. For several of them, it’s their last year, too."
The Buffanblu have four starters returning from a team that finished third at the state tournament.
Punahou will be led by senior Milia Macfarlane, a first-team all-state selection last season.
Macfarlane, a 5-5 guard, has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Hawai‘i next season.
"Milia is one of the team captains," Fey said. "She’s been working on shooting from the outside and driving to the basket."
Punahou will play three games in Los Angeles during spring break.
Mid-Pacific may also contend for the ILH championship. Darin Lee was named Coach of the Year last season after guiding the Owls to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.
