The crowds were packed and full of energy at the Na Menehune Boys Basketball senior night this past Tuesday, January 28th. Parents, siblings, friends, former coaches, scouts, teachers, and other Moanalua sports fans filled the gym, and there was rarely a moment of silence throughout the whole night. The crowd roared, and our seniors, along with their underclassmen, gave a 110% effort to make the seniors’ last regular-season home game a victorious evening to remember.
The Menehune defeated the Farrington Governors with a large 24-point lead, winning comfortably with a score of 75-51. The atmosphere was undeniably vibrant; the players seemed to receive the positivity and passion from the fans and used it to perform well on the court.
The Na Menehune celebrated five seniors: Guard Tramir Ladipo, Forward Maddix Saelua, Guard Brent Campbell, Forward Wei Abrahamzon, and Center Colt Faradineh. A majority of the seniors have played for Moanalua’s basketball team since their freshman year; for others, this is their first year being a part of the team.
Senior Tramir Ladipo has played for the Menehune for all four years, playing JV for his first two years. Ladipo commented, “When I was a freshman, I got to see my brother’s senior night, and I got to throw him a lob for his last basket, but I messed it up. Today, he threw me a lob on my senior night, and he messed it up too; it was like a full-circle moment.” Ladipo expressed that he was very happy and incredibly thankful that his friends, family, and teammates could come out to celebrate him on his senior night.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the court, Senior Colt Faradineh has only been a part of the Menehune for one season. Faradineh told us, “It was very welcoming; even though this was my first and only year being on the team, the environment still felt like home.”
Though it was senior night, the spotlight during the game was on a freshman-junior guard duo. Junior Dylan Sogawa and freshman Chazen Dabalos-Vereze both led the team in scoring with 14 points apiece. Thanks to their efforts, the seniors ended their last regular-season home game with a victory.
Overall, the atmosphere in the Moanalua High School gym was electric, with bleachers packed with supportive parents, students, staff, and friends. This win, along with a memorable senior night ceremony has led Moanalua into the playoffs with good vibes and high spirits.
