There was no shortage of local sports stories that captured the attention of the Hawaii populace in 2022. Politics played an outsized role in some of them, crisscrossing with noteworthy moments for athletes in the professional, college, high school and youth ranks.
Here are the five stories that Spectrum News covered that stood out in the calendar year.
1. The Stadium Saga
The year began with the languishing New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District project at a crossroads. It seemingly had a clear path forward with the Legislature clearing $400 million over the summer for a new venue in Halawa – until then-Gov. David Ige halted the project in the fall over a disagreement over whether it should be state-run or a public-private partnership. Finally, new Gov. Josh Green pledged the stadium would go forward under the original P3 model, emphasizing affordable housing on the 98-acre site. A 2027 opening is still the target, but possibly at a reduced 25,000 capacity due to the delays and ever-escalating costs.
Meanwhile, the University of Hawaii expressed reservations about the NASED project and was noncommittal on Ige’s plan to have it take a leadership role in the development and maintenance of a new Halawa stadium. UH is about to embark on a $30 million project to further upgrade the on-campus Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex to up to 17,000 seats for at least the next four seasons of UH football.
2. Hawaii men’s volleyball goes back to back
In 2021, the Hawaii men’s volleyball team dominated in front of empty seats behind some top-shelf All-Americans for the program’s first national title since the 2002 edition was stripped for use of an ineligible player. In 2022, the Rainbow Warriors repeated in a season that coincided with the return of fans to games, but with an egalitarian theme and up-and-comers like Greek pin hitters Spyros Chakas and Dimitrios Mouchlias unaccustomed to the trappings of stardom. After falling to rival Long Beach State twice at the Walter Pyramid in the Big West regular season, UH, led by star setter Jakob Thelle, returned the favor in the Big West tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center.
When the Beach was still granted the top seed for the NCAA tournament, Charlie Wade’s team shrugged and emerged from deeper in the bracket to sweep the Beach in the national title game at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on May 7.
UH’s campaign for a three-peat begins on Jan. 12 against Ball State. The Rainbow Warriors return their entire starting lineup and figure to factor into the national title picture again.
3. Timmy Chang takes the reins of the Braddahhood
In a matter of days in January, one of the best quarterbacks in University of Hawaii history went from being a promising position coach in the Mountain West Conference to the head coach of his alma mater.
Timmy Chang, who’d just moved to Colorado State with his Nevada boss Jay Norvell, was ushered into the job by UH Athletic Director David Matlin on Jan. 22, a week after Todd Graham resigned from the position amid a controversial end to a two-year tenure; Graham was accused of verbal and mental mistreatment from multiple players and a crop of UH’s most talented athletes left for the NCAA transfer portal, including quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who ended up at Mountain West rival San Jose State. In addition, Chang was named the coach right after a bizarre public spat between UH and ex-coach June Jones, just weeks after UH officials and Graham were grilled by state legislators.
Chang resolved to rebuild the program around its new mantra, the “Braddahhood,” but recognized it would be a tough process in Year 1 with a rebuilt roster and a makeshift, 9,300-seat on-campus venue in the Ching Complex. UH went 3-10 in Chang’s first season as a head coach at any level, but capped off the home schedule with a win over UNLV.
4. Honolulu Little League wins World Series title
A local team authored one of the most convincing championships in the history of the Little League World Series.
Behind dominant pitching and equally remarkable hitting, Honolulu Little League blew through the field for the state’s fourth all-time LLWS title, including two by manager Gerald Oda’s Honolulu teams in the last four editions of the tournament. Hawaii’s 11- and 12-year-olds won via mercy rule in four of their six games and finished with 60 runs scored and five runs against. Their 14 home runs nearly matched the total of the rest of the other 19 teams on the field.
They capped it off with a 13-3, four-inning mercy rule game against Curacao for the championship on Aug. 28 in Williamsport, Pa. Jaron Lancaster struck out 10 in a three-hitter, and Kama Angell was 4-for-4 at the plate with six RBIs.
Upon returning home, they were the toast of the town.
5. Kahuku football continues local dominance
Everything lined up for state championship No. 10 for the storied powerhouse on the North Shore.
A star-studded Kahuku senior class, with players bound for college destinations such as Texas, Utah and Oregon State, made it their mission to back up their breakthrough 2021 Open Division title with one for the road. The Red Raiders lost twice to mainland powerhouse teams in 2022 but were otherwise unblemished; they shut out Punahou 20-0 in the HHSAA championship game for their 22nd straight win over local opposition on Nov. 26.
The defense, led by senior linebackers Liona Lefau and Leonard Ah You, set the tone in limiting the Buffanblu to 197 yards of offense. Quarterback Waika Crawford and running back Va’aimalae Fonoti did damage with their legs, and receiver/utility star Kainoa Carvalho was back in top form after missing most of the season with an ankle injury.
Given the talent it’s losing to graduation, Kahuku will face a stiff task for a third straight state title in 2023. Still, the Red Raiders have a devastatingly effective system in place under coach Sterling Carvalho and may well find themselves in contention again.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.