In a stunning display of pitching prowess, Josyah Napoleon-Umeda and the Honokaa Dragons silenced the doubters and the Damien Monarchs to claim the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division II state baseball championship with a 3-0 victory on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.
Napoleon-Umeda, a crafty left-hander from the Big Island, was simply unhittable. He struck out nine batters, scattered just three hits and three walks, and never allowed a Damien runner to reach second base. His 104th pitch of the game—a weak ground ball to first baseman Rory Crabbe—sealed the win and sparked a joyous celebration as the Dragons mobbed their hero.
The victory was especially sweet for Honokaa, which entered the game undefeated in 17 contests but still flew under the radar. That's because Damien is nothing short of state royalty in Division II baseball. The Monarchs had won back-to-back titles and boasted an 18-2 record in state tournament history, with an astonishing 86% winning percentage—the highest in state tournament history, ahead of powerhouses like Maryknoll (83%) and Punahou (82%). Honokaa, by contrast, had won just one state tournament game before this season, way back in 2009.
"We wanted to play the best and beat the best," said Honokaa coach Waylon Salazar. "It's just a blessing, good stuff for the kids. We are just super blessed with a super blessed team."
The Dragons struck early and never looked back. After Damien starter Max Detrinis fanned the first batter he faced, Honokaa answered immediately. Jayden Salazar laced a single to center, and Crabbe followed with a ground-ball single over the first baseman's head. A fielder's choice grounder to short scored Salazar, and Chrys Coelho delivered a clutch double into the gap to drive home Isaac DeRego, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead.
Honokaa threatened again in the fifth, loading the bases with one out, but Detrinis escaped the jam with a ground ball back to the mound and a dramatic 3-2 strikeout of Hauoli McGurn. The Dragons, who left 11 runners on base for the game, finally broke through again in the sixth. Napoleon-Umeda walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Salazar knocked him in with a clean single to left field.
Damien brought in reliever Kekona Begonia after Detrinis threw 109 pitches, and he shut down Honokaa 1-2-3 in the seventh. But the damage was done. Napoleon-Umeda had befuddled the Monarchs as much as any pitcher ever has, even though Damien plays in the rugged Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH).
"All I had to do is throw strikes, and these boys made the plays for me," Napoleon-Umeda said. "I knew that we had it from the very beginning. I just wanted my boys to know that we had it."
For the scrappy Dragons and their fans, this championship is a testament to heart, hustle, and the belief that anything is possible on the diamond. And for Napoleon-Umeda, it's a performance that will be remembered in Hawaii baseball lore for years to come.