JFK REGAINS 1ST BOYS BASKETBALL TITLE IN A DECADE

By Daniel Akimoto

After 10 years, the JFK Islanders are high school boys basketball champions once again.

Following a dominant performance from start to finish on Friday night, the Islanders secured the title with a 68–53 victory over the St. Paul Warriors.

The championship clash was defined early by the duo of Collin Rillamas and Tristan Hahn, who ensured the trophy would head to Upper Tumon.

Dominance from the Jump

The Islanders established their rhythm immediately, opening the game on a 7–0 run while the Warriors struggled to find their shooting touch. JFK’s efficient offense outpaced St. Paul 24–17 in the opening quarter.

The momentum carried into the second quarter, where JFK’s defense turned into a 15–9 stretch to extend their advantage. By halftime, the Islanders held a commanding 39–26 lead, forcing the Warriors into a defensive scramble they would spend the rest of the night trying to escape.

“In the preseason, they kicked our butts, you know,” admitted Hahn. “We had to really work hard, dig deep, and really prepare for them. I’ll give them credit because they really have high chemistry, and it’s really hard to stop them. So we had lots of practice to prepare for them.”

The Stars Align

Collin Rillamas set the tone in the first half, torching the Warriors for 17 points before the break. He finished the night with a massive double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds.

“Yeah, man, it was just going in today. I don’t know. It was going in,” Rillamas said of his hot hand.
While Rillamas provided the scoring punch, Tristan Hahn anchored the floor. Hahn’s defensive presence at the rim stifled the Warriors’ interior game, while his playmaking fueled the Islanders’ transition. He finished with a spectacular triple-double: 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

“My play style is defense first, then offense. Because as coach said, ‘Hard defense comes easy offense’,” said Hahn. “I just play with the flow. I’m a pass-first guard, so I love sharing the ball. And I know it’s gonna come back to me.”

Warriors’ Resurgence Halted

St. Paul refused to go down quietly, mounting a comeback effort in the third quarter. Utilizing an aggressive defensive press, the Warriors disrupted the Islanders’ flow and outscored them 14–12 in the period. They eventually pulled within 11 points at 51–40, injecting a brief moment of tension into the arena heading into the final quarter.

However, JFK’s poise down the stretch proved to be the difference. The Islanders clamped down defensively in the fourth, outscoring St. Paul 16–13 to officially shut the door on any hopes of a late-game reversal.

Bless Aisek led the Warriors with an MVP-caliber 20-point performance, but the deficit proved too steep to climb. Brez Cornelius and Michael Bork added 10 points apiece in the effort.

“We had to trust our teammates and trust the work we put in,” Rillamas added. “[Bless is] a great player for sure, and we had to step in and really lock in on him.”

3rd Place Game
FD def. GW 55-49

Top Scorers
FD: Leland Plinske – 13 points

GW: Darnell Camacho – 19 points

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: