From matching lei po‘o to hilarious senior posters, ‘Iolani sports teams celebrate their seniors at what is typically the final home game of the season. On the evening of Wednesday, January 21, ‘Iolani honored two Raider teams — the Boys Varsity Soccer team and the Girls Division 1-AA Basketball team — both competing against the Punahou Buff ‘n Blue. The night ended with the Boys Varsity Soccer team winning 4–0, while the Girls Division 1-AA Basketball team fell 32–49.
Boys Varsity Soccer
Fans gathered at Kozuki Stadium to watch the defending state champion Boys Varsity Soccer team win their ninth game of the season. This intense rivalry game was physical from the beginning. Multiple yellow cards were issued as tensions between players escalated quickly. Midfielder Devin L. ’26 scored the lone goal of the half, putting the Raiders in the lead.
Reflecting on the goal, Devin said, “I always dreamed of when my senior night would come, and to be able to score a goal on my senior night… it just topped it off.” He added, “To help my team score the first goal and give us a breakthrough, it really helped us out. And, it made me feel great that I was able to do that.”
Despite the closely-contested first half, the Raiders managed to pull away in the second after a red card was issued to a Punahou winger. Off a header from a corner kick early in the second half, midfielder Chase Y. ’28 doubled ‘Iolani’s lead, and shortly after, striker Lucas G. ’27 slipped the ball past the Buff ‘n Blue Goalkeeper to extend the lead to 3-0.
The crowd roared as winger Morgan A. ’26 converted a penalty kick after being fouled by the Punahou Goalkeeper late in the second half, marking a significant moment in his time playing for ‘Iolani. Morgan said, “It was really special. It was my first goal for the ‘Iolani soccer team. And for it to be against Punahou, our rival, it’s just amazing. And the fact that our normal penalty kick taker, Devin, let me take it was really meaningful.”
Although the game itself was exciting for the players, the most memorable moments of the night came after the final whistle. “The [lei] ceremony was really…emotional for me,” said Morgan, “Seeing so many different friends and family from different groups, like all across the island, come to support me on my senior night was really special.” He added, “It was really cool seeing how personalized [the leis] were and all the sweet messages that were written on them.”
As the son of Head Coach Chris Lee ’88, senior night was especially meaningful for Devin. He said, “When I was younger, I [would always] be around the team and get to see everybody on their senior nights…But for it to be my senior night, and especially with my dad, it made it super surreal… And it just made it even better that my dad was here with me, coaching me along the way and by my side through it all.”
Looking forward, Morgan said, “I just want to carry on the momentum of that victory from senior night into [the] state tournament, where we’ll hopefully go back-to-back for the state championship.” Devin, who shared this same sentiment, said, “The momentum and the togetherness that we had on senior night really showed how we can come together as a team…hopefully we can take that momentum into states.”
Girls Division 1-AA Basketball
Taking place at the ‘Iolani Lower Gym, the Girls Division 1-AA Senior Night game was full of excitement and emotion. Following the buzzer after the second quarter, the ‘Iolani Dance Team energized the crowd with their halftime performance featuring remixes of “Whiplash” by Aespa, “Golden” from Huntrix, and “Debut” by Katseye.
As the game progressed, the Raiders made some terrific plays. Center Riley B. ’26 made a couple of two-pointers, and guard Ashlynn I. ’26 connected on a three-pointer. Reflecting on her shot, Ashlynn said, “I really was not expecting [it] to go in.”
With that, the team’s energy stayed high despite some challenges–during the third quarter, point guard Kaylie P. ’26 sustained an ankle injury, yet she was still able to participate in the Senior Night festivities later on.
Beyond the scoreboard, the night carried deep emotions for players who’ve spent years together on the court. When asked about her feelings coming up to senior night, shooting guard Ava Y. ’26 said, “At the start of the game, I was really nervous. I’ve never been so nervous for a game this whole season. And like, it made me nervous because there’s so many people showing up for you in the crowds. There’s this expectation, an urgency even, to not let them down.”
For many, having a senior night is a long-awaited milestone that once seemed far away. Guard Alexis H. ’26 said, “I didn’t really feel anything until the actual night. I didn’t realize how serious it was till we actually started giving senior speeches.” Her reflection echoed a feeling shared by many teammates – how quickly the years went by and how meaningful the final celebration became once it arrived.
As emotions ran high, conversations turned to how their perspectives on basketball have evolved through the years. Center Eden K. ’26 said, “Last year, I didn’t really have fun. I was determined to win, determined to be perfect. But this year, I’m more focused on having fun and making the most out of time we had left.” Adding, Ava said, “In intermediate and JV, I just wanted to get the games over with, but now I kind of wish we had more games or, in other words, more time with my team.” In agreement, Ashlynn said, “It just snuck up on me really fast. Honestly, I just feel like this whole senior year has gone by really fast. But, I think I just started feeling a little bit nostalgic, because a lot of the girls on the team I’ve been with for years, and so just knowing that our time together is kind of coming to the end, is both great to think about, but kind of sad to know.”
Following the final buzzer, the senior night ceremony began. Seniors each made a speech, offering thanks and sharing memories about basketball. Quoting her senior speech, Alexis said, “Enjoy every minute of it. The running, sweat, tears, wins and losses. It’s worth it.” The evening concluded on a touching note as each senior invited a family member to the court, saying, “Would you please come up and help me with my last shot?” After that, cheers erupted as family and friends raced to the banners hanging across the gym to give lei, show off their signs and take photos with their seniors.
Senior Night is a long-standing tradition in high school sports that symbolizes what can be achieved through perseverance and celebrates each athlete’s accomplishments. Coming up, the Girls Basketball Varsity 1-AA team will face Kamehameha’s Girls Varsity 1-AA team on January 27, and the Boys Varsity team will compete against the Mid Pacific Varsity team on Saturday, January 24.
