Lest you think Honokaa girls coach Daphne Honma waited until she won two HHSAA Division II state titles before making the move to Division I, think again.
The affable Honma can hardly hide her disdain for the lower classification. She wanted to move up to D-I when she returned to the Dragons’ bench two years ago and was denied, but Honokaa would go on to simply play their way out of D-II.
When athletic director Keith Tolentino called to congratulate the team in February after it defeated Hawaii Baptist 33-31 in Honolulu for its second HHSAA title in row, a player quickly asked him if the Dragons could move up to D-I, and Honma learned she wasn’t to be denied any longer.