Kohala's Layden Kauka named to Hawaii high school Hall of Honor
Layden Kauka was the only Hawaii Island athlete in the 2026 Hall of Honor, capping a Kohala run built on titles, scoring and a small-school pipeline.
Kohala’s Layden Kauka was the only Hawaii Island athlete named to the 2026 Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor, a statewide spotlight on a small-school program that kept producing champions, leaders and college-bound talent.
The 12-member class included seniors from 10 schools across three leagues, with the other 11 inductees coming from Oahu. A 13-person selection committee made up of current and former sports reporters, coaches and athletic directors chose the group, weighing athletic excellence first while also considering character and community service. Each inductee received a $2,000 scholarship through the HHSAA and Enterprise Holdings. The Hall of Honor was established in 1982 by Nissan Motor Corp. in Hawaii and has recognized the state’s top 12 senior student-athletes every year since 1983. The banquet was held Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani’s Ainahau Showroom in Honolulu.
Kauka’s senior season made the honor easy to explain. He averaged 26.3 points per game, scored 30 or more points eight times and posted a career-high 42 against Hawaii Prep on Jan. 20, 2026. In the BIIF Division II championship against Pāhoa, he scored 31 points as Kohala rolled 77-48, adding six rebounds, seven assists and three steals. He then averaged 27.3 points per game in the state tournament and earned all-tournament recognition. His 2025-26 haul also included Hawaii MaxPreps Player of the Year, BIIF Division II Player of the Year and Boys All-State Player of the Year.
That production helped power one of the Big Island’s defining small-school success stories. Kohala finished 25-4, went 12-0 in BIIF play and beat Seabury Hall 49-35 in the state final, where Kauka finished with 28 points, five rebounds and three assists. The victory gave Kohala its third Division II state title in four seasons and its fourth in six years, a run that has kept the Cowboys in the statewide conversation despite their size.
For Kauka, the path has already extended beyond one high school run. He spent time at Utah Prep before returning to Kohala, then closed his career committed to the University of Hawaii at Hilo. His Hall of Honor selection reads like more than an individual award. It is proof of how a North Hawaii program has built a pipeline that turns a rural school into a statewide factory for elite basketball and broader opportunity.
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