HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Kapolei completes sweep of OIA soccer
The sweep is complete for Kapolei soccer.
Aaron Santiago scored the go-ahead goal in the first half and added an insurance score late to carry the Hurricanes to their first Oahu Interscholastic Association boys title in any sport, 3-1 over Kalani last night.
After the Kapolei girls were victorious on the Hurricanes' home field, the pressure was on for the boys to match the feat.
"The girls winning was a big boost for our boys," said Kapolei coach Bryce Kaneshiro. "(The guys) were concerned about them, but we had to get our business done. For us to see them score and win the title right before us, their entire attitude was just like, 'It's our turn, guys, it's our turn.'"
They certainly got off to a quick start.
Kainoa Bryant scored off a throw-in assist from Curtis Kiyabu 3 minutes into the game, setting the tone for the Hurricanes' fast-paced offense.
Kalani equalized things at 20:00 when Tyler Eng squared off one-one-one with a defender to the right of the goal. Eng dribbled to his left, then rolled right to juke his defender and launched a pretty cross that found the net just inside the left goal post.
Santiago broke away from the pack at midfield 12 minutes later, jetting straight up the field when Keoki Haole fed him the ball. He beat two defenders and blasted the ball to the left for a 2-1 lead.
The Hurricanes kept the ball pinned in the Kalani side of the field with counterattacks for much of the second half, eliminating most Falcon scoring opportunities.
"They're obviously good at that throw-in and caught us early with that goal," said Kalani coach Myles Arakawa. "After we equalized I thought we would be able to give them a better game in the second half, but I give them credit, they came out strong."
With the game apparently in hand late, Santiago put the icing on the cake. The Hurricanes quickly countered upfield at 78:00, and the ball was lobbed over Kalani's goalkeeper. It wasn't going in, but Santiago used his speed to jet behind and head the ball in at an extreme angle.
Kaneshiro trusted his team's offense to keep Kalani on its heels in the game's waning moments.
"Even if we're up one goal, we're looking for two, we're looking for three," he said. "These guys are not just satisfied, they don't go into the bunker defense."