GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kamehameha's Kepa Gaison took a header against Castle's Jesse Takushi during last night's 2-0 Warriors victory.
Kamehameha
blanks Castle 2-0The Warriors advance to play
Kealakehe in the state quarterfinals
Chalk this one up to preparation.
Kamehameha had the best kind of practice for last night's Ohana Hotels and Resorts State Boys Soccer Championship opening-round game against Castle.
The Warriors beat the Knights 2-0 at Aloha Stadium, and they can give partial credit to all the tight games they experienced against Interscholastic League of Honolulu opponents during the regular season. Four ILH teams battled for two spots in the states in a race that went own to the wire. Kamehameha squeezed in with a second-place finish after a playoff win over Pac-Five.
HHSAA Boys Soccer
At Aloha Stadium
Seeds: 1. Mililani (12-0-0). 2. Iolani (10-0-4). 3. Baldwin (10-0-0). 4. Kealakehe (13-2-0).
YESTERDAY
Game 1: Kalaheo 2, Hilo 1
2: Kaiser 2, Waiakea 0
3: Pearl City 1, Kauai 0
4: Kamehameha 2, Castle 0
TODAY
5: Kauai vs. Castle, 11 a.m.
6: Baldwin vs. Kalaheo, 1 p.m.
7: Kealakehe vs. Kamehameha, 3 p.m.
8: Iolani vs. Kaiser, 5 p.m.
9: Mililani vs. Pearl City, 7 p.m.
TOMORROW
10: Waiakea vs. Hilo, noon
11: Game 7 & 9 losers, 2 p.m.
12: Game 6 & 8 losers, 4 p.m.
13: Game 6 & 8 winners, 6 p.m.
14: Game 7 and 9 winners, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
Consolation final: Game 5 and 10 winners, 2 p.m.
Fifth place: Game 11 and 12 winners, 4 p.m.
Third place: Game 13 and 14 losers, 6 p.m.
Championship: Game 13 and 14 winners, 8 p.m.
Last night, both teams continuously clicked in the passing game, but Kamehameha had more success. The Warriors also put on more pressure throughout.
"They had a terrific passing game and put a lot more pressure on us," Castle assistant Jon Eveland said. "We were doing well holding them off for a while, but they were consistent on their passes and runs and they eventually overwhelmed us."
The Warriors (11-2-3) move on to a 3 p.m. quarterfinal today against Big Island champion and fourth-seeded Kealakehe (13-2). The Knights (9-4-1) play Kauai in the consolation bracket.
Aaron Souza gave Kamehameha a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute. After Dustin Engle's corner kick, the ball acted like a pinball as two Warriors -- Ariel Kekoa Osorio and Michael DeCaires -- got their heads on it for shots toward the goal. Souza headed the ball into the top corner after a final carom off the head of Castle defender Christopher Lee.
"We had too much adrenaline and came out too fast," Kamehameha coach Andrew Ah New said. "They (the Knights) controlled the ball more than we did. In terms of shots, we dominated, and I know we'll play a lot better against Kealakehe."
Earlier in the first half, Castle goalkeeper Chris Durlacher saved an in-close header by Isaiah Guth and watched two other Warrior chances miss -- a header by DeCaires went wide and a point-blank shot by Souza after a pass from Randall Haraguchi sailed high.
Kamehameha goalkeeper Nick Freitas made a large contribution toward the Warriors' next goal. He booted the ball nearly 100 yards on the 120-yard field and Spencer Freitas got a head on it before Logan Sauer kicked it home from close range for the 2-0 cushion.
"I talked to the forwards about doing that, making it into a long play," Freitas said. "With the wind, I can kick it 100 yards, but there wasn't really any wind and it went from about 12 yards out to 12 yards out at the other end.
"We can play better than we did. We should have played at our own pace, but we were too pumped up, and it started on the bus ride over. We've got every position player we need and Kamehameha has never won (a state championship in boys soccer), so we're pretty determined."
Castle's Ethan Gonsalves, Michael Mayeda, Justin Lau, Kory Muraoka and Reid Kanda, among others, effectively passed the ball throughout, but couldn't break through Kamehameha's strong defense.
"We really wanted it bad," Gonsalves said. "We weren't passing it off fast enough and they (the Warriors) hustled more. We'll come out hard (today)."
The Knights had two good chances in the second half, but Muraoka's blast from the left wing went high and Freitas easily stopped Tyson Hosaka's shot on a cross from Gonsalves.
Early in the second half, Durlacher made a diving stop of DeCaires' header, which was on its way into the top right corner.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Castle's Ethan Gonsalves dribbled past Kamehameha's Makana Prothero yesterday.
