JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Pound for pound, the 5-foot-7 Ryan Bibilone is among the best players soccer players to come out of Hawaii.

Ryan Bibilone is on
the fast track

The speedy Leilehua forward is
Star-Bulletin Player of the Year

HE 2005 Star-Bulletin Boys Soccer All-State selections weren't simple, but they were certainly broad.

The breadth of quality play showed at this year's state championships, and that widespread influx of talent is reflected in this year's picks. The 13 positions were spread among 11 schools, including three outstanding individuals from the neighbor islands.

In the Player of the Year selection, the honor went to one of the best players, pound for pound, in recent memory. He wasn't the biggest, but Ryan Bibilone was proof alive that speed matters.

Bibilone, a 5-foot-7 senior striker from Leilehua, earned Star-Bulletin Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors.

"Size doesn't matter, really, in soccer. If you can dribble and pass, and you understand the game -- and if you have speed -- you can do anything," Bibilone said.

His leadership helped propel Leilehua to one of its finest seasons ever. As one of the top soccer talents in the state and region for some time now, Bibilone was able to showcase his abilities this season, leading Leilehua to the Oahu Interscholastic Association title match and a spot in the State Soccer Championships.

Also an All-State pick in football this season as a kicker and punter, Bibilone netted 10 goals during the regular season to spark a Mule attack that led the Western Division in goals (31), averaging almost three and a half an outing. Bibilone helped the Mules finish 10-4-2 overall and tie Kaiser in the state consolation final.

"Even though we didn't finish as high as we could've, I was proud of our boys that we went that far," Bibilone said.

During the regular season, Bibilone came up large in a number of key contests, scoring three goals in a 4-3 win over perennial power Pearl City, two in a draw with Radford, and another hat trick in a win over Waipahu.

In the OIA playoffs, Bibilone netted the game-winner against Kalani in the first round and was integral in one-point quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Castle and Kaiser, respectively, despite nagging injuries.

He continued his fine play in the state tournament, helping Leilehua beat Pearl City again, 3-2, by converting on both of his penalty-kick opportunities in the overtime shootout. In the consolation final, Bibilone assisted on the Mules' lone score as they tied Kaiser 1-1.

He completed a distinguished career on the pitch, which has seen him earn various all-league honors four times, capped by this year's All-State and OIA Western Division Player of the Year distinction. Bibilone, who also posted a double-digit goal total as a junior, has been a member of the U.S. Olympic Development Program for some time now as a four-time Region IV pool member.

He trained with the U.S. Under-14 National Team in 2001. Bibilone plans to attend Yavapai (Ariz.) Junior College next season. Yavapai won the JC national championship in 2002 and '03.

Coach of the Year honors went to Andrew Ah New of Kamehameha. Ah New guided the Warriors to their first state championship. The boys soccer state tournament began in 1975.

He accepted the honor in stride, but was quick to assert his priorities.

"The state championship was a long wait. I'd rather have that any day," he said.

The Warriors went 14-3-1, finishing the regular season second in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

First Team

Position	Player	Class	School
F	Ryan "R.B." Bibilone	Sr.	Leilehua
F	Jeremy Wittig	Sr.	Pac-Five
F	Holden Lau	Sr.	Roosevelt
F	Syd Tom	So.	Leilehua
MF	Kirtus Adams	Sr.	Iolani
MF	Daniel Phelps	Jr.	Leilehua
MF	Brady Nunes	Sr.	Baldwin
MF	Eli Bowman	Jr.	Honokaa
D	Dustin Taniguchi	Sr.	Kamehameha
D	Michael Smith	Jr.	Mililani
D	Matt Bush	Jr.	Kaiser
D	Luke Tsuchiya	Sr.	Waimea
GK	Matthew Terry	Jr.	St. Louis

Player of the Year
Ryan "R.B." Bibilone, Leilehua

Coach of the Year
Andrew Ah New, Kamehameha

Second Team

Goalkeeper: Neal Fajardo, Sr., Kapolei
Defender: Dana Yoshizu, Jr., Hawaii Baptist; Ethan Gonsalves, Sr., Castle; Matthew Heid, Sr., King Kekaulike; Kai Villarin, Sr., Hawaii Prep
Midfielder: Kekoa Osorio, So., Kamehameha; Jonathan Davis, Sr., King Kekaulike; Micah Kalama, Sr., Iolani; Chris Morales, Sr., Roosevelt
Forward: Steven King, Sr., Pearl City; Hookela Sandborn, Sr., Kealakehe; Carlos Carpintiero, So., St. Joseph; Chad Thompson, Jr., Waimea

Honorable Mention

Aiea: Kurt Nishi, Justin Puckett, Mark Atta. Baldwin: Kaluka Maiava, Tori Ichimaru, Jensen Takiguchi. Castle: Kory Muraoka, Reid Kanda, Bryce Muraoka, Matrix Dumlao. Farrington: Ioane Siuta, Larry Siuta. Hawaii Baptist: Cameron Holm. Hawaii Prep: Caysen Peterson, Billy Case, Kai Mangarin, Sam Bennett, C.J. Cintas, Mike Kopra. Honokaa: Jake Fassett, Tayler Ishikoro.
Iolani: J.W. Chang, Patrick Haines, Zach Napier. Kaiser: Steele Legros. Kalaheo: Stuart Aiu. Kalani: Kevin Fujimoto, John Chow. Kamehameha: Isaiah Guth, Dustin Engle, Zane Dydasco. Kamehameha-Hawaii: Leon Peralto. Kamehameha-Maui: Cody Felipe, Josh Nitta. Kapaa: Masai Bell, Micah Olen. Kapolei: Kea Hashimoto, Robert Geis. Kauai: Dan Riggle, Micah Young. Kealakehe: Trey Pehee. King Kekaulike: Leroy Amano, Davin Iwata. Lahainaluna: Kalei Marston.
Mid-Pacific: Benson Carlisle, Justin Akai, Brent Umehira. Mililani: Chris Burt, Evan Kau, Cheyne Eugenio. Moanalua: Colin Morikawa, Landon Watanabe. Pac-Five: Jordan Ota, Justin Katto. Pearl City: Mark Matsumoto. Punahou: Shane Kutaka, Deryck Lim. Radford: Jamie Whitworth. Roosevelt: Paulo Barros. Seabury Hall: Evan Koehler, Tye Perdido. Waiakea: Royce Oshiro, Geen Okamura. Waianae: Eddie May, Joshua Woodward, Sonny Dudoit. Waimea: Jeffrey Kakuda, Scott Martin, Justin Estes.

First Team Players

Dustin Taniguchi
Defender, Kamehameha, Sr.
Taniguchi moves up to the All-State first team after earning second-team honors last year. He led a Warrior defense that posted seven shutouts in the ILH season and posted two more in the state tournament. His efforts were a big part of Kamehameha's first boys soccer title. Taniguchi was a first-team All-ILH pick this season after earning second-team honors last year.

Michael Smith
Defender, Mililani, Jr.
A first-team All-OIA West pick, Smith helped the Trojans capture their fourth straight OIA title with an 11-2-2 record. While Mililani wasn't able to claim its fifth straight state title, Smith and the Trojan defense posted five regular-season shutouts and two more in the OIA tournament, with Leilehua posting the only score in the OIA title match.

Matt Bush
Defender, Kaiser, Jr.
The Cougar topped a defensive unit that pitched shutouts in seven of its 10 regular-season matches, allowing only five goals total. A first team All-OIA East pick, Bush helped Kaiser go 6-1-3 in league play and finish fourth in the OIA tournament before tying for seventh in the state tournament.

Luke Tsuchiya
Defender, Waimea, Sr.
Tsuchiya ignited a Menehune squad that shocked the state with a 3-2 win over four-time defending state champion Mililani in the state tournament. After helping Waimea win the KIF with a 5-0-2 record, Tsuchiya led a defensive unit that also lifted the Menehunes to state tourney wins over Kaiser and Kealakehe. Tsuchiya and Waimea finished third in the tourney.

Kirtus Adams
Midfielder, Iolani, Sr.
The ILH's Defensive Player of the Year excelled throughout, leading Iolani to a 10-0-4 mark during the regular season, good for the conference title. Adams and Iolani made their way to the state final, falling to fellow ILH member Kamehameha. Adams was also selected to the All-State first team last season.

Daniel Phelps
Midfielder, Leilehua, Jr.
The 6-foot junior controlled the midfield for the Mules as they went 10-4-2 overall, advancing to the OIA title match and the state tournament. Phelps and Leilehua led the OIA West Division in scoring with 31 goals. The OIA West Division first-team pick was especially dangerous in the playoffs, netting a game-winner in the OIA semifinal win over Kaiser.

Brady Nunes
Midfielder, Baldwin, Sr.
Maui Interscholastic League Player of the Year Nunes led the Bears to a 7-2-0 mark in the regular season, winning the league's scoring title with 14 goals and 11 assists in nine matches. The three-time All-MIL pick follows in the footsteps of his brother Blake, who was an All-State first teamer and the MIL Player of the Year last season.

Eli Bowman
Midfielder, Honokaa, Jr.
The first-team All-BIIF selection led the Dragons to a 10-3-0 regular-season record. Bowman sparked Honokaa to an impressive showing in the state tournament, as the Dragons defeated OIA powers Mililani and Pearl City and the MIL's King Kekaulike. Honokaa fell only to state runner-up Iolani. Bowman was an All-BIIF North Division honorable-mention selection last year.

Jeremy Wittig
Forward, Pac-Five, Jr.
The ILH's Offensive Player of the Year had a banner season, leading the league in scoring, with 13 goals in 11 matches. Pac-Five went 8-2-3 in ILH play, with Wittig scoring in nine matches, including key goals in wins over in a win over Kamehameha, and draws against Punahou and Iolani (twice). Wittig was a second-team selection last season.

Holden Lau
Forward, Roosevelt, Sr.
The Rough Riders' high-scoring striker finished the regular season with the second-highest goal total in the state, with 17 in 10 contests. With Lau up front, the Rough Riders went 8-2-0, and captured the OIA East Division crown. Lau was voted Division Player of the Year. He plans to play at Santa Rosa Junior College next season.

Syd Tom
Forward, Leilehua, So.
Tom has already established himself as one of the top players in the state, earning All-State honors in addition to his second consecutive All-OIA West first-team selection. Tom tied for the West lead in goals with 13, as the Mules enjoyed one of their finest seasons in many years. Tom added four more scores in the postseason, as Leilehua earned a state tournament berth.