Editor’s note: This story has been modified to update the results
I say Imua, you say Imua.
A Kamehameha friendly broke out at the Volcano International Soccer Tournament on Sunday, and Warriors coach Kevin Waltjen could only smile as his current crop got worked by the recent grads — all for a good cause.
“They come out and they want to win,” Waltjen said of the alums. “You can see it, they are competing, yet they’re almost teaching the legacy to the players that are left.”
Kamehameha present did well to score four times on a stacked Kamehameha past defense that included center back Justin Kenoi and goalkeeper Jameson Sato, ultimately losing 6-4 in the 19-under boys final at Hilo Bayfront.
That result, as well as the summer AYSO season as a whole, bodes well for the future.
“The good thing about the summer is the players who were not captains stepped up to be captains,” Waltjen said. “Theoretically, my job this summer was to figure out who is the next set of leaders.
“We needed that.”
The last set of leaders made quite an impact.
Waltjen got one final chance to watch a core group of players — Tyler Waltjen, David Erskine, Rylan Respicio, Kailikea Kekuawela, Israel Bowden, Kenoi and Sato — share the pitch one final time. He’s been mentoring many of them since they were 7 or 8.
Want to know how Kamehameha broke through to win its first HHSAA Division II boys soccer championship in 2018?
Dedication.
All of the graduating core showed up for Friday scrimmages and Volcano before going their separate ways.
“We had everybody,” Kevin Waltjen said.
Midfielder Tyler Waltjen, who scored a coaching victory against his dad Sunday, will stay in town and continue his career at UH-Hilo, while Sato, the BIIF Division II player of the year, will play for the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
“Those scrimmages on Friday’s were worth (a lot) for me,” Kevin Waltjen said. “To me, I get them all together, on the field, playing. When I look at it, that’s the memory I have.”
There were two penalty kicks converted in the second half, when the alums appeared to be giving their former teammates ample room to navigate and take a shot at Sato.
Kekuawela hit a PK, then junior Ethan Shimabukuro drew a nice cheer when he made his.
Earlier, Shimabukuro, a fullback last season, was taken to task by his coach for not shooting on a two-on-one opportunity, instead passing into an offsides call.
“I see where we have to grow,” Kevin Waltjen said. “A lot of it is mentally staying in the game.”
Looking ahead to next season, the Warriors will need to replace 10 seniors, seven who started. Among the key returning pieces are senior striker Jonathan DeMotta, along with three players at other positions who impressed Waltjen this summer: goalkeeper Jake Toci, center back Quinn Cariaga and midfielder Buddy Betts.
Each is taking over for a graduating cornerstone.
“Each captain on each line works with the other captains to make sure this whole machine runs,” Waltjen said.
In the 19-U girls final, two-time BIIF Division I girls player of the year Miya Clarke scored three times as Hilo High beat Diamond Head AYSO of Oahu 4-1 to finish undefeated and repeat as champions.
Faith Krauss also scored for Hilo, which outscored the other four teams 28-7.
“Awesome number of teams competing this weekend and a great event for our town,” said coach Skee Saplan, who had teams in three different age groups at the tournament. “As a parent, watching my two daughters (Hollie and Chloe) play on the same team (was great).”
Considering the legacy the Warriors left behind and the relationships he’s forged, Waltjen probably figures he has Saplan beat.
Sunday
19-under
Championship
Boys
Kamehameha Alum 6, Kamehameha 4
Girls
Hilo High 6, West Oahu AYSO 0
Diamond Head AYSO 7, North Hawaii AYSO 2
Championship
Hilo High 4, Diamond Head AYSO 1
14-under
Boys
Semifinals
West Oahu AYSO 4, North Hawaii AYSO 1
Na Hoa O Puna 3, Surf Soccer Club BI 1
Championship
West Oahu AYSO 2, Na Hoa O Puna 0
Girls
Championship
East Kauai AYSO 5, Hilo High 3
12-under
Boys
Semifinals
Leeward AYSO 7, Hilo AYSO-Panthers 1
Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 4, Leones Negros 3
Championship
Leeward AYSO 6, Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 1
Consolation
Catch a Fire 6, North Hawaii AYSO 1
Girls
Semifinals
Rush Ewa Beach 2, Rush BI 0
Wolfpack 4, West Oahu AYSO 2
Championship
Wolfpack 2, Rush Ewa Beach 0
Consolation
Maui Girls 2, Chicas 1
North Hawaii 3, Hilo AYSO-Warriors 1
10-under
Boys
Semifinals
Rush BI-Arquitola 5, Hilo AYSO-Mana 1
Na Hoa O Puna-Red 6, West Oahu 0
Chamnpionship
Rush BI-Arquitola 3, Na Hoa O Puna-Red 2
Consolation
Hilo AYSO-Vikings 4, Rush BI-Arquitola 2
Surf 3, Na Hoa O Puna-White 1
Girls
Semifinals
Maui 08 2, Maui 09 1
Hilo AYSO-Gold Lightning 4, Kona AYSO United 1
Championship
Maui 08 2, Hilo AYSO-Gold Lightning 0
Consolation
West Oahu AYSO 1, Rush BI 0
Saturday
19-under
Boys
Honokaa 2, Kamehameha Alum 0
Kamehameha 5, West Oahu AYSO 1
Honokaa 2, Waiakea 1
Kamehameha Alum 12, West Oahu AYSO 3
Kamehameha 4, Waiakea 0
Girls
Hilo 5, Diamond Head AYSO 2
Leeward AYSO 3, West Oahu 0
Diamond Head AYSO 3, West Oahu 0
North Hawaii 3, Leeward AYSO 1
14-under
Boys
Na Hoa O Puna 1, Hilo AYSO United 0
West Oahu AYSO-Viloria 3, Surf Soccer Club BI 0
North Hawaii AYSO 1, Hilo AYSO United 0
Hilo AYSO Select-Roditti 2, West Oahu AYSO 0
Girls
East Kauai AYSO 8, Tiger Sharks 1
Hilo High 4, West Oahu AYSO 1
West Oahu AYSO 7, Tiger Sharks 0
East Kauai AYSO 2, Hilo High 1
12-under
Boys
Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 3, Catch a Fire 2
Leeward AYSO United 8, Surf Soccer Club BI 0
Hilo AYSO-Panthers 3, North Hawaii AYSO 2
Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 4, Surf Soccer Club BI 1
Leones Negros 5, Catch a Fire 0
Girls
Pool E
Rush Ewa Beach 3, Chicas 0
Wolfpack 4, Hilo AYSO 0
Chicas 4, Hilo AYSO 1
Pool F
Rush BI 5, North Hawaii 0
West Oahu AYSO 2, Rush BI 1
Maui 4, North Hawaii 1
10-under
Boys
Pool C
Hilo AYSO-Vikngs 5, Wolfpack 2
Rush BI-Arquitola 3, West Oahu Blue Titans 0
Wolfpack 4, Na Hoa O Puna-White 0
West Oahu Blue Titans 1, Hilo AYSO-Vikings 0
Rush BI-Arquitola 8, Na Hoa O Puna-White 0
Pool D
Hilo AYSO-Mana 4, Tiger Sharks 0
Rush BI-Hara 4, Surf Academy 3
Na Hoa O Puna-Red 6, Hilo AYSO-Mana 0
Tiger Sharks 1, Surf Academy 0
Na Hoa O Puna-Red 0, Rush BI-Hara 0
Girls
Pool A
Maui 08 9, Hilo AYSO-Hilo Bay Stars 2
Kona AYSO United 3, Rush BI Girls 1
Maui 08 2, Kona AYSO United 0
Pool B
Hilo AYSO-Gold Lightning 2, Maui 09 0
Hilo AYSO-Gold Lightning 3, Hilo AYSO-Rainbows 0
West Oahu AYSO 0, Hilo AYSO-Rainbows 0
Friday
19-under
Boys
Kamehameha High alum 3, Kamehameha High 0
Waiakea High 4, West Oahu AYSO 2
Kamehameha High 1, Honokaa High 0
West Oahu AYSO 1, Honokaa High 0
Kamehameha High alum 8, Waiakea High 0
Girls
Hilo High 11, Honokaa 1
Hilo High 8, Leeward AYSO 3
West Oahu AYSO 2, Honokaa 1
Diamond Head AYSO 5, Leeward AYSO 0
14-under
Boys
Surf Soccer Club BI 3, Hilo AYSO United 1
West Oahu AYSO-Viloria 6, North Hawaii AYSO 0
Na Hoa O Puna 11, West Oahu AYSO-Rivera 0
North Hawaii AYSO 5, Hilo AYSO Select 1
Surf Soccer Club BI 5, West Oahu AYSO-Rivera 0
West Oahu AYSO-Viloria 2, Na Hoa O Puna 0
Hilo AYSO United 4, Hilo AYSO Select 1
Girls
East Kauai AYSO 3, West Oahu AYSO 1
Hilo High 3, Tiger Sharks 1
12-under
Boys
Leeward AYSO United 7, North Hawaii AYSO 2
Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 6, North Hawaii AYSO 0
Leones Negros 9, Surf Soccer Club BI 1
Hilo AYSO United-Hurricanes 4, Hilo AYSO-Panthers 1
Leeward AYSO United 4, Catch a Fire 1
Leones Negros 11, Hilo AYSO-Panthers 1
Girls
Pool E
Rush Ewa Beach 10, Hilo AYSO 1
Wolfpack 3, Chicas 1
Wolfpack 2, Rush Ewa Beach 2
Pool F
West Oahu AYSO 8, North Hawaii 0
Rush BI 5, Maui 2
West Oahu AYSO 1, Maui 1
10-under
Boys
Pool C
Rush BI-Arquitola 7, Hilo AYSO-Vikings 0
West Oahu Blue Titans 6, Wolfpack 3
Hilo AYSO-Vikings 4, Na Hoa O Puna 0
Rush BI 12, Wolfpack 0
West Oahu Blue Titans 8, Na Hoa O Puna 0
Pool D
Na Hoa O Puna-Red 9, Surf U10 Academy 0
Rush BI-Hara 1, Tiger Sharks 0
Hilo AYSO-Mana 5, Surf 0
Na Hoa O Puna-Red 9, Tiger Sharks 0
Hilo AYSO-Mana 7, Rush BI-Hara 0
Girls
Pool A
Rush BI 1, Hilo AYSO-Hilo Bay Stars 0
Maui 08 4, Rush BI 0
Kona AYSO United 2, Hilo AYSO-Hilo Bay Stars 1
Pool B
Maui 09 2, West Oahu AYSO 0
Maui 09 1, Hilo AYSO-Rainbows 0
Hilo AYSO-Gold Lightning 1, West Oahu AYSO 0
