Been there, done that – until now.
Hawaii Prep’s girls soccer program has rolled along to eight consecutive BIIF Division II titles, three state championships in a row and a few months ago Emi Higgins was just the latest in a long line of Ka Makani to be honored as BIIF Player of the Year.
But HPA had never had a Gatorade Hawaii Girls Soccer Player of the Year until Higgins nabbed the honor Monday.
“I’m so blessed to be on such a supportive, loving team with an amazing coach,” Higgins said. “This means so much to me and I’m so happy to be able to bring this honor to my school and the community.”
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, and she’s now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award.
The 5-foot-9 sophomore forward and midfielder led Ka Makani to an 11-2-2 record and another HHSAA Division II state championship this past season.
Higgins scored 19 goals, including seven of HPA’s nine tallies in five postseason games, and passed for seven assists. She scored both goals in the state semifinals and the only goal in HPA’s 1-0 win over Kapaa High in the title game, earning herself the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
“Emi was a difference maker on our team this year. Even though she was marked up going into most of our games, Emi found a way to make things happen for our squad — either by scoring a big goal or by drawing attention away from other teammates on the pitch,” said HPA head coach Steve Perry. “The way our season worked out this year, we needed Emi to be patient and to find just the right moment to create opportunities for the team.”
For the first time during its BIIF reign, HPA entered the D-II final as the underdog, but Higgins scored early in the title match against Kamehameha as Ka Makani hung on to win 1-0.
“Emi is a great soccer player. She’s very technical with the ball and she’s very athletic,” Kamehameha coach Josh Woodard said in a release. “She doesn’t have overwhelming top-end speed, but she’s fast and quick enough to
A Hawaii Prep student ambassador, Higgins is a member of her school’s student council and she has volunteered locally with the Kona Hospital Foundation.
Higgins has maintained a 3.91 GPA in the classroom and represents one of the state’s top academic candidates in meeting the Gatorade award’s broad criteria.
As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Emi will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program.
Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support.
