Some of his football-playing teammates have been the toast of the town lately, but for Riley Patterson the title chase is about to get real.
For half a decade, Hilo’s boys soccer team has gotten incrementally closer to catching up to Kealakehe, so much so that a matter of minutes is all that has separated the two programs the past two years.
“My freshman year, you could feel the emotion of the upperclassmen and it motivated us because we wanted to get it for them,” said Patterson, now a junior. “I definitely take it more seriously now and want it more.”
But just when the Vikings thought they were almost there, the goalposts were moved in BIIF Division I with the arrival of Hawaii Prep, and the new kid on the block was the best team on the island last season.
“I like that they came up,” Patterson said. “It makes it more difficult, but I think it’s good for us.”
A six-team BIIF D-I is new and certainly improved, spearheaded by the six-time reigning BIIF D-I champion Waveriders and the two-time state D-II champion Ka Makani.
For Vikings coach George Ichimaru, it’s a balancing act. Every match matters more this season because seeding can’t be taken for granted, but Hilo has been hobbled this preseason by injuries as it prepares for its unforgiving season-opener Saturday at HPA.
“We need to know how to play our best soccer from the beginning of the season to the end, because we’ve always had slow starts,” Ichimaru said. “I need to push from the beginning, because we need results.”
Injuries took so much of a toll that the Vikings had to forfeit their final game last Sunday at Ka Makani Classic. Ichimaru estimated that seven to eight players have had to miss practice or preseason matches with nagging injuries, but he didn’t think any would affect Hilo long term.
“Part of the preseason, we didn’t have the football boys and we were kind of lacking numbers,” Patterson said, “so we kind of overworked ourselves.
“(The football boys), they came in good shape, motivated and ready to play.”
One key piece you won’t see flying around is Kahale Huddleston, an all-BIIF fullback in soccer last season who opted to concentrate on the gridiron.
But don’t go feeling sorry for Ichimaru just yet.
He took over as Hilo’s fourth coach in four seasons in 2014-15, and he says his fourth team has faster overall team speed than last season despite missing the fleet-footed Huddleston. Another big hole to fill is the rock-solid midfield presence of Kalei Tolentino-Perry, who was Ichimaru’s first player to move on to Division I college soccer (San Jose State).
“Big losses, but we do have some strong players who are stepping up,” Ichimaru said.
Patterson isn’t one of them. He’s been a threat at striker since his freshman year, the only question this season is where he will play, forward or midfield to get him on the ball more.
Junior Jack Mann came on strong last season, as did sophomores Logan Mizuba and Kainalu Lewis, junior Caleb Smeraglia will take on a larger role, senior Devin Albrecht is slated to start and sophomore Keanu Keolanui could play a role in replacing Tolentino-Perry.
Mizuba, Lewis, Sam Kim and Kahaku Tolentino-Perry all had older brothers on the team last season, and this time around Ichimaru expects them to flourish on their own.
“This year we’re a lot more unselfish and we pass a lot more,” Patterson said. “It will give more people the opportunity to score and create chances.
“Right now, Josh (Rosario) and Logan are really stepping up and trying to guide the team.”
Senior Skyler Chong, who returned after living a year in Italy, will provide a boost at center back, and Ichimaru said sophomore Urban Halpern looks more comfortable there this season. Ichimaru called Rosario a “rock-solid” contributor at outside back in front of the goalkeeping tandem of Jyson Breitbarth and Kahiau Walker.
Dylan Bernard is a freshman to watch and senior Cole Gardner will get playing time as well.
“(Rosario) gets us psyched up,” Ichimaru said. “He’s the one player who gets us motivated.”