Waiakea’s bumper crop of upperclassmen wasted little time in making a statement.
They might be too young to understand, but coach David Urakami, now 40, sure does.
Sophomore John Grover and freshman Riley Tamanaha each scored two goals Saturday as the host Warriors opened their season with an emphatic 5-0 victory against six-time BIIF Division I champion Kealakehe, providing Urakami with the perfect birthday present.
“I told the kids I’m not going to talk much, but savor this moment,” Urakami said. “You worked for it. This doesn’t come often.”
It was Waiakea’s first victory against the Waveriders – who stumbled out of the gates to start the post Laukoa Santos era – since the 2011 BIIF semifinals. That victory accounted for the Warriors’ last trip to the HHSAA tournament.
Upperclassmen had their say in the win, too.
Senior Gabriel Frazier-Jenkins scored a goal as the Warriors pulled away from a 1-0 halftime lead, and junior Isaac Sumera was credited with the shutout.
But Saturday was a coming-out party for a young group that Urakami said is a credit to club teams across the island.
He cited strong play from freshmen Kolby Kerr and Ethan Okahara-Olsen in helping to keep Kealakehe off the board. Santos was a three-time BIIF Player of the Year.
“The hardest challenge is we needed to get (the underclassmen) up to high school speed,” Urakami said. “We’ve been trying to work on their physicality and tenacity,”
So far, so good.
“I’m stoked and proud of the team,” Urakami said. “Looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Girls
Waiakea 5, Kealakehe 0: Kelli Xie, Kiana Serrao, Jacelyn Cambra, Evyn Prine and Xailyn Lyman-Moke each scored as the Warriors improved to 2-0, dropping the Waveriders to 0-2.
