HONOLULU — Hawaii Prep will be the first BIIF team since 2001 to play in the HHSAA Division I state championship after surviving a tough King Kekaulike squad 3-2 in the semifinals on Friday at the Waipio Peninsula Complex on Oahu.
Ka Makani’s Jake Schneider came up big in crunch time, scoring the go-ahead goal a minute and 43 seconds into stoppage time. Hawaii Prep managed to hold off Na Alii for the next six minutes before the final whistle blew.
“We knew there was a lot of time left but that didn’t make it any less nerve-racking,” said Ka Makani head coach Rich Braithwaite. “King Kekaulike is a tremendous team and well-coached. I didn’t think we could to really show what each team was capable of today because the game was so foul heavy, but they are a team I would definitely like to play again in the future.”
Hawaii Prep (14-0-1) will enter their 7 p.m. championship game today against either No. 1 seeded Punahou or No. 4 seeded Baldwin as the only remaining undefeated Division I team in the state. The other semifinal game ended after West Hawaii Today’s deadline.
“It is pretty exciting to be the last undefeated team, but we are not playing teams like Punahou and Mililani all the time,” Braithwaite said. “Let’s face it, those teams, even though they may have one or two losses, are just as impressive.”
King Kekaulike (9-1-3), in the school’s first trip to the state semifinals, took a one goal advantage to in both the first and second half.
The MIL runner-ups went up 1-0 midway through the first half when Zakariya Woodley headed the ball into the net off a corner kick by Jericho Lara. The goal was one of three scored off set plays during the game.
“Set pieces are incredibly important and we have struggled to defend against them this season,” Braithwaite said. “I am sitting here watching the other semifinal game and two of their first three goals have come off set pieces. We will have to get stronger defensively in these situations in the championship game.”
Schneider tied the game up after collecting his own rebound on a penalty kick during stoppage time of the first half, but King Kekaulike needed only four minutes to grab the lead once more in the second half when Cade Taniguchi pushed the ball off the outside of his left foot into the far post.
Despite falling behind a second time, and only the third time this season — the other being in the BIIF championship game against Waiakea — Hawaii Prep’s confidence never wavered.
“We believe in our ability to make things happen and score,” Braithwaite said. “The boys did not get deflated. If anything, they became more energized.”
Both teams entered the 54th minute playing physically and at top speed, which led to a collision inside the box with Na Alii keeper Cody McDonald and Hawaii Prep’s Conor Hunt. The ball came in off a pass on a pass from near midfield by Ka Makani’s Kento Komatsu. It bounced off Hunt and trickled into the goal with Schneider tracking from behind.
The game appeared to be headed to overtime as stoppage time started. However, Schneider, who had been held in check by a stingy King Kekaulike defense for most of the game, broke free down the right flank and was hit with a pass by Ilan Naibryf. Schneider took the ball to the back line, and with McDonald charging, he slid the ball on a tight angle an inch or two past the keeper’s finger tips and into the far side of the net.
“I just let the play flow,” Schneider said on the OC16 broadcast after the game. “I believe in this team. We find ways to fight back.”
King Kekaulike was trying to become the first MIL team since 1996 to advance to the Division I championship. They will settle for a third place game, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
Hawaii Prep advances to its third straight title game, having won the Division II title the previous two seasons.
