It took awhile for first-year Waiakea coach Erick Lemus to get accustomed to sitting on the visitor’s bench at Kamehameha’s Paiea Stadium.
He can get used to it however, and no matter where he’s watching a soccer match he’s going to see it through the eyes of a former goalkeeper.
That made Waiakea’s defensive effort in a 1-0 BIIF girls soccer victory all the more satisfying.
“Yes, they are (improving),” Lemus said. “I felt like today they also showed a little more grit and fight for every ball.”
Kalena Kekaualua scored in the 26th minute off of a scramble following a corner kick for Waiakea (5-3, 15 points), which needed the win if it’s going to be able to have a chance to make a run at Lemus’s stated preseason goal of hosting a Division I semifinal.
After beating a team with a winning record for the first time this season – Kamehameha is 5-3 – Waiakea is six points behind second-place Konawaena and seven in back of Hilo, with a game remaining with each team.
Tiani Kow collected the shutout for Waiakea, and Lemus – a former UH-Hilo goalkeeper and Kamehameha assistant – was pleased Kamehameha’s prime scoring opportunities were kept to a minimum.
“With the extra fight our back line worked hard, and I don’t think Tiani had to come up with a big save, just the routine ones,” he said.
Hilo 6, Makua Lani 0: Miya Clarke score two goals with an assist, and Jordyn Pacheco also scored twice as visiting Hilo remained unbeaten at 7-0-1.
Kalamanamana Harman netted her fourth goal and Paige Hiraki also scored for the Vikings.
Saydee Bacdad shut out the Lions (4-4) as Hilo held a sixth consecutive opponent scoreless.
On the other side, Clarke and Pacheco have 11 and 10 goals on the season, respectively.
Kealakehe 3, Honokaa 0: The Waveriders (3-4) ended a four-match losing streak, dropping the Dragons to 1-7.
Konawaena 12, Ka’u 0: The host Wildcats improved to 7-1, while the Trojans fell to 0-8.
Boys
Waiakea 6, Kamehameha 1: John Grover and Aidan Santos tallied two goals apiece at Paiea Stadium as the Warriors dealt Kamehameha another lopsided loss.
Kyson Yamashiro and Riley Tamanaha also collected goals as Waiakea (5-1-1) remained in second in Division I.
Grover has scored in sixth consecutive matches and has nine goals on the season, while Santos has six.
Jonathan DeMotta netted his 14th goal for Kamehameha (5-4), which has lost three in row by a combined 20-3.
Hilo 4, Makua Lani 0: Riley Patterson tallied his 18th and 19th goals of the season as the visiting Vikings cooled off the Lions.
Logan Mizuba added his sixth goal and Haku Perry scored his fifth for Hilo (5-2), and Jyson Breitbarth and Jase Ambrojo each had a hand in the shutout of Makua Lani (7-2).
Konawaena 8, Ka’u 0: Joseph Roback, Wyatt Savella and Travis Ichishita scored two goals apiece as the host Wildcats (3-5) won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Jose Medina made one save in shutting out the Trojans (0-8).
Kealakehe 5, Honokaa 0: The Waveriders (4-2-1) won at home against the Dragons (1-7).
