Hilo High girls coach Skee Saplan was prepared for the mass exodus and the spike in work that was to follow with a young squad after graduating one of the best BIIF soccer classes in recent memory.
Part of him even looked forward to a modified expectation that didn’t center around being dominant.
But he never knew that trying to replace his self-dubbed great eight – the Vikings’ core group lost just three BIIF games the past four years while winning three Division I titles – would become such a constant ache.
The injury bug is real, Saplan said, and it continued to bite Hilo last weekend in preseason matches on Kauai.
“I’ve never had this,” he said. “I don’t even know what formations we’re going to play because it depends on how the injuries come back, and whether we can focus more on defensive or offensive.”
Much burden, to lead, produce offensive threats and hold everything together, will naturally fall on Nanea Moke-Rabang, a capable senior forward who tallied six assists, tops of the returnees, and scored twice last season.
“It very hard, it’s frustrating, but we’re trying to keep positive and try to keep motivating the girls so they can put it all out there,” Moke-Rabang said. “I feel like I’m going to have to work to show that if you put in more work, that eventually everything will come out OK.”
Part of the pressure last season came with trying to be perfect. Hilo wanted to shut out everyone, and the Vikings almost did, allowing just two goals in BIIF play before getting upset by Konawaena in the title game.
“I feel like our pressure this year is harder because we have such a young team,” Moke-Rabang said. “We have good talent here, we just have to figure out how to work together.”
Perhaps more than usual, the sophomore-laden Vikings can make good use of their annual Big Island Candies Hilo Bay Classic, which features 17 teams and runs Friday through Sunday. In a groundbreaking match Friday, Hilo plays Waianae at Kuawa field (the newly opened park located on Kuawa Street between Kamehameha Avenue and the Ho‘olulu Complex).
“A lot of girls are going to be pulling doubleduty,” Saplan said. ‘This weekend should let us know where we are going to be playing people and who is going to step up into a starting role.”
The most important returning piece is senior Booboo Corpuz, an all-BIIF center back who is slated to move up to the midfield this season. However, Corpuz suffered an ACL tear in the offseason, and though she’s been cleared to play, she’s not 100% yet. The third returning starter, senior center back Paige Hiraki, also has a knee injury, leaving her season in doubt.
Junior Samantha Chung also is nursing an injury, though Saplan hopes to have the midfielder back by the beginning of the BIIF season early next month. Chung chipped in two goals and three assists in a reserve role last season. Promising sophomore Peyton Saguid, Hilo’s leading returning scorer with five goals, is also dealing with an injury.
Junior Kylie Kalauli (one goal, one assist last season) will have to play “all over the place,” Saplan and sophomore Kali’u Boteilho is the heir apparent at goalkeeper after gaining experience as a backup last season.
There’s no looking back for Hilo, but the reality is a year after starting 11 upperclassmen, the Vikings carry just six on a roster that includes nine sophomores.
“Sophomores are considered upperclassmen, that’s the biggest group,” Saplan said. “This year, teams are so good we have to go game by game just to make it into the postseason.”
Big Island Candies Hilo Bay Classic
Matches at Hilo Bayfront unless noted
Friday
Girls
Hilo vs. Waianae, Kuawa field, 3:30 p.m.
Kauai vs. Roosevelt, 3:30 p.m.
Boys
Kauai vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday
Girls
Waianae vs. Honokaa, 9 a.m.
Kauai vs Hawaii Prep, 11 a.m.
Hilo vs. Roosevelt, 1 p.m.
Konawaena vs. Honokaa, Kuawa field, 3 p.m.
Boys
Waiakea vs. Hawaii Prep, 9 a.m.
Hilo vs. Konawaena, Amauulu Field, 9 a.m.
Kamehameha vs. Kohala, Kuawa field, 9 p.m.
Kamehameha vs. Keaau, 1 p.m.
Honokaa vs. Waiakea, Kuawa field, 1 p.m.
Kauai vs Hawaii Prep, 3 p.m.
Konawaena vs. Kohala, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
Girls
Roosevelt vs. Waianae, 9 a.m.
Kauai vs. Konawaena, 9 a.m.
Keaau vs. Konawaena, 2 p.m.
Hilo vs. Honokaa, 3 p.m.
Boys
Hilo vs. Kauai, Kuawa field, 9 a.m.
Keaau vs. Honokaa, 11 a.m.
Hilo vs. Honokaa, 4 p.m.