Laukoa Santos likely will see his dream of playing Major League Soccer come true, but for a little while the 2017 Kealakehe graduate will have to sit on pins and needles.
The draft will be held Jan. 11, so it’s an anxious wait for Santos, who’s been Mr. Inaugural for Big Island soccer. He was the first three-time BIIF player of the year and also the first Big Island player and Native Hawaiian to play extensively for a Division I Pac-12 school at San Diego State.
Santos, who’s 5 feet 10 and 160 pounds, was also the first BIIF player invited to the MLS College Showcase, a three-day scouting combine that concluded Sunday in North Carolina.
“It was good. I was one of the top 44 players invited to the combine,” he said. “I was blessed to go. It was one of the best weekends of my life, no doubt.
“This week my agent is talking to all the front office people who are showing interest. I have to sit tight until Jan. 11. It’s pretty cool that they’re doing a piece on Hawaii soccer players. It’s the first time since Brian Ching that a Hawaii guy has been in the draft. It’s pretty cool and pretty damn rare. I’m enjoying every second of it.”
To be invited to the combine, a prospect needs the recommendation from two MLS front office officials. The MLS draft has three rounds and over 80 players are drafted, so it’s more likely than not that Santos will also become the first BIIF player to be drafted.
“We didn’t have the best season and didn’t make the NCAA tournament. Most of the time, you have to be on a winning team,” Santos said. “But it’s been a blessing for sure. If I had to describe my time at San Diego State, it would be one word: adversity. Being in the Pac-12, that’s the hardest conference in the country. We had a coaching change and a lot of new faces in the program. Fortunately, I trusted the process, and we were 8-7-2, one game away from making the NCAA tourney and were ranked as high as 13th. We started 7-0-2 and had a lot of scouts.”
The Aztecs recruited Santos as a midfielder, but it’s more likely that he’ll play fullback in the pros, a fit for his skill-set.
“I’ve got an engine. I can go up and down the line, back and forth. I’ve got cardio, and I’m quick, fast, and strong,” he said. “It’s pretty much where they need me to be, and it works out pretty well.”
He’s two online classes away from his financial real estate degree, and he plans to pursue that career after his playing days are over.
Santos also knows he carries a responsibility as someone upcoming BIIF soccer players will look up to.
“When I went to San Diego State, it was a whole new ballgame,” he said. “Back on the Big Island, I thought I was a big fish in a small pond, but I wanted more. I knew my resources were limited, and I had to work that much harder.
“It’s a little colder in San Diego, but I still surfed and golfed. One of my best experiences was golfing at Torrey Pines, where I shot a 98.”
Santos knows he should stick to soccer, and he’s grateful to Vinny Laporta, his Kona Crush club coach.
“He pushed me to a higher height,” Santos said. “I’m the first three-time BIIF player of the year, the first Native Hawaiian to play Division I soccer in the Pac-12, and hopefully on Jan. 11 the first Big Island player to be a pro soccer player.
“The sky is the limit. I’ll continue to inspire.”
Also attending the combine was Kailua-Kona native Esai Easley, the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year for Grand Canyon. Easley played his freshman season at Makua Lani.