Waiakea was getting swarmed.
With Hilo High’s Kyler Rivera, Sequoia Cortes-Medeiros and Kani Tolentino-Perry turning on defenders and peppering balls into the box, and Leha Harman and Michael DeCoito charging toward the goal, Bayfront soccer field was heavily tilted in the Vikings’ favor on a pleasant Friday afternoon.
Cortes-Medeiros, for example, was only momentarily slowed when he went to the sidelines, vomited liquids, and then popped right back into the match. That’s how hard Hilo brought it.
“We’re a new team, and they weren’t used to the energy and tenacity,” Warriors coach David Urakami said. “They wanted to posses, and you can’t do that against a skilled team.”
In these instances, he’s glad Tevin Atwal is on his side. Atwal is at least somewhat familiar with requisite intensity level, and, not coincidentally, he succeeded by taking the more direct approach. Atwal’s second-half goal turned the match inside out and helped the Warriors walk away with a 1-0 win in a heated BIIF Division I showdown that included a skirmish and large periods of Hilo domination.
“He did what he does,” Urakami said. “He takes it to goal.”
If the Vikings (1-1) could have capitalized on their opportunities or gotten a better touch here or there, it could have been 4-0 – or worse – in their favor. Instead it was scoreless midway through the second half when Atwal ran down a throughball from Kaden Aguilar, beat a defender, took one touch and buried his fourth goal of the season.
“They definitely had a lot more shots on goal and attack, but overall our defense played really well,” Atwal said. “We wanted to control the ball a little bit more and the defense was holding on to the ball more. They found me up top.”
The junior is one of the few Warriors who received playing time when the teams last met, prepandemic: Waiakea’s overtime win against the Vikings in the 2020 BIIF title game almost 24 months ago.
“Just the leadership and the composure,” Atwal said of what he brings to the team. “Calming down the team. There were a lot of tense moments. There was a bit of confusion. We just had to control things. You can’t be scared of the ball when your facing up against them.”
As the Vikings searched for the equalizer, emotions spilled over. A player from each team had to be separated after a scuffle in which Hilo High coach George Ichimaru said he saw a Warriors player throw two punches. Athletic directors from each school got involved and took their teams off the field to let cool them down. There were no cards handed out, and the match continued after a short delay.
“I’m concerned that there was no disciplinary action taken,” Ichimaru said.
Said Urakami: “The officials should have taken control.”
That sequence aside, each coach had reason to leave the field content.
Goalkeeper Kainalu Mattos and the team’s fullbacks did well to keep Hilo from scoring as Waiakea (2-0) survived.
Ichimaru lauded his team’s energy and effort, despite its constant misfires. Harman’s bid at a tying goal late in the match caromed off the left post.
“It’s just a matter of time, we just have to build together,” Ichimaru said, “and you have to fail to find success.”
Honokaa 5, Keaau 1: Reese Gleason and Keanakolu Case scored two goals apiece at the Cougars’ field as Josh Robinson won his coaching debut at his alma mater.
Maurice Miranda stepped down after 31 years at the helm of Honokaa and is an assistant under Robinson, who in 2011 helped the Dragons to the first of their back-to-back HHSAA Division II state titles.
Jake Taylor also scored for Honokaa, while Dylan Vaughan netted a goal for Keaau (0-1).
Kamehameha at Konawaena: An hour before Saturday’s boys match was supposed to start, the contest was postponed and will re be rescheduled. Previously, a girls match between the teams was rescheduled for Jan. 18.