KAILUA-KONA – While the match may not have gone in Kealakehe’s favor, the Waveriders’ presence on the pitch Monday marked a milestone.
On Monday, the Waveriders made their first appearance in the HHSAA Division I State Tournament in five years, falling to the Falcons of Kalani by a score of 2-0.
“They deserve more, but I respect these boys,” said Kealakehe head coach Hayato Fukumitsu. “Proud of what they’ve accomplished this year. We got to the (BIIF) Final game, got back to the state tournament. That alone, it’s been an accomplishment.”
Though Kalani, the runner-up in Oahu’s OIA D-I East conference, was able to maintain the edge in the possession battle throughout the first half, Kealakehe’s defensive unit anchored by captain TJ Arakawa, Sam Villanueva, Daniel Avendano-Villanueva and Duke “Kauka” Kapuniai did well to stifle much of the Falcons’ opportunities.
Kalani broke through in the game’s 27th minute, when Ethan Senter fired a shot past Waverider goalie Duke Becker to take a 1-0 lead. Neither side was able to add to the scoreboard until halftime, and the 1-0 score held going into the second half.
After halftime, Kealakehe came out with a renewed sense of urgency. They forced their way into a handful of scoring opportunities early in the half, but failed to come away with any clean looks at Kalani’s keeper.
“It’s as expected in the state tournament; you’re not going to get clean shots,” said Fukumitsu. “You’re playing the top caliber of the state. We knew our chances would be few and far between; that’s just part of soccer.”
While the Waveriders continued to press in search of the equalizer, Kalani was able to capitalize with less than 10 minutes to play on a breakaway – and perhaps a lucky bounce – that went over the head of Becker for a backbreaking second goal.
“You need that lucky bounce, as you saw,” added Fukumitsu. “It’s part of the game; it can be cruel and it can be joyous. This time, unfortunately, it didn’t bounce for us.”
With a two-goal lead in hand, Kalani was able to slow down the pace of play for the rest of the game, salting away the final minutes to make the 2-0 score final.
Though the game didn’t go exactly as the Waveriders hoped, their coach was proud with his team’s intensity displayed, especially after halftime.
“Loved it. That’s what we do; that’s our brand of soccer,” said Fukumitsu.
Fukumitsu highlighted the team’s achievements beyond their 7-4-1 record, BIIF D-I runners-up and a return to the HHSAA D-I State Tournament.
“They’re just a great group of human beings,” he said. “We want the trophy, obviously, but at the end of the day, we want good humans coming out of this program… They will be great in whatever they do the rest of their lives. They have a great attitude. I’m just happy to have been able to coach these kids.”