A perfect season had the perfect ending for Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i boys soccer.
In Saturday’s 2025 Motiv8 Foundation Division II Boys Soccer State Championship on O‘ahu, the KSH Warriors clinched their third state title in four seasons — escaping Kapa‘a 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Kingston Akuna off a William Henderson assist to seal the deal.
Henderson was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
“The ball came back out to me, and we knew Kingston had been working on it in practice to get behind the lines, and he was wide open,” Henderson told the Star-Advertiser on the goal in the 59th minute. “Once I played that ball in between (the defenders) after Gab (Gabriel Arquitola) created that beautiful run to drag out that center back, I knew (Akuna) was going to finish it.”
After falling in penalty kicks to Island School in last year’s DII state championship, KSH responded in 2024-25 with an undefeated 14-0-0 season and 11-0-0 in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF). The KSH Warriors posted an impressive 65-8 goal differential, featuring eight shutouts across the season. Micah Chung led the champs with 14 total goals.
The team peaked at the perfect time, logging six consecutive shutouts to close 2024-25 — largely thanks to the stellar defensive play of star goalkeeper Jacob Aiona.
“Last year was devastating,” Aiona said. “We played a very good Island School side, and we really thought we could go for four. But we came out this year with a chip on our shoulder, ready to fight.”
“This is a special team,” KSH head coach Greg Minato said. “Last year, we lost 1-0 (in the state final). This year, in the beginning of the season, they were ready to come back and win the title…and they deserve it. They scratched and clawed their way through all three games, and they never gave up.
“I told the team that offense gets all the glory, but defense wins championships.”
For the Kapa‘a Warriors, it was their first loss of the season — ending 2024-25 at 13-1-1 and 11-0-1 in the Kauai Interscholastic Federation (KIF). They posted a 48-11 goal differential, recording six shutouts.
“We had a great group of kids,” Kapa‘a coach Kevin Cram added. “We have younger ones for next year who we expect to do the same thing. They worked hard, they fought hard and Kamehameha was just a little bit better and got the goal.”
During Friday’s semifinals, KSH escaped with a nail-biting 1-0 win after Henderson scored the match-sealing goal during penalty kicks.
This past weekend ended a picture-perfect week for KSH soccer, as the girls team took home the DII state title on Feb. 3.
HPA 1, Kalaheo 1
Hawaii Preparatory Academy boys soccer tied Kalaheo for fifth place in HHSAA DII after a 1-1 match on Saturday on O‘ahu.
Ka Makani’s Kena Craven scored first in the 43rd minute, but the Mustangs’ Maximos Spheeris countered in the 53rd with a goal.
“I was proud of the boys for displaying toughness and grit,” HPA head coach Tad Detwiler told West Hawaii Today.
During Thursday’s quarterfinals, the red and white fell to Le Jardin 2-1, which moved them to the consolation bracket.
The Bulldogs’ Xelhuan Anderson-Martinez scored in the 12th minute and teammate Sol Sonny Anderson matched him in the 49th. Ka Makani did not find life until the 75th minute, when Skye Raymond scored its lone goal off a cross from Craven.
“We got off to a slow start, but I still feel like we were the better team,” Detwiler said. “We dominated (in the second half), but the energy surge we had came too late in the end. It was an up and down game for us, and sometimes, the better team doesn’t always win.”
During Friday’s fifth-place semifinal, HPA blanked Waipahu 6-0, thanks to two goals from Raymond in the 13th and 29th minute, Chazz Pagano in the 29th, Duke Waiau in the 40th, Zach Montgomery in the 48th and Craven in the 65th.
“For me, (Friday) was our best game,” Detwiler said. “We played 80 minutes of great soccer. Our possession and work rate was outstanding.”
Ka Makani finished 2024-25 with an 8-4-2 overall record and a second-place finish in BIIF DII (6-3-1). HPA posted a 51-12 goal differential. The team also logged seven shutout wins.
Detwiler expressed his appreciation for the team’s play all season, and is excited for the future with the group.
“Overall, I’m so proud of the season we had and especially proud of my starting seniors — Kena Craven, Skye Raymond, Alika Pucket and Javier Santana Calvo — for setting the standard high for the younger boys.
“As a team, we have learned a lot this year, and next year, we will pick up where we left off and hopefully make another run at the state championship.”
All-Tournament Teams
The 2025 Motiv8 Foundation Boys Soccer State Championships All-Tournament Teams are as follows:
Division I
• Madden Aquino, KSK
• Brody Awaya, Iolani
• Azis Camerrer, KSK
• Lorenzo Gonzalez, King Kekaulike
• Kama Kane, Iolani
• Elijah Kuni, Mililani
• Jayden Parker, Campbell
• Kalen Toguchi, Mililani
• Tyler Cole Tamashiro, Mililani
• Tyler Welsch, Campbell
• Goalkeeper: Brayden Obrero, Iolani
• Most Outstanding: Devin Lee, Iolani
Division II
• Alexander Agrade, Kapa‘a
• Kamalei Dasalia-Mundon, Kapa‘a
• Evan Daligdig, Kapa‘a
• Kamalei Gonsalves, Kapa‘a
• Everton Kuamoo, KSH
• Thurston Laa, KSH
• Maxton Molzhon, Le Jardin
• James Notarangelo, Seabury
• Ryder Okumura, KSH
• Goalkeeper: Jacob Aiona, KSH
• Most Outstanding: William Henderson, KSH
