KEAAU – For any BIIF followers looking to see what they’d missed while they were away, Hilo High packed a condensed version of its 2022 self into 80 minutes of crisp soccer.
“Our motto is ‘All in,’” junior Leha Harman said. “We try and put everything we can on the field, not leave any regrets and try and win this year.”
With fans – masked and invited – back in the stands Monday at Paiea Stadium, Harman scored two goals and Sequoia Cortes-Medeiros tallied a goal and two assists as the Vikings bolstered their bid for the top seed in the Division I boys playoffs by downing short-handed Kamehameha 3-0.
Coach George Ichimaru has come to expect a superior effort each time out from Hilo (6-1, 18 points), even if the result doesn’t necessarily follow. It was even there in its lone loss, a 1-0 setback against Waiakea on Jan. 7 in a match Hilo carried at times.
“It’s putting the pieces together and really creating opportunities and putting them away,” Ichimaru said.
Finishes would come, but not after a period in which Harman felt his team got lax with the ball. And the Vikings had the ball a lot in the first half, peppering the Warriors’ end with 10 shots. Kamehameha was rarely on the attack, save for a free kick from just outside the box that Hilo cleared.
“They are technical and athletic all around,” Warriors coach Gene Okamura said.
Considering the manner in which the Vikings dominated in the first half, the Division II Warriors (2-1-1, seven points) and goalkeeper Jacob Aiona did well to trail just 1-0, courtesy of Harman’s goal in the 19th minute.
Early in the second half, however, Cortes-Medeiros dribbled down the right flank and set up Harman for a tap-in that was his 12th – and perhaps easiest – goal of the season.
“That was great service,” Harman said.
Cortes-Medeiros tacked on his fourth goal. In keeping a clean sheet, goalkeeper Tait Labra’s best save came when he stuck out his right hand to redirect Kyle Derasin’s shot from inside of 10 yards.
“We executed a little better and it was just a matter of time until the goals came,” Ichimaru said.
Hilo has another prime test Wednesday at home against Hawaii Prep, and a win would go along way toward securing the No. 1 seed in the semifinals. Harman was on the 2020 squad that lost to Waiakea in overtime in the championship, and he knows his history. The Vikings have endured seven runner-up finishes since last winning a title in 2011.
“The focus right now is bringing the title back to Hilo,” he said. “We’ve been close, but we couldn’t come through.”
For Kamehameha, it’s been a tale of two seasons: inactivity and activity. The Warriors were playing for just the second time since Jan. 12 – one of its wins came via forfeit – and Monday began stretch in which they are scheduled to play seven times in 10 days.
“They will get really fit,” Okamura said.
Kamehameha also was playing without two key midfielders, Elijah Dinkel and Will Henderson.
“Those are two of the highest soccer IQ players on the island,” Okamura said. “When we’re full strength, it will be nice.”
Waiakea, 9, Keaau 0: Tobias Johnson netted a hat trick, and Aziah Nelson and Daniel Castro Mediavilla added two goals apiece as the Warriors won at home.
Alex Tuson and Oli Bautista also scored for Waiakea (6-0-2, 20 points), and Kainalu Mattos kept a clean sheet against the Cougars (0-6).
Girls
Hilo 0, Kamehameha 0: Warriors goalkeeper Kaylia Galindo dove to her left to deny Briana-Jean Tanaka in the second half each team earned a point at Paiea Stadium.
Galindo and Vikings’ keeper Kali’u Boteilho each finished with five saves.
In the second half, Sophia Wilson was active for Kamehameha (1-0-2), drawing a free kick from just outside the box for Nanea Wong Yuen, who shot wide. Wilson also surged down the left flank late in the match, but couldn’t get a ball on frame.
With a win Wednesday against HPA at Hilo Bayfront, Hilo (2-1-1) can lock down a home match in the BIIF D-I semifinals.
