By MATT GERHART ADVERTISING By MATT GERHART Tribune-Herald sports writer KEAAU — Hawaii Prep coach Rich Braithwaite’s scouting report on his boys soccer team in the preseason went something like this: a good, young, solid unit that may have trouble
By MATT GERHART
Tribune-Herald sports writer
KEAAU — Hawaii Prep coach Rich Braithwaite’s scouting report on his boys soccer team in the preseason went something like this: a good, young, solid unit that may have trouble scoring.
One goal was all Ka Makani needed Saturday night to meet and ultimately surpass his expectations.
Justin Perry scored late in the first half and HPA held off Christian Liberty 1-0 to claim the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II title at Kamehameha’s Paiea Field.
“What feels best is we played eight underclassmen today,” Braithwaite said, “I thought we might be a year or two away.”
Not with sophomores like Perry in the fold.
Braithwaite called Perry’s effort in the 36th minute a “man’s goal.”
Operating down the the right flank, Perry beat three defenders, shouldering off two.
“Saw some space, took it forward, got a fortunate bounce off (a defender) when I tried to cross it,” the right-footed Perry said. “Cut it back to my left and just drilled it with my left foot.”
Ka Makani (10-3-3) earned a seeded berth to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament. The Canefire (11-4) will join them at states — which are this week in on Oahu — as will Honokaa, which won a shootout Saturday against Kamehameha.
Both teams had there share of chances in the entertaining, back-and-forth match. As expected, striker Nakaiya Kerr led the hard-charging Canefire, but HPA sophomore goalkeeper Trent Wise was equal to the task.
“Nakaiya is a monster,” Braithwaite said.
In avenging a 6-2 loss to Christian Liberty in the regular season, Braithwaite credited senior sweeper Blake Hooser, freshman stopper Braden Kojima and sophomore, Zen Simone, who only started playing fullback just two says earlier.
“Every single time they played a ball to feet,” Braithwaite said. “We had somebody almost foul them.”
Meanwhile, it was quite a day for HPA soccer, especially the Perry family.
As the boys team was securing its first BIIF title, the HPA’s girls team, coached by Steve Perry — Justin’s father — had just wrapped up its first state championship on Oahu.
Asked who would get first dibs once father and son connected later Saturday night, Justin Perry, said, “Dad will go first. You have to go with the state champion.”
After missing out on its first league title, Christian Liberty will make the trip to states as the BIIF runner-up for the fourth time in five years.
The Canefire had plenty of chances, but were either just a bit off with their shots or denied by Wise.
Louis Moylan rattled the crossbar with a shot in the second half, and Sequoya Kerr got close in the first half but shot high.
Hawaii Prep almost added to its lead in the 66th minute, but Dylan Ryan’s header went wide.
Moments later, Ka Makani received a penalty kick, but Christian Liberty goalkeeper Kiyoshi Kaili stonewalled Perry.
Wise redirected a shot by Moylan over the crossbar with eight minutes remaining.
After taking a corner kick, time finally ran out on the Canefire.
“We’ve been working on marking in practice,” said Perry, who moved up to center midfield late in the match to join the defensive effort.
• Honokaa 3, Kamehameha 2, PKs: Preston Branco stared in the shootout, making three saves after substituting in at goalkeeper and converting his penalty kick, to get the Dragons back to states after a one-year absence.
Honokaa (9-3-3) lost a shootout to Hawaii Prep on Thursday in the BIIF semifinals with Elzer Maltezo in goal, prompting coach Maurice Miranda to hold tryouts Friday in case the Dragons again faced penalty kicks.
“Preston’s got some quickness,” Miranda said. “Elzer’s not devastated. I told Preston to save the mistakes.”
Branco did more than just that.
He denied Kamehameha’s first two attempts, diving to his right stop Quinn Hottendorf, then stabbing away Chance Aguiar-Chartrand’s attempt.
“I played goalkeeper when I was younger,” Branco said. “When coach wanted me to play keeper, I was like, ‘OK, I got this.’
“I don’t really guess. I go by reaction and my reflexes. Where the ball takes me, I go.”
Jevin Dement’s PK clinched a 3-1 victory in the shootout.
Branco, who attended Kamehameha his first two years in high school, sent the game to overtime, scoring from the top of the box to tie the game at 2-2 in the second half. Sean Perala opened the scoring with a goal in the first half for Honokaa.
“Both teams played hard,” Branco said. “This is a rivalry game for me.”
Aguiar-Chartrand and Koa Thompson found the back of the net in regulation for the Warriors (7-4-5), who were denied their first state trip since 2009.
“One of our main goals was to earn respect back to the program,” first-year coach Mario Patino said. “These guys we able to accomplish that in one season. I commend them for that.”
