Since he was little, Kealakehe’s Laukoa Santos has had a soccer ball at his feat and has been dribbling.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that he refined himself into a technically sound player by his sophomore season and reach rarefied air in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
“What sets Laukoa apart is his consistency,” coach Waveriders coach Urs Leuenberger said.
Even in the muck.
What did come as a bit of a surprise to Leuenberger was how well Santos was able to handle adverse conditions. Of his 23 goals as a 10th-grader, Santos’ favorite was a 35-yard blast against Hilo during a soggy BIIF final that got Kealakehe started toward its fourth consecutive league title.
“A muddy field and we had rain,” Leuenberger said. “It’s not really his game, but he was able to lift the ball of fthe ground and play smart. Technical players usually don’t like to play in conditions like that.”
Leuenberger figured the BIIF Division I Player of the Year voting came down to Santos and Kealakehe senior Tyler Deverse. Leuenberger loves Deverse, the only four-time champion to play for him, but in his eyes the league coaches made the only call they could. Santos may be only a sophomore, but he was the league’s leading scorer in BIIF games and the best player on the best team.
“It’s no surprise, because he clearly deserved it,” Leuenberger said. “He was a force. His (grade) really didn’t matter. He was mature enough to be on the field all the time, and that’s what the coaches saw.
Said Santos: “I knew it was going to be either me or Tyler. We play with a lot of expectations on this island.”
Leuenberger never sweats the players he loses to graduation, and Santos is Exhibit A why. He helped the Waveriders replace their two-time Player of the Year, Keoni Yates, and their leading scorer, Scott Henderson, as they posted their third consecutive unbeaten BIIF season.
Deverse, a forward, midfielder Josh Lopez, fullbacks Ari Mensch, James Caudell and Jonah Palakiko and goalkeeper Greyson Moore also made all-BIIF. Santos said Kealakehe was better than the year before, outscoring its BIIF opponents 86-7.
“Last year, I played side by side with Keoni, and he did a lot of the dirty work and he fed me the ball,” Santos said. “This year, I was the one in the center. Freshman Matt Castro and I played together more this year. We finally got it going and started to click.
“I tried to both score myself and set up others.”
A sophomore Player of the Year is rare in BIIF soccer, and a three-time Player of the Year is even rarer. There is a caveat, however. Santos might just be too good to have that chance.
While scouting him in the Olympic Developmental Program, the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer thought enough of Santos to offer him a spot on a developmental academy team.
“We’ll see. It involves me moving,” Santos said. “If it doesn’t work out, I want to play (college) in Division I.”
Either way, coach and player agree there is still room for improvement. While Leuenberger would like to see Santos better his passing, Santos’ primary goal is to get bigger. At 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, he wants to add 3 inches and 10 pounds.
“That’s good size for D-I,” he said. “I just need to eat well and sleep well.”
Konawaena midfielder Sergio Garcia and fullback Colby Martin also were selected all-BIIF as were Hilo forward Nicholas Carter and Waiakea forward Max Adolf.
After leading Kealakehe to its seventh title in eight years and eighth since 2004, Leuenberger was selected Coach of the Year.
