KAILUA-KONA — Kealakehe has not lost to a league opponent in four years. That didn’t change Saturday.
The Waveriders topped Hilo 2-1 in the BIIF Division I championship game on a late goal from James Caudell to record its fifth consecutive title and ninth overall since 2004.
“We got it done,” said Kealakehe coach Urs Leuenberger. “Last minute of the game, five minutes into the game, it doesn’t matter when you score the winning goal. These boys are champions and they seem to find a way to finish it up, but hats off to Hilo. This was the best team I have ever seen from them.”
Hilo will have to settle for its fourth straight runner-up finish, a run that looked like it might end last year when the Vikings hung around with arguably the best team on the Big Island for nearly 80 minutes before eventually falling by one goal.
The game-winner for the ‘Riders came with 1:42 left on the clock, and overtime ticking closer. Kealakehe’s Laukoa Santos set up for a corner kick and sent a low shot into the box. Caudell was in the right spot at the right time, dove down, and sent a header into the back of the net for the eventual game-winner.
The Waveriders found themselves in an unfamiliar territory early in the game, down by a goal to the Vikings when Hilo’s Riley Patterson received a perfect cross just outside the six from River Brown and headed the ball over Kealakehe keeper Greyson Moore.
Hilo continued a torrid pace early on, but as the half continued the Vikings began to slow, allowing the Waveriders to score the equalizer. The goal came out of nowhere as Yuki Lavoie took the ball near the left sideline from 30 yards out, looked up and saw the keeper out of line, and sent a bullet into the far corner of the net to tie the game with 20 minutes left in the half.
The Vikings had a great chance to score on a free kick in the final minute of the half, with the ball placed in the center of the pitch from about 25 yards out. But the Viks did not notice the clock winding down and the horn sounded right before the attempt.
The teams entered the break of the physical contest knotted up, neither gaining an edge in momentum.
With renewed energy, the Vikings came out and continuously pushed the ball down field. With 27 minutes left in the game, Hilo picked up a free kick from 35 yards out. Jace Taka sent the shot in and the ball rolled dangerously through the box, but roll out untouched.
Kealakehe had its opportunities to score but went high and wide.
With time winding down, the Waveriders set up for a corner kick. Santos sent in the shot and the Hilo keeper came out to make the save but lost the ball. Heavily guarded, but with an open net, Tate Whitney got the rebound but his kick missed by inches on the outside of the left post.
Late in the game, Kealakehe got a bit of luck when a Hilo player tried to clear the ball and it ended up going out for a corner kick, which set up the winning goal.
“We knew both teams were looking sharp by the end of the season. But it comes down to who scores more at the end of the day and who has accumulated the most opportunities,” said Hilo coach George Ichimaru. “The game was fair, back and forth, and Kealakehe came back. Congrats to them.”
