To put this BIIF girls soccer season in some form of context, consider a round of golf where one has to skip half the holes.
There have been lulls.
When Waiakea High was playing, they were losing tight matches, at least until last week. The Warriors continued to pick up steam Saturday in a 4-1 home victory against Kealakehe behind a hat trick by Kalia Franklin, a freshman who gives her team a key finishing component heading toward the stretch drive.
“Well, she’s a goal-scorer,” coach Steve Petner said. “Every team wants a goal scorer. She had a really good game today.”
Franklin, who has five goals on the season, wasn’t alone in that regard.
Jayda Cuevas-Varize also scored a goal, helping to offset one by the Waveriders’ Sophia Weir.
“You have to credit the other players, (Kalia’s) not doing it on her own,” Petner said. “It’s a team thing.”
“They played a couple of really good balls to her” and Franklin took advantage.
The four teams in D-I are playing for playoff seeding.
The Warriors (2-2, six points) began last week winless, but they beat Hawaii Prep 3-0 on Monday and ended it on the ascent. They are still in the mix to host a BIIF Division I semifinal on Wednesday, Feb. 9, though they’ll need some help from Kamehameha (1-0-1) in D-II. Kealakehe (2-1-1, 7 points) and Hilo (2-1) each can lock down home matches with another win. The Waveriders finish the regular season Saturday at Kamehameha, while the Vikings head to Kamehameha on Monday and host HPA on Wednesday.
The Warriors close the regular season Wednesday at home against Konawaena (0-3).
“It just about building the team, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Petner said. “Hopefully, we’re getting better each week.
“Everyone is making good decisions and putting into the game what we’re doing in training. As a coach, that’s all you can ask.”
Boys
Kealakehe 2, Waiakea 2: Tevin Atwal scored the equalizer in the second half on a penalty kick as the host Warriors avoided their first loss, playing to a second consecutive draw.
Atwal scored both goals for Waiakea (5-0-2, 17 points), giving him 13 on the season.
Goal-scorers weren’t available for the Waveriders (4-1-1, 13).
Konawaena 6, Keaau 0: The Wildcats (1-6) earned their first win, dropping the visiting Cougars to 0-5.
Friday
Hawaii Prep 8, Parker 0: Nate Lawton scored four goals and Aidan Santos added a hat trick as Ka Makani won the battle of Waimea.
Freshman Kena Craven scored his first goal. Santos, a senior, has 12 on the season as HPA improved to 3-0-2, dropping the Bulls to 1-5.