By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
After many years of disappointment, Mililani won its first AT&T Wireless Boys State Soccer championship last night, beating Hilo, 2-0, before 2,605 at Aloha Stadium.
 |
| Mililani’s Lance Watanabe, right, defends against a heads-up play by Hilo’s Dustin Broad in the first half.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser |
When head referee Tony Gomes finally whistled the game over after more than six minutes of injury time, the Trojans raced en masse to the wall of the grandstand to share the victory with their enthusiastic supporters, who had filled the front rows.
"We knew how it felt to lose," co-captain Blaine Murakami said. "We didn’t want that feeling again."
Jarrett Razon scored on a penalty kick 7:12 into the second half and Timmy Liu punctuated the long-awaited victory with a goal 4:50 into injury time.
Razon’s kick came after a foul was called on Hilo goalkeeper Eddie Ruhland, who grabbed Lance Watanabe in a scramble for a ball that Ruhland had blocked. "I went up for the ball and somebody knocked it out of my hands," Ruhland said. "I went to collapse on the shot and the whistle blew. They said I tackled him."
Watanabe, of course, saw it differently. "I had an opening and would have scored, but I got sandwiched by the keeper and the sweeper," he said.
Razon caught Ruhland leaning to his right on the penalty kick and drilled a turf cutter into the lower right corner.
"I played ODP (Olympic Development Program) with Eddie and he’s the best," Razon said, "but if I put the ball where I put it in practice, at the back post, it’s unstoppable."
The tempo of the game changed after Razon’s goal. The Trojans turned from relentless attackers to dedicated defenders. The Vikings, whose game is built on defense, seemed unable to adjust to an attacking mode and Mililani’s superior ball-handing skills gave the Trojans control.
 |
| Mililani’s Jarrett Razon, far right, celebrates with teammates after scoring on a penalty kick early in the second half.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser |
"One goal wins a game like today," Mililani coach Jeff Yamamoto said. "In states, you have to know how to protect your lead. With 24 minutes left, we went to a set-back defense and packed up in front of the goal."
Hilo’s last gasp was a 40-yard free kick by Kaine Charleston in injury time that goalkeeper Thomas Brown caught.
"It’s OK," Hilo assistant coach Joy Memmer said. "We went beyond, beyond our goals. It was a great game and our team walked off the field with a lot of pride and respect. Last year third, this year second, next year . . . our jayvees were unbeaten and five varsity starters return."
Ruhland won’t be one of them. The 6-foot-3 senior capped a brilliant career with a strong effort — particularly in the first half when he seemed to be everywhere Mililani sent the ball. He saved seven of the Trojans’ eight shots, and intercepted or knocked down and controlled five throw-ins. He had a 70-yard punt and came out of goal to take free kicks.
"He’s hands-down the best goalkeeper in the state," Yamamoto said. "You cannot put rubbish balls in there.
"We were a little anxious at the beginning," Yamamoto added. "But because of the experience of last year (when the Trojans lost to ‘Iolani 2-1 in the championship), our players knew what it took to get the job done."
"Last year prepped us up," Razon said. "We came in prepared tonight."
"Everybody stepped it up a notch," Murakami said.
And they had Watanabe’s secret weapon — his fourth hair color change in four days. This time his head was decorated in Mililani’s school colors of maroon and gold.
Mililani (12-2-1) never played in a final before last year. Prior to that, the Trojans had finished fifth three times (1997, ’98, ’99) and third twice (’95, ’96).
Hilo (14-3) was playing in the final game for the first time.
A tape of the game will be broadcast today at 4 p.m. on KFVE (Channel 5) and repeated next Sunday at noon. Brooks Baehr did the play-by-play and Phil Neddo the commentary.
MILILANI 0 2 — 2
HILO 0 0 — 0
Shots — Mililani 15, Hilo 6.
Saves — Mililani 4, Hilo 7.
Goal kicks — Mililani 9, Hilo 9.
Corner kicks — Mililani 4, Hilo 1.
Fouls — Mililani 20, Hilo 18.
Offsides — None.
Yellow cards — Mililani 1, Hilo 0.
Third-place game
 ‘Iolani 1, Pearl City 0: Travis Watanabe eluded defenders and scored the only goal from three yards out at 63 minutes. ‘Iolani (10-2-3) committed 18 fouls to eight for Pearl City (13-2-0). Each team had nine shots.
Fifth-place game
Baldwin 3, ‘Aiea 1: Lane Matsui scored twice (at 8:46 and 42:17), and the Bears (11-1-1) held off the hard-charging Na Ali‘i (12-5-0) in the second half.
Clayton Sado put Baldwin ahead 2-0 at 15:39 and Benji Villaflor scored for Na Ali‘i at 28:21. ‘Aiea got off 10 shots in the second half, but couldn’t score.
Consolation final
Kamehameha 2, Kealakehe 0: The Warriors (11-3-2) dominated, outshooting the Waveriders (13-5) by a 10-1 margin in the first half (13-6 overall) and scoring on goals by Bryson Metz (13:20) and Jacob Lovell (60:37).
[back to top] |
