Mililani's Shimatsu came up big when it counted

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mililani senior Whitney Shimatsu led the Trojans to the state boys title the past two seasons and he "flat out made the goals in the games that counted the most," said coach Jeff Yamamoto. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Shimatsu may not have accumulated gaudy statistics over the past two state championship seasons, but when the Trojans needed goals at the most crucial times, he was the one to knock them in.

"He flat out made the goals in the games that counted the most," Mililani coach Jeff Yamamoto said. "And in those kind of games, it's hard to score. It's an accomplishment."

For that accomplishment, along with solid play all season, Shimatsu was named The Advertiser's State Player of the Year after a vote of coaches and officials. On Feb. 8, Shimatsu scored on a short header in the 100th minute, just seconds before the game was to go into penalty kicks, to give the Trojans a 1-0 victory over Pearl City for its second straight O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship.

Shimatsu then scored a goal in a 3-0 state quarterfinal win over Kaua'i, and had both of Mililani's goals in a 2-1 title game victory over Punahou. The second goal in that game came in the 94th minute.

Earlier in the season, Shimatsu scored the only goal in a win over Pearl City that ultimately decided the OIA Western Division championship. And last season, Shimatsu scored on a header in the 68th minute to lift the Trojans to a 1-0 victory over Kamehameha in the state title game.

"If you look at his season, it's not like he scored a lot," Yamamoto said. "But he was a huge factor in the (OIA) and state tournaments, and those are the players you need to look at. He somehow knows how to make it happen in the big games."

Shimatsu is joined on the Advertiser All-State first team by three teammates: junior midfielder Justin Kim, senior defender Chris Castell and junior goalkeeper Darren Smith.

Another OIA coach who voted for Kim called him "a leader and key player for Mililani." Yamamoto said Castell often "took control" of the backfield.

"He's smart, and it's hard to beat him," Yamamoto said of Castell.

Smith was only a second-team OIA West All-Star, perhaps because he did not get as many save opportunities during the regular season. But those opportunities came in the postseason, and he came through with four shutouts and only two goals allowed in six games.

"He's an unbelievable athlete, and opposing teams have to make adjustments because of him," Yamamoto said.

Punahou also placed four players on the first team: junior forward Stephen Carlson, senior forward Satoshi Mitsuda, senior midfielder Tamatoa Hackney and senior defender Makena Carr.

Carlson missed most of last season with a fractured thumb, but came back this year and teamed with Mitsuda to form a quicksilver forward combination. Carlson led the Interscholastic League of Honolulu with 16 goals, and Mitsuda finished with eight goals.

"Who knows what we could have done with (Carlson) last year," Buffanblu coach Bob Clague said. "With him and Satoshi, that gave us a lot of speed up front. It was a big plus."

Hackney, a fullback on Punahou's football team, displayed a similar physical presence on the soccer field.

"He can run all day, and physically, he's stronger than almost any other midfielder," Yamamoto said.

Other players selected to the first team are Kamehameha junior midfielder David Gualdarama, Mid-Pacific senior midfielder Richie Higa, Baldwin senior midfielder Keola Nobriga, Campbell senior sweeper Shaunsey Saito, Pac-Five defender Kody Seminara and Pearl City forward/defender Ricky Shinn.

Gualdarama, a repeat selection, helped the Warriors make it to the state semifinals for the second straight season. Higa scored 10 goals and was named ILH Player of the Year. Nobriga, another repeat selection, was named Maui Interscholastic League Player of the Year the past two seasons.

Seminara helped Pac-Five to a surprising 10-1-3 record and second-place finish in the ILH. And Shinn, a three-time All-State selection, moved from defender to forward midway through the season and helped the Chargers reach the state quarterfinals.

Pac-Five's Paul Fu is the Coach of the Year, for what a voting OIA coach called an "awesome season."