Punahou boys win ILH soccer title
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Punahou School boys soccer program, with 14 state championships to its credit but no memorabilia from the past three state tournaments, recaptured some past glory yesterday.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Buffanblu won their first Interscholastic League of Honolulu title since 1999 yesterday with a convincing 5-1 victory over Iolani at Alexander Field. Punahou, which has won twice as many state boys soccer crowns as any other school, improved to 11-0-2 on the season with one game remaining.
Punahou's Satoshi Mitsuda makes a heads-up play against an Iolani player while Buffanblu teammate Stephen Carlson watches.
Yesterday's win gave the Buffanblu 35 championship points (three for each victory, one for each tie) and sealed the title because second-place Pac-Five (30 points) and third-place Kamehameha (28) also only have one game left.
A tie yesterday would have clinched at least a playoff for the ILH championship for Punahou, but the Buffanblu made that moot by taking a 3-0 lead in the 42nd minute and then answering the Raiders' Robert Faulkner's goal in the 53rd minute with goals by Callum Trigg-Smith and Shon Morishige.
"We kinda knew going in that all we needed was a tie, but we wanted to make a statement," said junior forward Stephen Carlson, who scored Punahou's first goal in the 21st minute. "Iolani is our rival, and we wanted to win pretty bad."
Some motivation could have come from three years of being on the outside of the state tournament looking in. Last year's ending was particularly tough, since a victory over Kamehameha on the season's final day would have earned Punahou a playoff shot at the ILH title. The Buffanblu lost at home, 2-1.
"It was heartbreaking," senior center-halfback Tamatoa Hackney said. "It went down to the final game, and we couldn't pull through."
Punahou pulled through this year largely by staying healthy. Carlson, who has been invited to Olympic Development Program regional camps, missed all but one ILH game last season after surgery on a fractured thumb. Starting goalkeeper David Semenza missed almost all of the past two seasons with a shoulder injury.
Both players spent more time on the field than the training room this year.
"Having those two back put us over the top" Buffanblu coach Bob Clague said. "With a goalkeeper as good as David and a forward as fast as Steve, that made a big difference."
Hackney agreed.
"Having David back allowed us to move Andrew Strand from goalkeeper back to forward, and that really helped," Hackney said. "And David, he's like a wall back there."
Punahou also had strong seasons from Hackney, Makena Carr, Marcus Chun and Satoshi Mitsuda. Brandon Higa also scored in yesterday's game, and Trigg-Smith had two goals.
"I'm pleased for this team, because this is a tough league but they have good chemistry and worked hard," Clague said. "It's a good group."
MORE SOCCER
Interscholastic League of Honolulu
Boys Varsity
• Saint Louis 4, Damien 1. St.L: Zachary DeSilve 2, Troy Tateishi 1, Pase Fiaseu 1. Dam: Evan Yamashita.
• Pac-Five 5, Hawai'i Baptist 0. Pac: Kyle Lee, Doug Morrison, Aaron Pang, Jeremy Wittig, Ryuta Iihama.
• Kamehameha 2, Mid-Pacific 0. Kam: Dustin Engle, Kaui Wong.
O'ahu Interscholastic Association
Girls Varsity
• Leilehua 2, Kailua 1 (4-2 PK). Lei: Kelly Wert. Kail: Stacy Takekawa.
• Kalaheo 3, Kapolei 0. Kalah: Anela Gonzales, Tonya McBride, Jennifer Junk.
• Castle 2, Radford 0. Cast: Aimee Watanabe, Jessie Hori.
• 'Aiea 2, Moanalua 1 (3-1 PK). 'Aiea: Ambree Ako. Moan: Kari Egami.
Girls JV
Semifinals
• Mililani 5, Kaiser 0. Mili: Melissa Imose, Kelsie Mae Woodward, Jamie Ann Ching, Cami Kageno, Brianne Rivera.
• Kahuku 2, Kapolei 1. Kahu: Cassie Young, Tessi Toluta'u. Kapo: Roslyn Sugahara.
• Correction: Kapolei's girls soccer team won the No. 4 seed in the OIA Western Division by a coin toss with Leilehua. A different explanation was reported to The Advertiser in a story posted yesterday.
SOFTBALL
• KAILUA 7, KAISER 0: Courtney Kessel pitched a no-hitter and struck out seven as the Surfriders finished the regular season unbeaten.
Loke Lastimosa had two hits and two RBIs in a game that was called in the fifth inning because of rain.
Kaiser (4-6) 000 00—0 0 2
Kailua (10-0) 210 31—7 8 0
Lindsey Gibu and Whitney Yui. Courtney Kessell and Kainoa Hughes, Erin Guerrero (5). WP—Kessell. LP—Gibu.
Leading hitters: Kailua—Loke Lastimosa 2-4, double, 2 RBIs; Tanisha Milca 2-2, triple; Kamaile Hughes 2-2.
• KAIMUKI 17, KAHUKU 0: Dalia Solia and Daisy Phanghangsa combined on a two-hitter and the Bulldogs amassed 16 hits, including eight in the third inning when they scored nine runs.
Solia batted 4-for-4, and teammates Taileen Tausaga and Uilani Hilongo each went 3-for-4.
Kahuku (5-5) 000 00—0 2 3
Kaimuki (8-2) 219 5X—17 16 1
Shawna Kanoa and Kaweni Ulii. Dailia Solia, Daisy Phanphangsa (3) and Diana Malavong, Brandi Sasaki (3). WP—Solia. LP—Kanoa.
Leading hitters: Kaim—Kelsi Campos 2-3, double; Chelsea Gornichec 2-3; Taileen Tausaga 3-4, double; Solia 4-4, 2 doubles; Uilani Hilongo 3-4, 2 doubles.
• MOANALUA 10, KALANI 0: Melissa Force, Mika Tanji and Sarah Fukumoto combined on a no-hitter for the Menehunes.
Courtney Adaro hit a bases-clearing double in the first inning and a three run homer in the fourth.
Kalani (3-7) 000 000— 0 0 3
Moanalua (7-3) 510 301—10 12 2
Heather Takahashi and Ashlee DeGuzman. Melissa Force, Mika Tanji (4), Sarah Fukumoto (5) and Joy Matsukawa. WP—Force. LP—Takahashi
Leading hitters: Moa—Courtney Adaro 2-3, double, homer, 6 RBIs; Amanda Shigetani 2-3; Joy Matsukawa 3-4.
• KALAHEO 11, MCKINLEY 4: Kapu Chung hit a triple and a two-run homer to spark the Mustangs.
Kalaheo (2-8) 021 230 3—11 11 4
McKinley (1-9) 300 010 0— 4 4 3
Kaliko Kepa and Kaliko Serrao. Dawn Yara and Evita Cabrera. WP—Kepa. LP—Yara.
Leading hitters: Kal—Serrao 2-3; Jamie Napihaa 2-3, homer, 2 RBIs; Kepa 2-4, triple; Kapu Chung 2-3, triple, homer, 2 RBIs; Denise Pearl double. McK—Yara 2-3, triple.
• MILILANI 8, NANAKULI 1: Dana Lee and Mika Asamura combined for a three-hitter and seven strikeouts, and Charity Senas hit two doubles as the Trojans extended their winning streak in OIA play to 60 games.
Nanakuli's only run came on Johnelle Ioane's homer in the second.
Nanakuli (3-7) 010 000 0—1 3 5
Mililani (10-0) 011 033 X—8 8 1
Charlorel Kekuna and Jandie Higashi. Dana Lee, Mika Asamura (5) and Charity Senas. WP—Lee. LP—Kekuna.
Leading hitters: Nana—Johnelle Ioane homer; Sierra Nakea 2-2. Mil—Charity Senas 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs; Ciera Senas 2-2.
• KAPOLEI 6, CAMPBELL 1: Tajia Acierto pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and took shut out the Sabers until the bottom of the seventh.
Kapolei (8-2) 010 040 1—6 7 5
Campbell (6-4) 000 000 1—1 4 1
Tajia Acierto and Jasmin Yoro. Jenna Sylva and Codee Rodrigues, Jovanna Kealohi (3). WP—Acierto. LP—Sylva.
Leading hitters: Kap—Acierto 2-3; Valana Manuma 2-3; Yoro 2-3. Camp—Rae-Jonea Costa 2-2.
• WAI'ANAE 8, WAIPAHU 0: Tracy Kane pitched a one-hitter and struck out 11 to lead the Seariders.
Waipahu (4-6) 000 000 0—0 1 7
Wai'anae (8-2) 032 210 X—8 6 0
Noela Noga, Nicole Enos (4) and Enos, Jenna Rosario (3). Tracy Kane and Shaylla Moses. WP—Kane. LP—Noga.
Leading hitters: Wain—Leilani Faavesi 2-3; Kane double.
• PEARL CITY 7, LEILEHUA 4: The Chargers scored five runs off six Mule errors.
Pearl City (7-3) 202 200 1—7 5 1
Leilehua (6-4) 013 000 0—4 8 6
Krystal Plunket and Stacy Sakata. Alexis San Nicholas and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet. WP—Plunket. LP—San Nicholas.
Leading hitters: PC—Celline Akana double; Maile Lobendahn 2 RBIs. Leil—San Nicholas 3-4, triple.
• WAIALUA 13, RADFORD 2: Kuulei Ensei had two hits and three RBIs to lead the Bulldogs.
Waialua (2-8) 223 123—13 9 3
Radford (0-10) 100 010—2 2 7
Jaylyn Keao and Ashley Onizuka. Filimaua Manuma, Adriann Poulain (2) and Erica Webber. WP—Keao. LP— Manuma.
Leading hitters: Wai—Maile Manutai 2-4, 2 RBIs; Kuulei Ensei 2-4, triple, 3 RBIs; Julia Yamanouchi 2-3, 2 RBIs; Jocelyn Lii 2-3. Rad—Amanda Updike 2 runs.
Tennis
O'ahu Interscholastic Association
JV Girls
Semifinals
Yesterday's Results
Kaiser 4, Radford 1
Moanalua 3, Leilehua 1
