As a freshman in 2005, Zane Dydasco made a corner kick assist to help Kamehameha win its first boys soccer state championship.

The future looked bright, but little did Dydasco know he would have to wait three years for another chance to make a kick in the state tournament. Or that he would have to make a penalty kick in the final 30 seconds of the regular season his senior year just to get that second opportunity.

But all that matters today, as the Warriors begin tournament play against Moanalua at 3 p.m. at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park, is that Dydasco is with his teammates again in the quest for another state crown.

"It's my senior year, and I just wanted to play for the school," said Dydasco, a midfielder. "Our club team is close, but I think our Kamehameha team is more close-knit, because at this school all of the students have the same thing in common. The school is really close, and the people are all supportive of everyone."

The support stayed strong even through last season, when Dydasco made a choice to not play for Kamehameha in order to participate with his club team (Honolulu Bulls) in two Mainland tournaments.

An Interscholastic League of Honolulu rule prohibits an athlete's "outside participation" once a sport's official start date has passed. Dydasco returned from the Mainland tournaments in November 2006 — during the Warriors' tryouts period — making him ineligible.

"It's a tough rule, but if it's going to help him for college, then I have no problem with (opting for the club tournaments)," Kamehameha coach Andrew Ah New said.

Dydasco knew about the rule, but was willing to sacrifice his junior season because the Mainland tournaments were attended by dozens of college coaches who scouted players vying for scholarships.

"A lot of college coaches get their players from these tournaments," Dydasco said. "Junior year is a big part of the scholarships (process), because that's when most of the coaches are looking at players.

"I thought if I waited until my senior year, it would be too late."

The trip paid off for Dydasco, who eventually received strong interest from Indiana, Air Force and Seattle University, among others. He still is undecided, but is leaning toward Air Force.

"I thought I played well (in the tournaments), and most of the letters and interest I got came from that," Dydasco said.

But the trip also came with a price, as it meant sitting out the entire Kamehameha season. After failing to qualify for the 2006 state tournament, the Warriors won the ILH last year but were upset in the state quarterfinals.

"It was hard just watching, because lots of my friends played on the team and I would see them every day in school," Dydasco said. "I was happy for them when they won, but I wanted to play, too."

This past fall, the opportunity to participate in the Mainland tournaments arose again, but this time Dydasco declined.

"I had already committed to play for Kamehameha," he said. "It's what I wanted to do."

The Warriors (8-2-2) were in position to force a playoff for the ILH title in the final regular season game against 'Iolani, but they were issued two red cards and down to nine players trailing 1-0 midway through the second half.

But the Raiders were called for a foul in the 18-yard box in the final 30 seconds, and Dydasco was summoned to take the penalty kick, which he drilled from a sandy spot into the net to clinch second place and the league's second state tournament berth.

If Kamehameha had lost, it would have had to defeat Punahou in a special playoff for that second berth.

"You never know what could have happened," Dydasco said. "I think winning that way is making us work harder now, because we know we can beat any team in the state. We've been working hard training for states, instead of just training hard to beat Punahou."

Ah New also likes the Warriors' chances with Dydasco better than without.

"He's a high-energy player, and he has been since he started as a freshman," Ah New said. "He can really control his area on offense and defense, and we missed that last year. We found a way to manage, but not having him did hurt us. This year, we had shoes to fill but Zane brought a lot of energy back to the team because he can play many different positions."

Ah New said Dydasco's versatility and energy were particularly valuable during the final 19 minutes against 'Iolani, when Kamehameha needed to score a goal and also keep the Raiders out of the net.

"He can go from beginning to end at his pace, which is hard to do because he always gives nothing less than 100 percent," Ah New said.

Soccer appears to run through Dydasco's blood, as his parents (Jose and Misty) both are former O'ahu high school players. Dydasco said he and his teammates also are drawing inspiration from the Kamehameha girls team, which won the state championship Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Punahou.

"We're looking forward to it, especially after watching the girls do so well this past weekend," Dydasco said.

He's already been there, done that. But after a three-year wait, once more would be nice.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.