If Wednesday’s BIIF Division I semifinal didn’t unfold exactly how coach George Ichimaru drew it up, at least there were elements that were close.
If Wednesday’s BIIF Division I semifinal didn’t unfold exactly how coach George Ichimaru drew it up, at least there were elements that were close.
After watching Hilo dissect Waiakea 8-1 behind freshman Riley Patterson’s three goals at Hilo Bayfront, Ichimaru proclaimed the Vikings “ready” to take another run at Kealakehe.
The Waveriders, however, require a caveat.
“We’ll have to be ready,” Ichimaru said.
The Vikings (11-3-0) will head to the lion’s den, Waverider Stadium, for Saturday’s 7 p.m. final with a HHSAA berth in tow thanks to one of their crisper efforts of the season. They’ll need another one against four-time defending BIIF champion Kealakehe (12-0-2), which dumped Konawaena 3-0 in the other semifinal and has beaten Hilo in the past three finals.
“You put all the pieces together and this is the progress we were hoping to see,” Ichimaru said. “Are we quite there yet? The only thing that can test us is our next challenge, and that is for a championship.”
He preached to his team to remain patient should the Warriors (8-6-0) put home the first goal Wednesday, and that’s exactly what happened when Max Adolf scored on the counterattack.
The Vikings’ Jace Taka tied the match when his shot from beyond the penalty box slipped through the hands of Waiakea goalkeeper Ryden Quitoriano, and then the floodgates opened.
Quitoriano had no chance to stop Taka’s next free kick, a bender from just beyond the box.
Taka and Patterson, a striker who was still working his way back from a broken leg when the season started, accounted for Hilo’s first five goals.
“He’s done a lot better than I expected,” Ichimaru said of Patterson. “He’s overproduced.”
His first two goals came off nice crosses, a 35-yarder from Kahale Huddleston and a shorter pass from Kalei Tolentino-Perry that was just as effective. He completed his hat trick in the second half all on his own. Patterson retained possession despite being marked, dribbled into the penalty box and buried a shot from just left of center.
“I was out for a while and trying to come back but it was a slow process,” Patterson said. “I think I’m all the way back.
“I think we really getting up there (in execution) and playing really good and connecting passes.”
Patterson didn’t play Dec. 19 when Kealakehe came to Hilo Bayfront and rode Laukoa Santos’ hat trick to a 6-3 victory.
“In order to stop Laukoa, we need to keep the ball,” Ichimaru said. “Keeping the ball prevents Laukoa from creating plays.”
Patterson created another scoring chance by drawing a foul in the box and setting up a penalty kick, which Ariz Aynessazian converted.
“When we’re patient and not forcing the ball, it helps up score,” Patterson said.
The Warriors lost in the semifinal for the fourth consecutive year and it was the third year in a row they bowed out against their crosstown rival. But the others weren’t as lopsided as this one.
“I think we gave up after the first goal,” Waiakea coach David Urakami said. “Hilo seemed to pick up its intensity.”
The Vikings never let up. Lander Mizuba’s cross bounced off Nicholas Carter and on to the foot of freshman Tyler Thompson, who made the score 7-1 before Carter capped the scoring.
“We’re a lot deeper team than I thought we would be,” Ichimaru said.