KEAAU — Laukoa Santos missed a few shots, and if he otherwise seemed human perhaps it was because he was sick. He seemed fine when it came time to take his he most important shot, however.
Say hello to Kealakehe, now your six-time defending BIIF Division I champion.
In a fitting Big Island soccer farewell, Santos surged down the left flank and buried the go-ahead goal with four minutes and change remaining Friday night, and the Waveriders beat Hilo 1-0 to maintain their boys soccer dynasty with a familiar postgame scene at Paiea Stadium.
“I just believe with these group of boys I can do anything,” Santos said. “State champs is possible.”
The senior said his 21st goal of the season came on a day in which his temperature reached 102.
“I was puking all day,” Santos said, “and I was honestly worried that I wasn’t going to be able to play today.”
“It was like the Michael Jordan game,” he said referring to a famous NBA Finals game in 1997 in which Jordan took over despite being sick.
Santos was born in 1999.
“I study my history,” he said.
And he sets it.
As the Waveriders (11-2-1) celebrated their first title under coach Alden Sawada, several Vikings players lay on the ground after the final whistle relegated Hilo (9-5) to its fifth consecutive runner-up finish. The last three title matches have also been decided by a goal, with the go-ahead score each time coming in the final 15 minutes.
“That’s soccer,” Hilo coach George Ichimaru said. “I always tell the boys to leave it on the field and play to the final whistle.”
Kealakehe avoided what would have been an awkward trip back to Paiea Stadium on Monday for an HHSAA tournament match.
“No way we wanted to come back here,” Santos said. “We’re going straight to Oahu, baby,”
Instead, Hilo will host a first-round match Monday at Hilo Bayfront. Ichimaru said the Vikings would play Kaiser of the OIA.
It was 1-0, but it was one-sided for most of the second half.
The Waveriders pressed most of the attack, but were just a bit off for most of the match. One perfectly threaded cross dribbled through the goal mouth, but no Kealakehe player could get to it. The Waveriders started one rush with a pass to the right flank, but a Waverider player pulled up on the play and the ball rolled harmlessly out of bounds.
Hilo goalkeeper Ka’aina Lewis wasn’t just in position to stop shots, but he flew around his penalty box to punch them out of harm’s way.
“He had great presence,” Ichimaru said.
The Vikings made one final rush in the closing minutes but couldn’t get off a shot with a cluster of players in front of the goal. Skyler Canario-Pavao was credited with the shutout.
In the second half, Santos whiffed on a turnaround shot from the left side, and minutes later he fired high with a free kick from 29 yard out. But after taking a pass from Brayan Munoz Rodriguez, he was on the mark when he needed to be, and as a result he has four BIIF championships, one scholarship to San Diego State and the two league Player of the Year honors … and counting.
“I’m blessed,” he said. “Really blessed.”
