KEAAU — One play perfectly illustrated Hawaii Prep’s season-long mastery.
Austin Schneider’s well-struck, arching corner kick found the far side and the foot of his brother Jake Schneider, who one-touched the ball, neatly tucking it in between neatly goalkeeper and goal post.
A beautiful pass for Ka Makani, who look well on their way to another beautiful finish.
Austin Schneider also bagged two goals Friday night, walking over to the sideline to celebrate with HPA fans at Paiea Stadium after each, and Ka Makani put the finishing touches on a near-perfect BIIF season with a 3-1 victory against Kamehameha to repeat as Division II champions.
“I saw fans that drove all the way out here, and it shows how committed they our to our team,” Schneider said. “They have been with us from Day 1. I celebrated with them because they are part of this team as well.”
Next stop for Ka Makani nation is the HHSAA Division II tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, where HPA (12-0-1) will go for a state repeat.
“We’ve been trying so hard to work on this one and not talk about states,” coach Rich Braithwaite said after guiding HPA to its third title in four seasons. “Kamehameha was very resilient. I think we could see them again.”
Kamehameha coach Mario Patino agreed. He said the Warriors, the two-time state runner-up, were missing two starters but hoped to have them back next week.
“They always bring a good game, and they make us stronger every time we play them,” Patino said. “We have to organize better to distribute the ball, but they are beatable.”
Not during the BIIF season.
Ka Makani outscored their opponents 62-9 and their only blemishes were a draw at Kealakehe and a ever-so-brief midseason bout with laziness.
“There was a moment when we got complacent and a little laxed,” senior midfielder Braden Kojima said. “What we did is the co-captains, me, Austin and Noah (Wise), we got the team together and talked about that this is not the ending. This isn’t the final product. We have to keep working and striving if we are going to be the best in the state.”
Jonathan DeMotta collected a header from Buddy Betts and scored in the 80th minute as the Warriors avoided the shutout with only its second shot on frame. Goalkeeper Jameson Sato did well to keep Ka Makani to three goals, making several fine saves.
The game was testy at times with four yellow cards, and Kamehameha finished a player down.
“I told them we have to take the game to them,” Patino said. “We took it a little too much with the foul calls.”
HPA’s forward attack starts with a strong back line, and more than one BIIF coach has remarked this season that Ka Makani’s system resembles that of a college team — many of HPA’s players like to emulate European soccer.
Many high school teams struggle to put three passes together. But between, Kojima, Wise, Sihkea Kim and Kama Morrison and company, HPA can string a stress-free combination together on its end of the field before it evens gets to transition.
“We work it out back and try to keep our composure,” Wise said. “We swing it a lot and once we get comfortable things open up up top and we can play it there.
“I just try to keep the team together. We’re all a family out here and we try to keep it tight.”
On one transition, Kamehameha’s Kailikea Kekuawela appeared to stand up the play, but the ball squirted to Chris Whitfield, who fed Austin Schneider for a point-blank goal.
Schneider, a senior, was fouled in the penalty box later in the first half and converted his penalty kick, firing left side.
His best ball of the match came on a second-half corner kick, and this time he left the celebrating to his brother, calmly walking back to midfield with his arms raised.
“I took two corner kicks before that and I hit them exactly the way I wanted them,” Schneider. “I saw my brother back post. He hit a beautiful one-time strike. That has to be play of the game for me. Even though my goals are nice.”
Third place
Makua Lani 1, Honokaa 0
Reid Murphy broke a scoreless tie in the 55th minute as the Lions (7-6-1) got over one hump and came closer to getting over another.
Makua Lani lost in the third-place match each of the past two seasons, and it can end a four-year HHSAA tournament drought with a win in a play-in match against Waianae of the OIA at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Kealakehe High.
“It’s so nice. I think with this group of boys it’s the first win at this field,” Lions coach Alex Dong said. “It’s nice to get it out of the way.”
The Dragons (2-11-2) and Lions played to a scoreless draw during the regular season, and Makua Lani was coming off of a 2-0 loss to Kamehameha at Paiea in Wednesday’s semifinal.
“We were amped up Wednesday, but once we started touching the ball we got nervous and panicked,” Dong said. “Today, we felt the pressure because nobody wanted this to be the last game of the season.”
He estimated the Lions held 70 percent of the possession, and their persistent pressing paid off in the 55th minute when Murphy moved forward from the back line and slammed a ball into the goal after a direct kick.
Goalkeeper Emmett Alcos, playing a combo position Dong called keeper-sweeper to prevent long balls, didn’t have a heavy workload in securing the shutout, the Lions’ eighth of the season. In 14 matches, Makua Lani has allowed 20 goals.
Honokaa missed states for the first time since 2013.
