Hilo High may be narrowing the gap on BIIF powerhouse Kealakehe, but the large gap at the HHSAA Division I tournament remains. ADVERTISING Hilo High may be narrowing the gap on BIIF powerhouse Kealakehe, but the large gap at the
Hilo High may be narrowing the gap on BIIF powerhouse Kealakehe, but the large gap at the HHSAA Division I tournament remains.
Michael Watson scored a natural hat trick and finished with four goals Wednesday, and Radford downed the Vikings 5-1 in the first round at Oahu’s Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
Hilo (11-5-0), the four-time BIIF runner-up, has lost all seven of its state openers dating back to 2009.
“The state level is a high intensity and offer players who provide different variety,” Vikings coach George Ichimaru said. “We need to adapt to that level.
“Athletically we are there. Tactically, we struggle.”
The Vikings entered coming off an encouraging performance against the Waveriders in a 2-1 loss at Kealakehe in the BIIF final.
Just as in that match, Hilo scored first Wednesday when Kalei Tolentino-Perry netted a goal in the 18th minute, but Watson went to work and the Rams (10-5-0), the OIA’s No. 3 team, also got a goal from Bane Vanburger.
Ichimaru said Hilo missed injured fullback Rylen Kaniaupio, who would have been tasked with marking Watson.
“We had to rearrange our back four, and when you do that at this level, you get punished,” Ichimaru said. “We got punished.”
Hilo faces the OIA’s Moanalua (8-5-2) at 1 p.m. Thursday in the consolation round. The Vikings’ last win at states came in 2014 in the consolation round.
Kealakehe (13-0-2), the fourth seed, will try to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2013 when it takes on Kapolei at 3 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. The Hurricanes (10-3-1), the OIA’s No. 4 team, beat ILH runner-up Mid-Pacific 2-0.
Mid-Pacific made the jump to D-I after winning consecutive Division II titles.
The BIIF’s Hawaii Prep, the top seed, Honokaa and Kamehameha start the D-II title chase in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
