Kealakehe cousins lead Waveriders to division I biif title ADVERTISING BY JOE FERRARO | WEST HAWAII TODAY KEAAU — Cousins Keoni and Tyler Yates were two of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s most accurate kickers on Kealakehe’s football team in
Kealakehe cousins lead Waveriders to division I biif title
BY JOE FERRARO | WEST HAWAII TODAY
KEAAU — Cousins Keoni and Tyler Yates were two of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s most accurate kickers on Kealakehe’s football team in the fall. They put that pinpoint accuracy to good use as members of the school’s boys soccer team Saturday at Keaau High.
After delivering the cross that led to the Waveriders’ go-ahead goal, Keoni Yates buried a shot from 40 yards, and Tyler Yates followed with a goal from 30 yards out as Kealakehe beat Waiakea 6-2 to win the BIIF Division I title — the fifth soccer championship in school history.
“I think the kicking year-round helps in the (soccer) games on your shot,” said Keoni Yates, who gave his team a 3-1 lead with his 13th goal of the season in the 56th minute.
With their victory, the Waveriders (13-1-1) earned a first-round bye in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament, which begins Wednesday and runs through Feb. 18 at Oahu’s Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
“I think we rose to the occasion today,” Keoni Yates said. “Our team played very well today, and we’re looking forward to the upcoming state tournament.”
Brimming with confidence after knocking out rival Hilo in the BIIF semifinals on Wednesday, the Warriors (9-5-1) carried their high level of play into the BIIF final, fiercely challenging every Waveriders pass and, for the most part, keeping Kealakehe from charging the goal.
Waiakea tied the match in the 49th minute when sophomore midfielder Hajime Hayano got free on the left side of the 18-yard box and crossed the ball to senior forward Cameron Boucher, who buried his 22nd goal of the season.
“The result did not show how well they played,” Kealakehe coach Urs Leuenberger said of the Warriors.
But it took the Waveriders just a minute to retake the lead, with Keoni Yates crossing the ball to Kapono Berard, who scored his third goal to put Kealakehe ahead to stay at 2-1.
Yates’ 40-yard blast in the 56th minute seemed to deflate the Warriors.
“I saw that, definitely, on the field,” Keoni Yates said. “Every time we took our opportunities and put the goal in, it seemed like it would drain them more and more. But they played a great game, also. They came out fighting from the start to the end.”
Tyler Yates made it 4-1 with his 30-yarder in the 64th minute, and after Waiakea’s James Yamane converted a penalty kick, senior Cory Fisher bagged his team-high 14th goal in the 71st minute on yet another long-range shot.
At halftime, Leuenberger said, he and the rest of the coaching staff stressed varying the offensive attack by taking shots from different angles and distances.
Connor Keale and Scott Henderson each added their fourth goals in the match for Kealakehe.
“The more different types of attacks to the game, the more difficult you are to defend,” Leuenberger said.
Waiakea coach David Urakami was pleased with the effort the Warriors put forth “for 50 minutes” but said his team did not mark the Waveriders’ main scoring threats as well as he would have liked at the tail end of the match.
After making the state tournament as the BIIF runner-up last year, Urakami hoped the Warriors could have built on that accomplishment.
“It’s good to be good, but can I be better?” Urakami said.
But the Waiakea coach didn’t want to diminish this year’s accomplishments, including another state tournament berth.
“I’m still proud of them that they got to where they wanted to be,” Urakami said.
jferraro@westhawaiitoday.com
