When he was at Honokaa, Robert Connors deftly steered the soccer ball, directed the flow of the game and pushed the Dragons to unprecedented heights.
The 2012 Honokaa graduate was no stranger to playing in the postseason.
Whether it was at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation or Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state tournament level, the technically skilled midfielder found a way to bring home trophies.
Connors was on a Dragon powerhouse squad that won BIIF titles from 2010 to ’12, and a pair of state championships in 2011 and ’12.
So when he went off to play college ball at Colorado Mesa, a Division II school, it should be no surprise that the Mavericks qualified for the postseason.
In the NCAA Division II Tournament, the streaking Mavericks upset No. 17 Midwestern State 1-0 on Nov. 16 at home, No. 8. St. Edward’s 2-1 in Seattle, and No. 14 Cal State Los Angeles 1-0, also at Seattle’s Interbay Stadium, in the quarterfinals.
To reach the NCAA championship, Colorado Mesa (18-3-1) needs to knock off No. 1 University of Charleston (21-0-1) in the semifinals at 5 a.m. HST Thursday at Owsley Frazier Stadium in Louisville, Kent.
Connors, a redshirt sophomore, has played in six games with one start. He has no goals or assists.
Also on the team is junior forward Lane Lorenzo, a 2012 Kealakehe graduate. He hasn’t appeared in any games.
The Mavericks are competing in their first NCAA tournament since the program was started in 2007. They have never faced Charleston before.
Colorado Mesa is in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which includes Colorado School of Mines, where Connors’ former teammate Chayce Moniz, a 2012 Honokaa grad, is playing.
The old Dragons met twice in conference play. The Mavericks beat the Orediggers twice by 1-0 scores. Moniz started both games and had no stats while Connors didn’t play.
The Orediggers (12-7-1) won the RMAC tournament, beating Colorado-Colorado Springs in penalty kicks on Nov. 9, but they weren’t selected for the NCAA tournament.
Moniz started all 20 games and had no goals or assists.
Football
Illinois College freshman kicker Logan Uyetake, a 2014 Kamehameha graduate, was named to the Midwest Conference second team.
He was 2 of 4 on field goal attempts, each kick for 31 yards. Uyetake was 45 of 47 on PAT attempts.
The Blueboys wide receiver had 39 catches for 602 yards with eight touchdowns, and a long of 61 yards for a TD against Monmouth College on Oct. 11 at the Iowa school’s homecoming game.
