Gehrig Octavio was born into baseball. After all, he was named after New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, and his dad Luke Octavio played for UH-Hilo from 1989-92.
But the Waiakea sophomore can play some pretty good soccer, too, and he was big-time playmaker for the Warriors, who haven’t defeated Hilo in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation match in quite a while.
On a cold, windy Saturday that all changed at Hilo Bayfront field, where the technically sound Warriors blanked the Vikings 2-0, notching their first victory over their crosstown rival since 2012.
“The game was good. I enjoyed it, watching our team mature and all that hard work materialize into a win,” Waiakea coach David Urakami said.
Octavio started in AYSO when he was 5 years old.
The Waiakea outfielder played T-ball when he was 3 years old, and joined Pop Warner when he was 11 years old.
He also knows his history about Gehrig, nailing it on the nose that the Hall of Famer’s nickname was the Iron Horse.
That 2012 season was the last time Waiakea qualified for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament as the league runner-up.
Last season, Waiakea lost to Hilo 3-1 in the BIIF semifinals, and fell to three-time defending league champion Kealakehe in the semis the previous two years.
Gehrig was a difference-maker with his speed and so was Waiakea’s ball-control, which showed with more shots on goal than Hilo, 9-3.
With a minute left in the first half, Warrior sophomore midfielder Michael Scott passed a perfect ball through a seam in Hilo’s defense, and Gehrig took care of the rest.
He outran the defensive backfield, just like in his fall season job as Waiakea’s quarterback on the football team, and blasted in a score.
“The team played together as one unit,” Octavio said. “All our hard work has paid off. We wanted to win this game because they’re our crosstown rival.”
In the second half, Warrior junior forward Roy Atallah beat his defender down the right sideline, dribbled diagonally, and fired a rocket inside the far post for a 2-0 lead at the 18-minute mark.
Waiakea goalie Chris Wung had just three saves for the shutout, but none was better than late in the second half, when he was falling backward and punched the ball out.
Those were the highlights, the stuff that the Warrior faithful cheered the loudest.
The technical aspect – trapping the ball, looking up while dribbling, and passing with soft touch – had Urakami and his staff beaming.
Gehrig, Scott and senior midfielder Miles Marshall are the team’s best ball-handlers. When a pass is sent their way, the ball is stopped at their feet. After each traps a ball, their different skill-sets come into play.
“Michael is intense and he can make things happen,” Urakami said. “Miles is smooth and has vision. Gehrig is able to create havoc for a defense with his speed.”
The Vikings struggled with their ball-control all day. When they tried to trap a ball, it often bounced three feet away, and a Warrior swooped in for a steal.
Hilo also over-dribbled, frequently in a straight line instead of at an angle, which allowed Waiakea defenders to sit back and poke away balls and add to the turnover collection.
First-year Hilo coach George Ichimaru’s one bright spot was the solid play of junior forward Jace Taka, who was a threat any time he had a tiny window of space.
He made a few on-the-money airball crosses, and had several strong runs down the right sideline. Unfortunately, Taka was involved in a hard tackle in the second half, took the worst of it, and left the game.
Waiakea senior fullback Tyrin Amaral-Antonio was tasked with guarding him, and earned a gold star. Amaral-Antonio, a good four inches taller than the 5-foot-6 Taka, bodied him every time he had a chance, didn’t let him turn, and bothered him every inch of the field.
Too often, the Vikings (0-1) didn’t play with patience and resorted to AYSO kickball soccer. When the ball went in the air, the Warriors (2-0) won a lot of those 50-50 balls.
Like the hard-nosed Taka, Octavio is a little guy, too. He’s also a 5-6 speedster with a muscular frame, likely from hitting baseballs all the time.
Octavio provided unintentional comedy late in the game. He cleanly trapped a ball at his feet, turned and pushed the ball ahead. He stepped on the gas, and started racing then quickly pulled up.
The only thing that could slow him down was a cramp in his right leg. Octavio was on his back, and yelped, “Oww. That hurts,” when he was getting stretched out.
The Waiakea soccer girls on the sideline had a good laugh. Octavio went out for a short rest, then returned before the game was over. He was all right and in good shape, and so were his Warrior teammates.
East-Pac 4, Keaau 4: Sequoya Kerr scored two goals while Ola Hanounia and Koa Ceceras had one each at Christian Liberty as the Firebirds (0-2-1) earned their first point of the season.
Richard Kanakaole had two goals while Justin Quesada and Rico-Logan Handy had one each for the Cougars (1-1-1).
Honokaa 5, Kohala 2: Kauiki Feliciano scored a hat trick as the Dragons won in Kapaau.
Sean Simmerman and Juan Pablo Pigott collected a goal apiece for Honokaa (2-0).
Goal-scorers were not available for the Cowboys (1-2)
Girls
Starcia-Lee Deponte netted two goals, and Cierra Toledo-Muragin added another as the Warriors scored three unanswered goals in the second half to down Hilo 4-2 at Hilo Bayfront.
“They showed a lot of characacter in coming from behind,” coach Jason Nakayama said after his team improved to 2-0. “We were playing hard, but we just needed to play a little harder.
“Tori Teanio really contributed a lot in the midfield.”
Alison Fuata also notched a goal for the Warriors, tying the game 1-1 after Mehena Sabado-Halpern opened the scoring for the Vikings (0-2).
Savannah Toussaint-Adviento had a goal and an assist for Hilo.
Honokaa 5, Kohala 0: Senior Nina Cardoza scored twice in Kapaau as the Dragons opened their season with a victory.
Evyn Prine, Ashlynn Kaiamakini and Jeana Altura also contributed goals for Honokaa, which has reached every Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament since its inception in 2007.
“I think we’ll be OK this season,” coach Gerald Shiraki said. “More upperclassmen starting this year and stepping up and some good young ones stepping up.”
Alison Fuata also notched a goal for the Warriors, tying the game 1-1 after Mehana Sabado-Halpern opened the scoring for the Vikings (0-2)
Goalkeepers Ka’uilano Loo and Vangie Durante combined to shut out the Cowgirls (1-2).
Keaau 2, East-Pac 0: Meliana Auld-Paulo had two goals for the Cougars (1-1).
Keaau goalie Savannah Hester recorded the shutout against the Firebirds (0-3).