During a second half that featured constant back-and-forth action and frenetic pace, it was hard to tell which player was more electric.
On one side was Kamehameha senior Kekai Wong Yuen, who started the second half at fullback, got a brief breather on the sideline and spent the rest of the match making mad dashes at Waiakea’s goal.
Then there was Waiakea’s Ki Serrao, who sneaked behind Kamehameha’s defense time and again and rallied her team in front with a hat trick.
It probably wouldn’t be fair to Wong Yuen to point out that after the match she only had one calf wrapped in ice while Serrao had both of hers treated, so – like the match itself – it should probably go as draw.
“Crazy and intense,” Serrao said Wednesday at Waiakea’s field after the energy-sapping match ended in a 4-4 tie. “Such a blur.”
With the litany of BIIF matches that are one-sided and end in TKOs, its unfortunate these two sides only play once and won’t meet again this season. Each can exhale, for a bit, and return to their respective divisional races after engaging in an entertaining and furious final 40 minutes.
“A tie is a tie,” Serrao said. “We worked hard for this. From being down 2-0 (at the half) to coming back to 4-4, that was crazy.”
Waiakea (5-0-1) surged ahead on her third goal, but it had to hang on and was a player down during the final five-plus minutes after a red card, and it seemed at the mercy of Wong Yuen.
Even when she was on the sideline, the senior made noise. Wong Yuen was stretching out on her stomach midway through the second half and was told she was missing a chance at a direct kick. “That’s my shot,” she shouted.
Actually, she has a lot of them.
With Kamehameha (3-3-1) stunned and trailing for the first time, 4-3, Wong Yuen took the kickoff and went right down the middle of the field at Waiakea’s goal but was denied. Just moments later, she charged down the right flank and buried the equalizer from about 10 yards out, her second goal sending her bench into a frenzy.
Wong Yuen would have made a clean run at the goal and chance at the go-ahead score, but Waiakea fullback Tori Teanio held her shirt and was called for a red card. On the ensuing direct kick, the ball was played to Wong Yuen on the left side, but she fired wide.
“Kekai is just so dynamic,” coach Gene Okamura said. “I think if we had another five minutes, we could have got one in.”
He felt Kamehameha came out flat during the start of the second half, but it seemingly regained momentum when sophomore Hiwa Brown answered Serroa’s score with her second goal of the match for a 3-1 lead.
However, sophomore Evyn Prine tacked on a goal for Waiakea, and Kamehameha never could keep track of Serrao, who moved to striker in the second half and spent much of it in the back pocket of goalkeeper Cyrene Andaya.
“I have no idea how we let her get behind us, but it’s something we have to get fixed for sure,” Okamura said.
Kamehameha hardly has the look of a team with as many losses as victories, but it’s tied with Makua Lani for second place in Division II heading into the teams’ match in Keaau on Saturday. The winner will get a home match in the BIIF semifinals.
“We’re playing well,” Okamura said, “so I’m hoping it’s starting to click.”
Waiakea coach Jason Nakayama considered the result a good kind of draw, especially after he had to pack it in late in the match and rely on Starcia Lee-DePonte and Kiana Corpuz to make sure short-handed Waiakea walked away with a point. Waiakea hosts Hilo on Tuesday and still has a chance at the automatic HHSAA berth that would go to an outright regular-season champion of Division I.
“It was what I expected, the most exciting match of the season so far,” Nakayama said. “You have to give credit to Kamehameha. Gene has brought soccer to a different level.”
Hawaii Prep 5, Honokaa 0
Rowan Kotner tallied two goals, Emma Taylor, Marlie Mandaguit and Sophia Aguilar each added one and host Ka Makani moved a step closer to another automatic berth to the HHSAA tournament.
HPA (6-1-1) needs to earn just one point in its final two regular season matches to clinch the regular-season title in Division II.
Sakura Remsen got credit for the shutout against the Dragons (1-4-1).
Boys
Hawaii Prep 3, Honokaa 0
Austin Schneider scored in the first half, and the junior tacked on another in the second half and assisted on Braden Kojima’s score as Ka Makani leapfrogged the Dragons to move into first place in Division II.
Trent Wise collected the shutout for Hawaii Prep (7-1-1), which not only has a one-point lead on the Dragons (7-2-0) but also a less arduous finish to the regular season.
Waiakea 3, Kamehameha 0
Host Waiakea scores three times in the second half, getting two goals from Gehrig Octavio to win its fourth consecutive match.
Goalkeeper Ryden Quitoriano kept a clean sheet against the Kamehameha (5-2-1), which had its six-match unbeaten streak snapped.
Christian Liberty 2, Ka’u 1
Kawai Lincoln scored twice in Keaau and the Canefire’s first victory of the season bolstered their playoff hopes.
Christian Liberty (1-5-1) tied Kohala for sixth place in Division II with four points, where the top six will reach the playoffs. The Canefire play at Kohala on Jan. 28.
For the Trojans (0-8-1), Trevor Taylor accounted for a goal.