Senior Rowan Kotner has only known winning during her high school soccer career.
Kotner was the lone freshman on the 2013-14 Hawaii Prep girls team that finally got over the hump and won the HHSAA Division II championship, and three years later she’s one of two seniors on a Ka Makani team trying to defend its three state titles and seven BIIF titles.
The difference-makers come and go, but those totals grow, Kotner said, because the mindset remains the same.
“Players really want it, especially since we have a reputation to uphold,” Kotner said. “There is a lot of pressure, so people work hard to uphold that reputation.”
From the outside, HPA appears to enter the season without the proven star power it has enjoyed in recent seasons as seven freshmen shuffle in to try and replace seven seniors. But take it from someone who would know — the cupboard isn’t close to being bare in Waimea.
“We definitely have a few players ready to step up,” Kotner said. “Payton (Au) and Jenna (Perry) are both really strong, and we have potential in our freshmen. Once we get it worked out, we will really improve.”
Since she was about 5, Julia Perry has, sports-wise, only known soccer, because, as the daughter of coach Stephen Perry, she jokes she and her three siblings didn’t have a choice.
“Not really,” she said with a smile. “We’d be put up for adoption.”
Justin Perry helped the HPA boys bag their first title as a senior last season, junior Julia Perry returns to patrol the center of Ka Makani’s back line and freshman Jenna Perry joins the fun this season.
“And we have more on the way,” Julia Perry said, referring to younger sister, Jordan, the fourth Perry sibling to have “J” as their first initial and soccer in their blood.
“I think with the first two it was a coincidence, and then it became a pattern,” Julia Perry said.
If HPA is going to continue its winning pattern, the first step is to get healthy. Ka Makani were missing multiple starters, including standout juniors Jordan Zarate and Teah Van Bergan, on Saturday as they beat Kauai 2-1 at the Hilo Bay Classic behind goals by Jenna Perry and Sophia Aguilar.
Locked in a 0-0 battle against BIIF rival Kamehameha in the second half of the state final last season, Zarate headed home the eventual game-winner. She was on crutches Saturday with her knee wrapped, but if and when Zarate returns, she and sophomore Emi Higgins have the potential to form a devastating tandem up top.
Zarate is a physical force, Stephen Perry said, and Higgins is a long-striding gazelle.
“Jordan is strong on the ball and has a great shot,” the coach said. “Emi can run forever, and she can read her opponent and take her one-on-one. A lot of girls in high school soccer can’t do that, but Emi moves with a purpose. It’s fun to watch.”
Kotner and Jenna Perry will be center-mids and spend the rest of the preseason trying to “link up,” Stephen Perry said, as the driving force of the team.
“They have to do a lot of running because they are the engine,” he said.
Van Bergan is an option at midfield or fullback, and Julia Perry has been holding down center back since she got to high school. In addition to sophomore Zoe Ganley, a pair of transfers also will help on the backline. Au, a junior, moves over from Kealakehe and senior Hailey Briseno is a transfer from California.
“Julia is the constant back there, and every year it’s a new group,” Stephen Perry said.
HPA also will break in a new goalkeeper, either sophomore Sakura Remsen, the backup last season, or promising freshman Maia Mills.
Hawaii Prep might miss impact players such as Marlie Mandaquit and Kaui Taylor, not to mention the tenacity of Emma Taylor, but Stephen Perry pointed out that high school soccer is all about “new faces and new places.”
“I think the challenge that we face is bringing up the new girls to that level, and that brings a lot of excitement,” said Julia Perry, who echoed Kotner’s sentiments. “We have a reputation to uphold for years to come.”