The heavy burden of the target Hawaii Preparatory Academy wore on its back this season never weighed the team down from achieving its ultimate goal, even if Ka Makani had to carry it an extra few days and then an few extra minutes on Monday afternoon.
In the sudden death overtime period of the HHSAA Division II state championship against Saint Louis at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, Sihkea Jim fired a long laser past the Crusaders keeper to give Hawaii Prep a 2-1 victory and its second consecutive state title.
“I was just thinking I wanted to show my appreciation for what everyone had done for me and how much I loved them,” Jim said on the OC16 broadcast after the game. “This was my way to do that.”
Hawaii Prep head coach Rich Braithwaite said Jim has three career goals. Two have come in state championship games.
“He picks his spots well,” Braithwaite said with a laugh.
Ka Makani kept up the trend in Division II, becoming the latest No. 1 seed to win the title. A top seed has never lost in the championship game. The Big Island squad also became the only team in the state to record an unbeaten record (13-0-1) for the season.
“I feel blessed as a coach — as do all my assistants — to work with these kids,” Braithwaite said. “They love the game, they play the game right and the success shows that.”
It was the first state final for Saint Louis, which won four straight down the stretch before meeting Ka Makani, finishing at 8-7-1 this season.
The game was previously scheduled for Saturday, but after a heavy rain flooded the field, the game was moved to Monday. It caused more than a few logistical issues for Hawaii Prep, which was facing Saint Louis, a local ILH school that didn’t have to worry about travel or accommodations.
“I don’t think that extra time hurt us at all,” Braithwaite said. “We were happy to get an extra few days in of team bonding.”
Hawaii Prep had outscored its opponents 15-2 in the two state tournament games leading up to the title match, so the late game drama was a relatively new experience for the defending champs. Add to that equation that Ka Makani lost its leading scorer Jake Schneider just five minutes in, and it was a whole lot to overcome for the boys from Waimea.
“I think the boys were a little upset for Jake in that moment,” Braithwaite said of the injury to his star forward. “But we have been playing a lot of guys though the season. We felt confident they could come in and figure it out.”
It also helped that the defense got in on the action. Both of Ka Makani’s tallies were scored by defenders in Jim and Noah Wise.
“This one is a lot more meaningful to all of us I think. This senior class was really like my family,” said Jim, a sophomore. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
The win is more than just another koa trophy in the growing collection at Hawaii Prep. It solidified Ka Makani as one — if not the — top soccer program in the state. Last week, the girls program reeled off its fourth consecutive Division II state title.
“I think we have a really good thing brewing,” Braithwaite said. “We have a bunch of seventh and eighth graders who are coming up and all they do is watch and play soccer. It’s been a real culture shift.”
The teams traded punches for the first 20 minutes, but Hawaii Prep delivered the first haymaker. On a counter-attack, Wise blazed down the left sideline, shook his defender and nailed a shot by the Saint Louis keeper to give Hawaii Prep a 1-0 advantage 22 minutes into the game.
Saint Louis’ chances were few and far between in the first half, with probably one of the best coming in the closing minutes before the break. Ka Makani outshot the Crusaders 8-2 in the first period and possessed the ball for 80 percent of the half.
The second half was a little more level, and turned into an even affair after Matt Watkins drilled a free kick in the 69th minute that went around the Hawaii Prep wall and deflected off Ka Makani keeper Stormer Horton, slowly trickling into the net.
As Hawaii Prep tried to rebound, the Crusaders upped the pressure. Skyler Goo — Saint Louis’ leading goal scorer on the season — had a wide-open chance in the 75th minute, but his strike went wide.
Just as the added time started, both teams had a chance to end the game without using OT. Saint Louis had a narrow miss in the box on a cross, which was followed by a Hawaii Prep chance by Toby Balaam on the other end.
After the regulation whistle sounded, Ka Makani huddled by their bench and Braithwaite prepped his team for a sudden death period that would decide the fate of their season.
“I told them, there’s nothing better than this,” Braithwaite said. “To take anything tired in their body and throw it away. This was their time to show their grit.”
It didn’t take long in the overtime period for Ka Makani to capitalize. Three minutes in Jim found himself in some open space and with his left foot from 25 yards out, he finished off the game.
“Man — with his left foot,” Braithwaite said. “That’s big stuff.”