KEAAU – Konawaena junior Jadyn Hanks was giving a postmatch interview Wednesday night when she felt a pull. Her Wildcats teammates were shouting for her to join them for a team photo of the newly crowned BIIF Division I girls soccer champions.
Hanks left to walk away, then hesitated for a second, then finally, receiving congratulations, she rejoined the celebration.
This was the first evidence all night that Hanks couldn’t, in fact, be two places at once.
“She’s like Flash,” goalkeeper Kyanah Blas said after Konawaena derailed Hilo’s bid for a fourth consecutive title, 1-0 at Paiea Stadium.
Soft-spoken speed demon works as well for Hanks, who was scoring a goal one moment – she connected off a rebound in a scrum early in the second half – and helping to keep the Vikings from controlling the flanks the next.
Coach Kaua Wall was as equally impressed by the efforts and poise turned in by freshman midfielders Naia Balancio and Caiya Hanks, as well as Blas, as the Wildcats (11-3-1) never let the high-powered attack of Hilo (13-1-1) – fleet-footed strikers Miya Clarke and Jordyn Pacheco entered with a combined 37 goals – get much traction.
“I’m blown away,” Blas said. “Tonight, we finally came out together and worked for everything that we deserved.
“Our team was connecting very well, we wern’t working individually as far as self, we were working for each other, and I feel that really helped us reach our goals and dethrone them.”
The Wildcats drew the third seed entering the state quarterfinals and will take on either Iolani, the two-time state champion, or Moanalua at 3 p.m. Thursday at Oahu’s Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
All is not lost for the Vikings, who still have their primary goal ahead of them as they get set to host a first-round state match at 3 p.m. Monday against Mililani (10-2-1), which saw attempt at a fourth consecutive OIA title end in the semifinals.
But Hilo was vying for a unique spot in BIIF annals. There have been four-time champions in a variety of sports, but few have been powered by group of eight seniors from start to finish.
However, as Wall pointed out, BIIF D-I soccer titles come in threes.
She was on Wildcats’ teams that won three in row from 2006-08, before Paul Bello coached Hilo to the next three crowns. Kealakehe stepped in and grabbed the 2012 championship, and Konawaena’s most recent threepeat under Guy Miranda preceded Hilo’s run from 2016-18 for coach Skee Saplan.
“It’s a good feeling to dethrone them and not let them get four,” Wall said, “cause no one has got four yet.”
Blas’ backline was true most of match – Karenza Chavez and Tatia Denis-McRight are the center backs – though there was one late breakdown. Pacheco was left alone on a cross, but Blas was in good position to make the save, putting a bow on her shutout.
“I was really scared, but I was in the right place at the right time,” she said.
The junior has been a solid keeper for all three of her seasons in Kealakekua, but attention had been hard to come with Hilo senior Saydee Bacdad heretofore earning all of the championships and accolades.
Wednesday night was Blas’ turn to bask.
“Now I get all of the attention,” she said. “We finally won, and in a big tournament. It feels good not to be in Saydee’s shadow. I’m just really proud of my team.”
Division II
Two-time BIIF champion Kamehameha (11-4) drew the top seed at the state tournament and will face either either Sacred Hearts or Leilehua at 3 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals at Waipio.
BIIF runner-up Hawaii Prep (12-2-1) starts its bid for a sixth consecutive state title with a first-round match at 3 p.m. Wednesday against Waialua.
