WAIMEA — Rain, wind or shine, Hawaii Prep boys soccer is eager to begin the new season.
Fresh off a fifth-place finish in the Division II bracket at states in 2022-23, Ka Makani is aiming to exceed last year’s success by coming into preseason practices with a new mentality. With less than two weeks until the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) season starts, time is of the essence — making HPA willing to practice under any conditions to try to stay a half-step ahead of the competition.
“We have a lot stronger of a mindset (this year),” senior captain Mickey Petras said during a windy, rainy practice last week. “Making sure to build up from a foundation that we set last season. So I think we’re definitely on track be better than we were last year.”
“We’re really excited. Every fall during conditioning, the boys come up to me and say, ‘Coach, I’m so ready for soccer season to start,’” assistant coach John Moltz added.
While excitement is brewing throughout the Ka Makani roster and coaching staff, there are some challenges HPA will need to conquer to reach its 2023-24 goals. After losing a handful of senior leaders from last season, Ka Makani has a new roster under new leadership. The red and white have just four seniors, as the other 22 players make up of freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
As for any team in any sport, developing chemistry with a new group takes time. Nonetheless, Moltz emphasized that Petras’ ability to lead the team early has been beneficial in the gelling process.
“At the end of last year, we really felt that he stepped up and was really becoming a leader,” he said. “He’s got the best attitude. He comes out motivated and he puts in the work. So we’re really excited about him this season.”
Petras’ leadership will be a unique compared to other team captains, as he pointed out the advantage of having boarding school teammates who all come from different coaching trees and strategies.
“We have that diversity of having players from all over the world who play differently, which we can incoporate into how we play,” he said.
“There’s not just one guy — everyone’s a star on this team.”
With the season being so young, the sky feels like the limit for HPA, as it believes that once everything comes together, the group will be hard to slow down.
“Our goals are to be there in every game and give everyone a challenge. We want to go to states, and I’m confident that these guys are going to come together,” Moltz said.
“We just want to be better than we were yesterday,” Petras added. “That’s all we’re focused on right now.”
Ka Makani will begin its BIIF season Dec. 4 against Parker on the road. The team will also participate in HPA’s 50th annual Ka Makani Soccer Classic from Friday to Sunday as part of the preseason. HPA’s first match will be against Maui at 1:45 p.m. Friday at the school’s campus.
