KAPA’A — Kaiser High School’s soccer trip to Kaua’i was blemished with a loss as the Kapa’a High School Warriors debutted their boys soccer team who battled to a 4-0 win over the Cougars Sunday morning at the Kapa’a Beach Park.
A large following of soccer enthusiasts including members of the coaching staff from both Waimea and Kaua’i High School were on hand to watch the O’ahu school’s final game, both Kaua’i and Waimea finishing their bouts in 2-2 stalemates earlier in the weekend.
The Cougars shuffled between three goalies, their first, and third allowing Warrior scores in the loss, but being tempered by the experience as Kapa’a’s Lucas Brower found the mark with about ten minutes peeled off the clock, capitalizing on Cougar goalie Darren Young.
Kapa’a, solid in their defensive showing, also did switching up front, Brower moving from left to right, and Alika Woodward getting some action on the forward wing as Kaiser changed their goalie to Casey Peltier, that goalie booming the ball beyond the midfield stripe on more than one occasion despite facing stiff tradewinds in the first half.
Mark Kennett of the Waimea coaching staff commented on how nervous his goalie was in their Saturday night’s game against Kaiser when the Cougars shifted into offensive mode in the second half and pelted the JV upgrade who allowed just a single Kaiser goal in the game.
Kaiser’s second goal Saturday night came on an own goal, and Kennett said, if Anson Acain, the Menehune goalie had more experience, he would’ve called off the Menehune defender because the ball was going out. But, it was a learning experience.
Kaiser’s third goalie took the brunt of the Warrior charge in the second half as Kapa’a’s Masai Bell notched two goals and Tui Alapa scored once for the four-point bulge, the scores coming off Cougar goalie Keola Kamakani.
Billy Toy protected the Kapa’a goalmouth, but was privy to only two saves, one a diving stretcher in the second half as the Warrior defense kept the Cougar balls to the outside, frustrating the Cougar forwards.
Bobby Ayonon, whose son Colby graduated as a Warrior soccer standout and is currently playing for Linfield College in Oregon, explained that he had become good friends with Kaiser coach Herb Shriener.
Ayonon said that formerly Kaiser used to host a soccer tournament, but when more tournaments sprang up, the Cougars decided they would begin travelling, rotating between the islands every three years.
This means that Kaiser will return to Kaua’i in 2006, next year travelling to either Maui or the Big Island for similar soccer trips where pre-season Cougars can be tempered into players capable of respect in their OIA division.
