PUHI — Kapaa High School’s varsity boys soccer team defeated Island School, 2-nil, Wednesday afternoon in Puhi.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge, but it’s a match that we knew we could win,” said Kapaa head coach Kevin Cram. “I think any of the games, we have a chance to win. It’s just a matter of how they choose to play, whether they get things together. There was some holes, but they filled them fairly well and was able to come up with a win.”
Kapaa (3-2 KIF) scored first about midway through the first half.
Island School allowed an own goal. Warriors senior forward Joshua Layaoen was credited for the score.
In the second half, Warriors senior midfielder Gabe Franklin netted Kapaa’s second goal at the 56th minute.
Franklin took a couple of touches inside the penalty area before striking.
“I always think back on some advice my older brother, Justin, gave to me about a year ago,” Franklin said. “It’s been working out pretty good.”
Cram said he tried a more defensive formation in Wednesday’s match.
“They were still feeling out what the responsibilities were,” Cram said. “We were missing some assignments. But once we were getting it together, I think that’s when things started to turn. But the first half of the first half, it was on our defensive side of the field.”
Franklin added about the new formation: “Our defense was a lot stronger than usual. It’s our first clean sheet. They didn’t score. That was probably the biggest factor.”
Island School (2-3 KIF) had a handful of scoring chances in the opening minutes.
In the second half, Voyagers senior defender Kyle Leibow took a crack from distance, but Warriors junior goalkeeper Chyson Lagunes-Rapozo dove to stop the shot.
Late in the half, Voyagers senior forward Brandon Beydoun took a header toward goal off a corner kick, but his ball went above the crossbar.
“You take chances to try to score goals. Sometimes, it backfires,” said Island School head coach Sean Magoun. “But there’s still nothing I would change. They still went at it. We had a beautiful header on a corner. Had we buried that, it would have been 2-1 with 10 minutes left. It could have changed the complete outcome of the game, but we didn’t make it. We’re still where we are.”
With the season about halfway through, Magoun hopes the team will “re-shift our focus” looking forward.
“There was certainly some complacency. I don’t like complacency at all. That’s been our No. 1 enemy — ourselves,” he said. “To be honest, it’s a very talented group of boys. We should be playing a little bit better than this, and we’re not. There’s still plenty of soccer left. We still have seven games.”
Kapaa will play Waimea at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium. Island School will play Kauai High School at noon Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
Scoring summary
Kapaa: Joshua Layaoen (26’), Gabe Franklin (56’)
Discipline
Kapaa: Jordan Belmodis, yellow (foul language)
