The Kapa‘a High School boys soccer team came up with five second-half goals in its final outing against Island School to remain undefeated as the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation wrapped up the boys soccer season, Saturday. Wyatt Taniguchi, the powerful forward
The Kapa‘a High School boys soccer team came up with five second-half goals in its final outing against Island School to remain undefeated as the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation wrapped up the boys soccer season, Saturday.
Wyatt Taniguchi, the powerful forward for Waimea’s junior varsity, broke a 1-1 deadlock to give the Menehune a 2-1 edge at Vidinha Stadium.
But that momentum could not carry to the varsity side as Kaua‘i High School came up with three second-half goals in its 3-0 win over Waimea at Vidinha Stadium.
Overnight and morning rains victimized the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium where the Warriors hosted the Voyagers in both teams’ final season outings.
A Kapa‘a coach manned a shop vac to try and get rid of some of the puddles on the field, his efforts going down to the final minutes prior to kickoff.
“We couldn’t move the game,” said Gregg Gonsalves, the Kapa‘a High School athletic director. “It was either we cancel the game, or play. The boys worked too hard and I’m sure they wanted to play.”
Both squads sloshed and splashed through the field, the Warriors’ white jerseys becoming stained from the mud which proved to be the victor at the half when both teams were deadlocked without scores.
Ron Kosen, a community soccer coach and official, said Kapa‘a came up with three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Max Goode, ending the day with two goals for Kapa‘a, found the net in the 41st minute followed by Elliott Haigh, recovered from his bout with the cold bug, in the 46th minute. Joshua Cram found the net in the 48th minute to wrap up the scoring flurry.
Goode again found the goal in the 57th minute, and Daniel Alonzo, an upgrade from the JV squad, put the game away with a goal in the 69th minute.
Kaua‘i JV got its goal just moments after kickoff when Maxwell Dolso-Morey scored in the third minute.
But that was answered by Waimea midfielder Micah Quinlan deadlocking the match with a goal in the fifth minute.
The stalemate continued through the period before Taniguchi tapped paydirt in the 34th minute for the 2-1 edge.
The Nemeth brothers, Lyle and Corey reaped yellow cards through the defensive first half of the varsity match, Lyle being tagged for unsportsmanlike play and Corey getting his for dissent when his comments were overheard by the official.
But less than 10 minutes into the second half, Lucas Gushikuma put Kaua‘i on the board with a penalty kick that rifled to the left of the Waimea goalkeeper.
After more defensive grappling, Chaturon Promsakhan rounded the left side and shot one past the goalkeeper at close range for the 2-0 bulge at the 65th minute.
Mason Vegas powered through an indirect kick at the 77th minute for the final Kaua‘i goal, his dad Leonard, already having left the stadium in order to watch the girls’ Division II state bid.
“We had to split duties,” Leonard said before the game. “This is Mason’s final game because he graduates in June. And yes, I would like to see (Alyssa) Malu play, and it’s her birthday, today. But I gotta support my son too, so mom is in Honolulu, and I’m here.”
Waimea, coming off a 1-0 win on a Jonathon Tangalin goal against Island School in a Wednesday make-up game, had no lack of effort in the intense finale that saw both teams reap yellow and red cards compounded by two dismissals.
In addition to the two yellows issued to Kaua‘i in the first half, Waimea, in an effort at trying to find the scoreboard, got an unsporting behavior yellow in the 78th minute.
The action heightened and was finally terminated when both Kaua‘i and Waimea were tagged with red cards and dismissals at midfield for unsporting behavior at the 80th minute.
Kapa‘a High School boys, the KIF champions, will participate in the JN Automotive Group Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Boys Division I and II State Soccer Championships, Feb. 23-25 at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on O‘ahu.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
