The Kapa‘a High School girls soccer team had plenty of reasons to celebrate Friday night. The Lady Warriors (7-3-1) received the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation’s second bid into the tournament behind league champions Kaua‘i High School, who later received the No.
The Kapa‘a High School girls soccer team had plenty of reasons to celebrate Friday night.
The Lady Warriors (7-3-1) received the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation’s second bid into the tournament behind league champions Kaua‘i High School, who later received the No. 2 ranking in the tournament. Kapa‘a then entered the JN Automotive/Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association’s Girls Division II State Soccer Tournament unranked.
But the main thing Friday, was the Lady Warriors were able to rise above all odds.
On Thursday, they knocked defending state champions of Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i and moved onto the semifinals Friday to face top-ranked Kailua High School.
Kapa‘a’s Dakota Barnett scored in the third minute off a pass from Kalia Mayer, then Mayer was able to come up with a goal of her own right before the half. As the clock wound down and the Kapa‘a defense held on, the Lady Warriors shut out No. 1 Kailua 2-0, advancing to the state championship final.
“It feels great beating all the odds,” said Kapa‘a head coach Colby Ayonon.
This will make Kapa‘a’s second appearance for the girls. The last time Kapa‘a played in state final, the girls lost to Punahou in 1998 before the division split.
Assistant coach Maja Ayonon played in that game.
“It’s kind of amazing. It feels good to be a part of it again. I’m so happy for these girls,” she said. “(My team) wasn’t able to do it then, but they can do it tomorrow.”
No. 3 Pac-Five 1,
No. 2 Kaua‘i 0
As Kapa‘a was celebrating its upset victory, on the adjacent field, No. 2 Kaua‘i was fighting off No. 3 Pac-Five. In a tough match that was decided in the final minutes, Pac-Five’s Courtne-Cree won the game when she scored off of a corner kick.
Kaua‘i will now play Kailua in the third-place match, to the disappointment to many fans who wanted to see an all KIF, state title match.
“It’s too bad we couldn’t meet them in the finals,” Colby Ayonon said.
Last year, Kaua‘i girls took home third place. Kapa‘a’s advanced to the state finals, but lost to Mid-Pac in a shootout.
