LIHUE — The Menehune got the win to not only extend their lead in the season standings, but also deliver on a special occasion. Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team defeated Kapaa, 2-nil, Saturday at Vidinha Stadium. The boys
LIHUE — The Menehune got the win to not only extend their lead in the season standings, but also deliver on a special occasion.
Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team defeated Kapaa, 2-nil, Saturday at Vidinha Stadium. The boys in blue got the win to help celebrate head coach Kapono Chong-Hanssen’s 35th birthday.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” the Menehune coach said. “We’ve been working on some things in practice, and it really reflected in their play today. I couldn’t be happier.”
Waimea (5-0-0 KIF, 15 points) scored both goals in the first half.
Sophomore midfielder Kody Gardner got the opening goal at the 11th minute. He crossed the ball into the penalty area from the far side and the ball curved to the net passed the Warriors’ goalie, senior Koa Kallai.
Junior midfielder Carl Mecham scored at the 27th minute. Gardner served a corner kick and Mecham met it inside the 18-yard box. He took a touch to settle the ball before striking.
“On the corner, we have a call — either near, middle or far. So, we called far post,” Mecham said about his goal. “It soared over me, so I had to jog back a little. As the guy came towards me, the ball bounced. I hit it past him and took a shot right there on the near post past the goalie.”
“Just our communication and us working together,” Mecham said about being undefeated so far. “Even though we have faults, we still get back up and still try.”
As to whether the win streak puts ease or added pressure, Chong-Hanssen believes it doesn’t change anything.
“I don’t really think it’s either one. Of course, you start thinking maybe we’re going to go to states,” he said. “You just have to change the perspective of what you’re working on. Just trying to take it game by game and focus on what your team can do. We try to make them keep on getting better.”
Kapaa (2-2-1 KIF, 7 points) had a chance at the 12th minute for an equalizer. Senior midfielder Justin Franklin served a through pass intended for senior forward Manuel Dominguez, but Menehune senior goalkeeper Noah Alejandro intercepted the ball to prevent the play.
Kapaa was awarded a free kick outside the penalty area with seconds left in the first half. Franklin took a shot toward goal, but Alejandro was there for the save.
“We were feeling pretty good coming into the match. Them getting a quick goal, I think, kind of changed the style of play a little bit,” said Warriors head coach Kevin Cram. “They played hard. They just weren’t completing the basics.”
Though Waimea currently has a tight grip on the top of the standings, Cram is hopeful his team will be in contention for the Kauai Interscholastic Federation title when the season winds down.
“We’ve got two more matches against (Waimea). But because of the tie with (Island School), it means we need help from somebody else to give us an opportunity,” he said. “We can win the other two matches, but unless somebody ties or beats them, then they’ll win out by points.”
Waimea junior defender Cody Taniguchi, junior defender Vincent Altomare, and Kapaa senior forward Manuel Dominguez were each issued yellow cards in the first half for unsporting behavior.
Waimea will play Island School at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Vidinha Stadium. Kapaa will play Kauai High at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Vidinha Stadium.
