Two times a charm for Waimea senior Chad “Mighty Mouse” Thompson, who made the Honolulu Advertiser’s All-State Boys Soccer team for the second consecutive year. “It kind of feels like an honor to be the only one from Kaua’i on
Two times a charm for Waimea senior Chad “Mighty Mouse” Thompson, who made the Honolulu Advertiser’s All-State Boys Soccer team for the second consecutive year.
“It kind of feels like an honor to be the only one from Kaua’i on the team, but there are many other deserving athletes here, who could’ve made it too, but it’s good to be at the top,” Thompson said.
Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” for his thunderous play despite his small stature, Thompson stormed onto the Kaua’i soccer scene from his AYSO days.
“He’s just something special. I can’t even come up with words to describe him. When I used to coach him back then, he would always play up to another level,” Waimea coach Mark Kennett said.
Thompson earned all-state honors as one of three forwards on the first team.
“He’s just something different. He fights for everything, whether we’re winning 10-0 or losing 0-10, he takes practice seriously too. It’s his fight. Something inside of him drives him to be better,” Kennett said.
As far as college goes, Thompson is 99 percent sure that he’ll play for De Anza (Calif.) Junior College, which is a feeder program for Santa Clara University, an NCAA Division I school.
“As long as he keeps his focus, I have no doubts that he’ll make it at the next level. His low center of gravity, his ability to pivot and turn, and his exceptional take-off speed are just a few of the many great qualities he possesses,” Kennett said.
Recently, Thompson, along with other KIF soccer seniors, competed in a high school all-star contest on O’ahu, which gave him even more exposure to college coaches.
“It was an honor to be in the all star game,” Thompson said.
With soccer season over, the next avenue for Thompson is track and field, which should keep him in good shape until he leaves for college.
Although the accolades keep piling in like the recent rain we’ve been receiving, the two-time KIF player of the year remains grounded.
“I wouldn’t have been the player I am today if not for the players and coaches on my team. I owe a lot to them,” Thompson said.
Also receiving all-state honors (honorable mention) for Waimea High School were Kenny Estes as a midfielder and Kollin Morikawa as a defender.
“He’s (Kenny) going to be good at anything he does and Kollin was the best kid I’ve ever coached. He’s by far the best defender I’ve ever had. He recovered and covered ground so quickly. The heart in Kollin is really special,” Kennett said.
After finishing up in third-place in the state in 2005, the two-time defending KIF soccer champions didn’t fare as well this past season, with a disappointing 0-2 mark at states.
Kennett, who has been coaching Menehune soccer for nearly 10 years, has decided to step down from his post, despite the recent successes.
