The wait is over for Pearl City.
Perennially one of the OIA’s premier programs, the Chargers hadn’t savored a state title in nearly two decades when they took the field on Saturday for the Division I final of The Queen’s Medical Center/HHSAA State Soccer Championships.
Senior Kylie Wong gave Pearl City momentum with a goal in the 16th minute and sealed the title with another score in the 61st minute and the Chargers captured the program’s first state title since 1997 with a 3-0 win over Baldwin at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex’s main stadium.
“I’m glad we could do this for Coach (Frank Baumholtz), because he’s been wanting us to work and he really pushed us through this season,” Wong said.
“He never let us slack at all. Every time we slacked off we were disciplined, but in a good way where we wanted to get better.”
Daelenn Tokunaga assisted on Wong’s first goal and later gave Pearl City a 2-0 lead with a goal in the 30th minute to help Baumholtz reach a career milestone.
Baumholtz led the Pearl City boys team to the state championship in 1999 and pairing titles was a goal he set when he took over the girls program in 2001.
“I thought to myself that’s a goal that might not be attainable,” said Baumholtz, who has been a part of the girls program for 28 years. “It took a special group of kids to do it. … To have it happen, I can’t stop smiling. Just totally amazing.”
Since reaching the state semifinals in 2008, the Chargers hadn’t advanced past the quarterfinals in its last seven state tournaments.
Their breakthrough came in a season that began with preseason losses to ‘Iolani and Baldwin and ended with wins in postseason rematches with both teams.
Pearl City, playing its fourth match in as many nights, hadn’t appeared in the state final since losing to Baldwin in 2000 and took command early on Wong’s first goal off a cross from Tokunaga.
“Kylie Wong has kind of been a sub all year and she’s done what you want on a championship team,” Baumholtz said. “What a way to finish your senior year. Incredible.”
Pearl City senior goalkeeper Sydney Young made two saves and the Chargers took 19 shots to Baldwin’s seven.
They maintained control against a Bears team that advanced to the final for the first time since 2002 by defeating Kamehameha and Mililani in overtime shootouts the previous two days.
“They fought so hard and so long these past two nights,” said Baldwin coach Tia Medeiros, a member of the Bears’ 2000 state title team. “I’m not trying to take anything from Pearl City, they played an amazing game, they were firing on all cylinders. We just looked tired and sore. So next year when we come back here we have to make sure we don’t go into overtime the first two games.”
