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Reaching back to eject a ball from his net was not part of Tyler Ohata’s routine in Punahou’s run to the Division I boys soccer state championship.
Ohata, the Buffanblu senior goalkeeper, allowed two shots to beat him all season in 15 games, all wins, and that is the reason he was voted by coaches from around the state as the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s player of the year.
Not surprisingly, he remembers both goals against him, and he gladly deflects credit for his success to the Buffanblu defenders led by Sheaffer Rafto and Bennett Ho. Rafto, a senior, was one of 10 others chosen to the Star-Advertiser’s Stellar Eleven, and Ho is an All-State second-team selection.
“All credit to them,” Ohata said about all of the Punahou fullbacks. “Without them, there’s no way we could have won the states. They made my job so easy.”
Another Stellar Eleven choice, Mid-Pacific striker Tyler Allen (nine goals), was one of the players to score on Ohata. The other was Radford’s Elijah Tucker-Smith on a penalty kick in the state quarterfinals.
“Allen ran down the right side and cut to the middle and put it in the top to my left,” Ohata said. “But I got a piece of it.”
The penalty kick goal also went to Ohata’s left and he was caught flat-footed, thinking it was going the other way. Two other goals were scored against Punahou this season, but they were against a back-up goalkeeper.
Don’t let Ohata fool you into thinking he didn’t make big saves. He did all season and especially at states. One of the biggest of the year came against Kamehameha-Maui in the state semifinals.
“It was still 0-0 and right after that save, I got it out to Noah Williams, who passed it to Reo Nagai and he scored to give us the momentum,” Ohata said.
According to Buffanblu coach David Trifonovitch, Rafto was rarely out of position, and a stat Punahou keeps backs that up. He fouled an opponent only seven times all season.
“If a defender gets beat or is out of position, that is usually when they have to foul someone,” said Trifonovitch, who is the coach of the year. “Seven fouls the entire season is amazing for a central defender.”
Buffanblu midfielder Christopher Brubaker, a playmaker and offensive force, also made the Stellar Eleven. He had a team-leading 10 assists. Nagai is a second-team choice.
Kapolei, Kalani and Kamehameha-Maui also placed two players each on the Stellar Eleven.
Shandon Hopeau scored 33 goals for the Hurricanes and was a threat every time he touched the ball. Unofficially, he is the first Hawaii player with more than 30 goals. Teammate Lyric De Leon was a dominant defender and — along with goalkeeper Makana Breault, a second-team All-State choice — held some of the state’s top strikers scoreless.
The Kosins twins at Kalani gave the Falcons that same kind of thrust in the East. Takahiro Kosins scored 28 goals, and Toshihiro Kosins, a two-time Stellar Eleven pick, was a shutdown defender.
Three players from Maui also were chosen to the first team — striker Brennan Joaquin (25 goals, 10 assists) and midfielder Paytin Ayau of Kamehameha-Maui, along with midfielder Angelo Deloso-Flocco of Baldwin. The latter two were outstanding ball distributors all season.
STELLAR ELEVEN
Strikers
Shandon Hopeau, Kapolei, Sr.
Tyler Allen, Mid-Pacific, Sr.
Brennan Joaquin, KS-Maui, Sr.
Takahiro Kosins, Kalani, Sr.
Midfielders
Christopher Brubaker, Punahou, Sr.
Angelo Deloso-Flocco, Baldwin, Jr.
Paytin Ayau, Kamehaeha-Maui, Jr.
Fullbacks
Lyric De Leon, Kapolei, Sr.
Toshihiro Kosins, Kalani, Sr.
Sheaffer Rafto, Punahou, Sr.
Goalkeeper
Tyler Ohata, Punahou, Sr.
SECOND ELEVEN
Strikers
Kalen Halvorsen, Punahou, Sr.
Justin Perry, Hawaii Prep, Sr.
Midfielders
Kohei Tomita, Mid-Pacific, Jr.
Zac Trevorrow, Pac-Five, Sr.
Reo Nagai, Punahou, Sr.
Austin Schneider, Hawaii Prep, Jr.
Fullbacks
Micah Mokulehua, Kaiser, Sr.
Ari Mench, Kealakehe, Jr.
Bennett Ho, Punahou, Sr.
Trey Curet, ‘Iolani, Sr.
Goalkeeper
Makana Breault, Kapolei, Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Campbell—Boogie Mattos, Sr.
Hawaii Prep—Alex Brost, Sr.
Braden Kojima, Jr.
‘Iolani—Matthew Alexander, Sr.
Austin Mau. Sr.
Kaiser—Motoki Sato, So.
Makana Srivongsana, Fr.
Kamehameha—Davin Garma, Sr.
Kamehameha-Hawaii—Liam Kenoi, Sr.
Isaiah Laeha, Sr.
Kapolei—Garrison Lee, Jr.
Kealakehe—Matt Castro, Fr.
Greyson Moore, Jr.
Laukoa Santos, So.
King Kekaulike—Zakariya Woolley, So.
Mid-Pacific—Riley Behler, Sr.
Moanalua—Samuel Adams, Sr.
Dylan Cabalang, Sr.
Hunter Mullican, Sr.
Pac-Five—Trey Larsen, Sr.
Punahou—Hunter DeTurk, Jr.
Keenan Dung, Sr.
Peyton Sommer, Jr.
Radford—Michael Watson, Sr.
Saint Louis—Sergei Scharer, Sr.
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