Stout defense catapults Mid-Pacific to championship

The clock on the scoreboard at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium was pretty much inoperable, but the way Mid-Pacific’s defense played this week it didn’t really matter.

If there was one absolute during the Division II portion of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts/HHSAA Boys Soccer State Championships, it is that nobody was going to put a goal up on the Owls.

Mid-Pacific beat Honokaa 2-0 for the D-II title on Saturday night.

"It’s unreal," Mid-Pacific captain Esha Mahta said. "All of the stuff our team has been through, all of the injuries we have overcome, the coaches put in tons of work and it finally paid off."

The Owls were without freshman Kohei Tomita, who suffered a concussion in the semifinals and had to leave that game in an ambulance, and completed their run through the tournament with their second and third keepers after their starter broke his jaw earlier this year against Punahou. Mid-Pacific coach Jayson Abe started sending subs in with 20 minutes left.

"Everyone who steps on the field for us, we play as one unit," Abe said. "The second- and third-string guys have been supporting the starters all season long and I think we owed it to them."

The teams played even in the first half with six shots each, but only Mid-Pacific was able to turn one of those opportunities into a score. The Owls tallied in the 25th minute when sweeper Brandon Ho served up a beauty of a pass from 30 yards away that Tyler Allen got a head on and put into the goal while Honokaa keeper Elzer Maltezo was committing to the pass early and got caught up in the wash in front of the goal.

"I was just trying to get it to the back post, hoping someone was going to put it away," Ho said. "That’s these guys. I just serve it in there and they put it away."

Allen was doubtful to play in the championship game, suffering a pulled groin in the first half of the semifinals and sitting out the end of that game.

Honokaa had its chances in the first half, getting three shots from inside the box, but being rebuffed by Mid-Pacific keeper Andrew Musgrave each time. Musgrave had four saves in the first half to Maltezo’s two.

Payton Boyd, who also scored in the semifinal game, made Mid-Pacific’s lead fluke-proof with a sweet goal in the 48th minute. The freshman split Honokaa defenders in the box and blasted a shot past Maltezo.

Honokaa had opportunities, but the Dragons were pretty much doomed as soon as Mid-Pacific squelched a few of Honokaa’s prime chances.

Honokaa coach Maurice Miranda called Abe after the semifinals and jokingly told him that the 5 p.m. game had been moved to 7 p.m. The friendly rivalry has grown since the beginning of the Division II tournament in 2008. Mid-Pacific has three titles to Honokaa’s two. Kapaa is the only other school to win the hardware, doing it twice.

"I don’t know if we will be back (in the championship)," Miranda said. "We graduate 11 guys, but I am sure Mid-Pacific will be back."

Goal scorers–Mid-Pacific: Tyler Allen (24:38), Payton Boyd (47:57).

Third Place

Hawaii Prep 2, Christian Liberty 1

Goal scorers–HPA: Kharim Barthson, Braden Kojima. CLA: Nakaiya Kerr.

Fifth place

Kapaa 4, Seabury Hall 0

Goal scorers unavailable.

All-Tournament team

DIVISION II

Tyler Allen, Mid-Pacific

KJ Kharim Barthson, Hawaii Prep

Payton Boyd, Mid-Pacific

Preston Branco, Honokaa

Tony Connors, Honokaa

Aukana`i Kapu, Honokaa

Nakaiya Kerr, Christian Liberty

Louis Moylan, Christian Liberty

Dane Nitta, Mid-Pacific

Kai Umeda, Mid-Pacific

Goalkeeper:  Andrew Musgrave, Mid-Pacific

Most Outstanding Player:

Brandon Ho, Mid-Pacific