Unpredictable but reliable. When Hoku Afong has the soccer ball, defenders and sometimes her teammates aren’t sure what the senior will do with the ball.

Her deception and leg power provide an advantage on the field that’s been difficult to contain.

Afong has scored in all six league matches this season for Na Menehune (6-0-0). She leads all OIA players with 14 goals.

“With the legs she has, when she’s at the (40-yard line), you don’t know if she’s going to shoot, you don’t know if she’s going to cross, she really is not that predictable of a player that will do the same thing every time she gets the ball,” said Moanalua coach Nikki Dela Pena. “She loves to distribute.”

While opponents are trying to figure out where she’s going, her teammates are sometimes wondering what their senior captain’s next move is.

“I’m unpredictable, so they (opponents) don’t know what I’m going to do with the ball, so it’s good (going against) the other team,” Afong said. “It’s bad for us, they don’t know what I’m going to do, so they wait.”

Dela Pena said one of Afong’s biggest strengths is her vision to see the field and what’s developing. Her teammates have picked up on nuances of her game.

“She does a lot of motioning with her hands, so her teammates can help read off that,” Dela Pena said.

Afong has developed on and off the field to become a player who’s providing more than just scoring power for Na Menehune.

A four-year starter, she has transitioned from a supportive role over the years to a role as one of the senior captains.

It’s a position that requires more than leading her team or vocalizing her thoughts on the field. To compensate for a big senior class, Moanalua has a lot of freshmen and sophomores to help fill their void next season.

“She’s taking on that responsibility that I’ve asked of her to really leave these young girls with something to carry on,” Dela Pena said.

As one of the captains, Afong wants to keep her team together.

“I want everyone to be safe,” Afong said. “The captain is to keep the team connected so nobody is on their own.”

Afong also wants to lead her team back into the postseason. A frequent visitor to the state tournament, Moanalua didn’t qualify last year after it was eliminated from the OIA playoffs.

Players haven’t forgotten about last year, but they aren’t dwelling on it either.

“We’re just trying to push ourselves so we come out on top,” Afong said. “First we’re working toward hopefully getting to OIAs and then heading off to states. We have to get everything done one game at a time, one practice at a time.”

Dela Pena described Afong as coachable, one who asks questions on improving her game and open to suggestions.

Afong said her coach has been a major influence during her time at Moanalua, especially with getting her focused on academics. She’s verbally committed to play at the University of Hawaii.

“Whatever she said, I was coachable to her,” Afong said.

Added Dela Pena: “She really wants to know how to be a better player. Knowing you have someone like that that wants to be better and will ask and try to do the things you want them to, she’s very coachable.”

Perkins new KS baseball coach

Tom Perkins is the new Kamehameha varsity baseball coach, he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday.

Perkins, 58, is a 1974 Kamehameha graduate who played baseball under coaches Cal Chai and Al Apo. He’s been the intermediate coach for the Warriors since 1996. He takes over the post from Billy Peiper, who coached the Kamehameha varsity for one season before stepping down.

“Now was the chance to give it a try,” he said. “A couple of the players that I coached in intermediate asked me if I was going to apply. I asked them, ‘Are you going to listen?’ It was a competitive field with a bunch of really good candidates. It’s truly an honor.”

THE TOP 10

Voted on by coaches and media from around the state. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

Find exclusive high school sports content — stories, photographs and videos — as well as football team pages, photo galleries and statistical history at HawaiiPrepWorld.com

HONOR ROLL

BOYS BASKETBALL
» Kevin Foster, Roosevelt: Scored a game-high 25 points in a 73-56 win over Castle on Saturday.
» David Benevedes, Castle: Scored a game-high 22 points against Roosevelt.
» Joseph Gauty, Leilehua: Scored a game-high 17 points in a 57-40 win over Mililani on Saturday.
» Denhym Brooke, Kahuku: Finished with 14 points and eight rebounds in a 55-39 win over Farrington on Saturday.

BOYS SOCCER
» Tyler Morton, Moanalua: Scored four goals in a 10-0 win over Kaimuki on Saturday.
» Sergei Scharer, Saint Louis: Scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Damien on Saturday.
» Christopher Brubaker, Punahou: Scored two goals in a 6-0 win over Pac-Five on Saturday.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
» Tyra Moe, Punahou: Scored a game-high 17 points in a 59-39 win over Kamehameha on Saturday.
» Ciera Kameehonua, Mid-Pacific: Scored 16 points and was one of five Owls to play every minute of a 37-33 win over Sacred Hearts on Saturday.

GIRLS SOCCER
» Hoku Afong, Moanalua: Scored four goals in a 12-0 win over Kaimuki on Saturday.
» Emma Young, Kamehameha: Scored three goals in an 11-0 win over St. Francis on Saturday.
» Tori Chinen, Kalani: Scored two goals in a 3-3 tie against Roosevelt on Saturday.
» Caitlin Tatemichi, Roosevelt: Scored two goals against Kalani.
» Hannah Galveso, Kailua: Scored two goals in a 3-1 win over McKinley on Saturday.