Mililani is back on top of the Hawaii soccer world.
The Trojans tipped Kalani 1-0 on Saturday night in the Division I final of the Outrigger Resorts/HHSAA State Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
It’s the sixth state crown for Mililani and the first since 2012, and also the first for coach Steve McGehee in his debut season at the helm.
"The boys did it," McGehee said. "At the beginning of the year, I told them they were going to be a band of brothers for 80 some-odd days. We had a meeting last night and I told them that there was one more day of that and that they’ve got to go out and leave it all out on the field. And they did that today."
Jarad Choquette scored in the 35th minute on a sensational play. Marc Matas started the sequence with a give-and-go at midfield with Choquette. Matas then dished to Isaiah Manding in the right corner, who sent a cross along the ground that Choquette slid to knock into the net past Falcons goalkeeper Michael Stafford.
"Kalani forced us to figure out a way to beat who is probably the best ‘keeper in the state," McGehee said. "We met with the staff and (former coach) Jeff (Yamamoto) and we decided that it would probably have to get him to go side to side between the posts on a cross. Shooting it right at him, he’s just too tough. You’re not going to score that way."
Stafford was the hero of the Falcons’ 1-0 semifinal win over ‘Iolani on Friday with three saves in PKs.
"It’s emotional," Choquette said about the win. "We won it freshman year, but we were pretty much just watching. This is amazing. (When that cross came), I was just hoping I didn’t miss it."
Choquette planned to celebrate with the team at Zippy’s afterward, where he will surely retell the winning goal with his friends for the first of many times.
"It’s unbelievable," Trojans goalkeeper JP Carson said after making nine saves against a pumped-up Kalani offense in the shutout.
"I owe it all to my teammates. They saved me many times."
As a matter of fact, defense was the driving force behind the title. Led by center back Jeron Cunningham, the Trojans (15-1-0) held their ground all night —and all season — despite Kalani’s intense game-long pressure.
"Defense is the rock we’re built on," McGehee said. "If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t go anywhere."
In the second half, Kalani’s Takahiro Kosins missed two golden chances with headers from in close and he tested Carson with a 30-yard direct kick. The Falcons buzzed the Trojans’ zone relentlessly.
"I thought we played a heckuva game," Falcons coach Michael Ching said. "We played better than we did in the OIA championship game (a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Mililani). We had chances. Mililani is the kind of team that is going to find that goal to beat you. It was 1-0 and it could have been 0-0."
Kalani (14-2-1) failed in its bid to win its second overall state title to add to the one the Falcons secured in 2013.
"Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way," Kalani’s Stafford said. "You live with it. That’s life. Five years ago, Kalani wasn’t on the map in soccer and then Coach Ching came in and now we can match up with anyone."
THIRD PLACE
Punahou 3, ‘Iolani 0
Goal scorers—Pun: Steven Yoshimoto (20′), Ryan King (40′), Sotaro Sam Abe (44′).
