It’s safe to say that Duncan McKenna is feeling just fine.
McKenna, who was sent home sick during the second half of Punahou’s state tournament opener on Monday, scored the golden goal in the second overtime to lead the Buffanblu over Kapolei at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium on Friday.
McKenna, a senior, took a cross from sophomore Max Moonier and beat Kapolei keeper Jason Catrow in the 92nd minute to return Punahou to the state championship match. The Buffanblu beat Kapolei 2-0 for the title last year and will play Kaiser this time.
“We practice those all the time in practice,” McKenna said. “In the tough situations practice makes perfect. Once I headed it, I knew.”
It was Punahou’s first golden goal at the state tournament since Alec Dinsmore put Kaiser away in the 2011 quarterfinals. McKenna had multiple chances during regulation and overtime but never put the ball away.
“It was long overdue,” Punahou coach David Trifonovitch said. “He doesn’t necessarily get open. He works a lot with coverage and they usually assign one guy to him. He can handle the one, then they bring two and he is just big enough and strong enough to turn and hold onto the ball and make things happen. Everybody knows he’s the go-to guy but he makes things happen.”
Kapolei has played Punahou three times in the state tournament before, including last year’s state final, and still have never cracked the Punahou defense for a score. They nearly won without doing it on Friday night.
“Hats off to them, they had the better of that play,” Kapolei co-head coach Ryan Lau said. “I think we kind of lost where Duncan McKenna was on that play, I think we did a good job during the game but on that play we kind of lost where he was.”
Punahou will be going for its 20th state championship today and first repeat since 2010-11. Kapolei, the OIA champion and top seed, is still waiting for its first title after knocking on the door so many times.
“I think we are a better team than last year,” Lau said. “The team has been the star and they are still champions who proved themselves. We only lose three seniors so we will be back.”
Punahou controlled regulation, getting nine shots to Kapolei’s seven but four of them point blank.
Division II
Saint Louis 4, Kamehameha-Hawaii 2
Mitchell Quinn and Rick Sandry Jr. both scored twice as the Crusaders (8-6-1) beat the Warriors (8-8-0) in a semifinal match. David Erskine and Kailikea Kekuawela scored for Kamehameha-Hawaii.
Hawaii Prep 10, Kailua 1
Jake Schneider and Chris Whitfield both scored twice as Ka Makani (12-0-1) routed the Surfriders (9-3-2) in a semifinal match.
Austin Schneider, Ghar Pautz, Mateo Batol, Brendon Moynahan and Bip Padrnos each scored once for Hawaii Prep, which also benefitted from an own goal. Ripley Quebral scored for Kailua.
