The Mililani boys soccer team rewrote the script Saturday against ‘Iolani and created a fairy tale ending.
Mililani can finally close the chapter on a difficult ending to last season.
Justin Tilton scored on a header off a corner kick from Caleb Ishizaka at 69:58 as No. 2 seed Mililani beat No. 1 seed ‘Iolani 1-0 in the final of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Boys Division I State Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex’s main stadium.
Mililani avenged last season’s penalty-kick loss to ‘Iolani in the state final.
“If there was one word to sum up this one tournament, it was ‘revenge,’ ” Tilton said. “From the beginning of the season, we still had that feeling of sadness and hatred for any team we play. We knew we had to come out hard and come out quick and next thing you know we’re in the state championships and luckily we won.”
The Trojans won their seventh state championship, with the previous title coming in 2015 under coach Steve McGehee.
“It’s been a long time coming,” McGehee said. “The boys had worked hard all season long. For some of them three years, they’ve been here, they’ve tasted it and now they finally got over the hump.”
Mililani (16-0-0) outscored its opponents 94-2 this season.
On the winning play, Ishizaka’s corner kick from the right side went directly to the head of Tilton, who leaned forward and contacted the ball straight away from inside the 6-yard box.
“As soon as I saw Caleb taking it, I knew it was going to be a perfect dot,” Tilton said. “It was the perfect pass anyone could wish for. He did all the work and I was just there to clean it up.”
Ishizaka said the box was crowded so he wasn’t really looking for Tilton.
“It was just a routine play. I just put my head up and put it in the box and luckily Justin was there to head it home,” Ishizaka said.
Tilton, a defender and one of the Trojans’ taller players, only comes into the attacking third on free kicks, corner kicks and long throw-ins.
“We thought dead ball would be a part of our game plan tonight. It had to be,” McGehee said. “They’re a quality team and they won’t be broken down easy.”
Both teams had a couple of opportunities in the first half.
In the 11th, ‘Iolani (11-1-2) nearly scored when Jacob Lee’s header off a free kick from Devin Lee was saved by Mililani goalkeeper Maddox Flanders.
The Raiders’ Keane Palmer sent a corner kick from the right side that wound up on top of the netting in the 16th. The deceptive result led to momentary huge cheers from ‘Iolani fans.
“After two overtime games, I thought they put forth the energy that put Mililani under pressure,” ‘Iolani coach Chris Lee said. “We were creating some chances and putting them under pressure in the first half.”
Mililani nearly scored in the 21st when Derek Wurlitzer’s cross from the left side was just out of the reach of Skyler Vail, who got behind the defense and close to goal on the far post.
The Trojans’ Maumausolo Uiagalelei sent a blast off the left side over the crossbar in the 31st.
‘Iolani had three shots on goal in the first half, while Mililani had none. The Raiders managed zero shots on goal in the second half, while the Trojans had four.
In the 45th, the Trojans’ Jackson Cosner sent a shot from 10 yards straight on over the crossbar after the Raiders couldn’t clear a throw-in by Elijah Kuni.
Mililani nearly broke through in the 54th when Kai Martin’s cross from the left side was just out of the reach of a sliding Uiagalelei on the far post.
