WAIPAHU — The Iolani boys soccer team found itself in an unfamiliar spot Wednesday evening, but ultimately wound up back on top. 

Four different players scored a goal, including two by Chase Yamashita, to help Iolani successfully defend its Hele/HHSAA Division I State Championship with a convincing 5-2 win over Punahou. 

A crowd of about 850 fans at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex main stadium saw the Raiders (13-0) rally from an early deficit and post four second-half goals to deny the Buffanblu (11-4). 

It is Iolani's second straight state title, its third in four years and 12th overall. 

"It feels pretty amazing. It might be one of the best feelings I've ever felt my whole life," said Yamashita, a sophomore midfielder. "Everyone on the team, they all want to win so from the bench players to the actual starters, they're all supporting each other no matter what."

The Raiders ran the table in dominating fashion this season. They outscored their opponents, 54 to eight, and won 11 of their 13 matches by two-or-more goals. They finished as the lone undefeated team statewide. 

Longtime coach Chris Lee credited his players for staying on the grind from start to finish. 

"It wasn't as easy as it seems. You know, motivating them every day — because they knew that they could play at a very high level — that was part of the challenge, but to their credit, this group rose to the challenge every time it was asked to them and especially tonight against a Punahou team that has been improving throughout the course of the season," Lee said. 

It was the third meeting between the Interscholastic League of Honolulu rivals. Iolani won, 3-1, on Dec. 17 at Alexander Field and tallied a 4-0 victory in the rematch on Jan. 21 at Kozuki Stadium. 

Lee knew not to count out the Buffanblu in the third face-off, especially given the momentum they brought into Wednesday's final after a thrilling semifinal win over OIA-champion and tournament No. 2 seed Mililani Friday night that came down to a goal in the final second of regulation. 

"We knew that they weren't going to give up. We knew that they were going to fight to the very end and fortunately our players took that to heart and knew that they had to play up to our standard and play the way, as a team, that we're capable of playing in order to beat a really good Punahou team," Lee said. 

Iolani had to come from behind — for the first time all season — to overcome the upset-minded Buffanblu. 

Punahou got on the board in the 16th minute when Thompson Cheever put away a chance on a play that began on a set piece. An Iolani foul gave Rei Erickson a direct free kick from about 50 yards out on the left flank. Erickson served a ball to the top of the 18-yard box that found its way to Kimat Holcomb. Holcomb dropped off a pass to the right side of the 18-yard box, where Cheever gathered it, took two touches and fired a right-footed rocket inside the left post. 

"We haven't been down all season, but we knew that we'd be okay and we just had to fight through that adversity and trust each other," said Raiders' senior midfielder Devin Lee. "It was just one early mistake that we had, a miscommunication, but it just mattered how we bounced back and we were able to come up with a goal right afterwards."

Iolani nearly equalized just three minutes later. Anthony Ancheta lined up a free kick from 25 yards out that ricocheted off of goalkeeper Ethan Eagle's hands. Devin Lee's ensuing corner kick found Kekama Kane on the back post, but Kane's one-timer dinged off the right post. 

The Raiders cashed in on a chance in the 22nd minute. Austin Ancheta made a run down the left flank and ran a give and go with Chase Yamashita. Ancheta eventually got the ball to Lucas Ginoza. Ginoza dropped off a pass back to a trailing Yamashita, who floated a right-footed shot from about 18 yards out over Eagle's hands and into the top right corner of the goal. 

"I gave it to (Austin) and then he put it to Lucas and Lucas sent me perfectly and I just took a touch and then I could just see him — the goalkeeper was out of the goal — so I tried to chip it over him and it just perfectly lined up," Yamashita said. 

The Buffanblu saw a golden opportunity just before the end of the first half go by the wayside. Brady Lau made a run down the right line before he sent a cross in the direction of Lucas McCollum. McCollum had an open look at the goal, but was unable to gather the pass and never got off a shot. 

Five minutes into the second half, Iolani doubled up its lead. The Raiders built their possession from the back and eventually got the ball to Yamashita. Yamashita passed it off to Devin Lee, who one-timed a right-footed shot from about 25 yards out into the right side of the goal. 

"I touched it in and then I saw the (defender) coming and I just (heard) Devin calling for it and I just had a feeling that Devin was gonna get a good shot off, so I just poked it to him and then he just laced it in and it was perfect," Yamashita recalled. 

Devin Lee offered his take on the goal, which represented his team-leading 11th of the season. 

"As the ball came across to me, I kind of just tried to put it on frame, give our team an opportunity and it kind of took a deflection, but a goal's a goal and it was in the back of the net and it helped our team get the lead," Lee said. 

After being held without a goal in either of his team's first two state tournament games last week, Lee was optimistic that he would break through in the title game. 

"I know I didn't score throughout the whole tournament and going into the game (I knew) it was my last game, so I knew I just had to work my butt off and just keep working and my time would come and I would get that goal," Lee said. 

Punahou earned a direct free kick in the 55th minute. An Iolani foul gave Cheever a look from just outside the 18-yard box. Cheever curved a shot around a four-man wall and toward the right post, but Raiders' goalie Braydon Obrero-Ueno saved a goal. 

Instead, the Raiders padded their lead in the 57th minute. Lee delivered a corner kick on frame, it slipped through Eagle's hands and Brody Awaya headed it past the defense and into the goal. 

"The whole game I was kind of aiming for that back post, trying to give my team at least a chance at it and we kind got a lucky tip off the ‘keeper and Brody was just in the right place at the right time and he was able to put it away," Devin Lee said. 

Just a minute later, Iolani capitalized on a misplayed ball by the Punahou defense. Soichi Amakata stole a pass deep in Buffanblu territory and slotted a shot from about 15 yards out into the left side of the goal. 

The teams traded blows near the midpoint of the second half. Brady Lau put away a second chance in the box in the 60th minute to cut the Raiders' lead to 4-2. However, Amakata assisted on a goal by Yamashita from distance just two minutes later to stretch it to a three-goal cushion for Iolani. 

"This was the first time that we've been behind all year, so they had to fight back and tie it up and I think the first half was pretty even and then we just had that flurry of goals where we were able to put the game out of reach," Chris Lee said. 

Iolani had just two shots on goal in the first half, but tallied eight after the intermission. 

"Yeah, I don't know, it just —something clicked right and it was just a rush of goals and we just started playing, right? We just started playing and knocking the ball, not playing tentatively and moving the ball around and I think that's what created those opportunities," coach Lee added. 

Punahou interim coach Mike Waring said scoring first was crucial for his team, but the Raiders' resiliency proved tough to contain over 80 minutes. 

"That's what we were hoping to do (because) it's hard to come back against these guys — they defend well, they press well — so to get that first goal was super important. We just needed to hold on a little bit longer and even when we got to one-one, I said, ‘okay, this is still not a bad deal,' but a couple unlucky breaks toward the end kind of doomed us," Waring said. 

The game marked the final prep contest for 15 Iolani seniors, including Devin Lee, who was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player and the son of the head coach. 

"These group of guys are truly amazing. They come out to practice every day and put in the work and just growing up with them through intermediate and just seeing everybody's journey was truly amazing to get our end goal that we wanted," Devin Lee said. 

Chris Lee took a moment to reflect upon the contributions of his senior class. 

"I think their experiences these seniors have gone through allowed us to coach and play with a little more freedom. We gave them the framework for how we wanted to play, but we also didn't restrict their creativity and, you know, trusted in their instincts also at the same time," he said. 

Punahou reached the state final for the first time since 2020. It was seeking its 23rd state championship in program history. 

"They're all devastated, but we told them before the game that regardless of what the result is, we couldn't be prouder. Just getting here is an accomplishment, so super happy and super proud of them," Waring said. 

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed to Wednesday due to severe weather from a storm that affected most of the state over the weekend and into the early parts of the week.