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Kalani Takase | ScoringLiveFebruary 8, 2025, 12:44am
Fri, Feb 7, 2025 @ Waipio
WAIPAHU — Trojans. Raiders. Part three.
Top seeds Mililani and Iolani will meet for a third consecutive year in the title game of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Division I Boys Soccer Championships Saturday night.
The top-seeded Trojans (15-0) will try for a second straight crown after they got by upset-minded Kamehameha, 1-0 in overtime, a few hours after the second-seeded Raiders (11-0-1) pulled away from Campbell for a 3-0 victory in Friday's semifinal doubleheader at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
Tyler Cole Tamashiro scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to punch Mililani's return ticket to the finals.
The senior forward was on the receiving end of a free kick from Derek Wurlitzer along the left flank. Tamashiro took three touches before he fired a left-footed shot from about 18 yards out into the right side of the goal to ignite the celebration for the Trojans, who will be trying for their eighth state championship in program history.
"It was great. We knew we had to be here and we were gonna be here and I was just happy to help along the way," Tamashiro said of his 10th goal on the year.
A Kamehameha foul gave Wurtlitzer and the Trojans a free kick opportunity. Wurlitzer's pass found its way through a number of players from both teams before it found its way to Tamashiro, who was surprised to say the least.
"I kind of was because it was a free kick and I did realize my man was far up the field, so I just stayed in the space and I think Derek just had a great clearance to me on the ground and Jackson (Cosner) dummied it and it just found my feet and I just took it to goal," Tamashiro said.
Mililani first year coach and longtime assistant Alika Cosner credited both Wurlitzer and Tamashiro for their execution on the play.
"We started to see a little bit of fatigue (out of Kamehameha) at the end of the second half and full time, so our plan on transitions was to go right back at ‘em," Alika Cosner said. "If we were to win that ball on defense, find a high target and if we could isolate them one-v-one like we did there, the plan was to go right at ‘em and get a shot on goal."
The familiarity of high-leverage situations late in big games played to the Trojans' advantage, he noted.
"It is tough, you know. I mean, the environment plays into that type of stuff. I thought we got a little bit outside of ourselves and got a little bit direct — I wish we would have settled the ball and a little bit more and play our style — but that's the challenges of these playoff games late in the season is just how you deal with the emotions," coach Cosner said.
The Warriors held an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal, but were unable to muster any on frame in extra time. They had a number of opportunities in regulation.
Kamehameha's best scoring chance in the first half came in the 22nd minute. Kylen Watson's header at the back post was saved by Mililani goalkeeper Kobi Miyamoto.
Within the first nine minutes of the second half, Keli Fisher put a header on frame and Madden Aquino booted a solid shot on goal, but Miyamoto stopped both shots.
In the 66th minute, the Warriors failed to capitalize on several chances in the box on a sequence that was initiated by an Azis Camerrer corner kick toward the back post. Camerrer's kick found Aquino on the back post, whose header was deflected by Miyamoto. Several subsequent shots ricocheted off of Mililani defenders.
"They were a challenge," Tamashiro said of the ILH runner-up Warriors.
"They had a lot of energy, they put us under pressure and honestly, I think they got into our heads a lot because they like to chant and yell, but honestly all it came to was just finding our composure," he added.
Cosner tipped his cap to the opposition for a hard-fought semifinal.
"It was a close game. Hats off to Kamehameha, they put a game together that was tough. We had to fight for every yard to get up the field, we had to defend their attacks as they came in swarms, but we were the team that was able to put it in the back of the net at the end of the day," he said.
Miyamoto made eight saves in goal for the Trojans, who posted their 10th clean sheet of the season.
Conversely, it was the first time the Warriors were held scoreless all year.
"He's a great goalie. He's got excellent talent, he's got really good shot-blocking skills, especially those reaction plays and he came up big today," Cosner said.
Mililani recorded five shots on goal. Jackson Cosner's shot in the 12th minute, as well as Tamashiro's try in the 53rd were both saved by Kamehameha ‘keeper Kama Medeiros.
The Trojans' best scoring opportunity came three minutes into the overtime period. Kalen Toguchi had a one-v-one look against Medeiros from about 15 yards out, but the Warriors' sophomore denied Toguchi's shot to keep the match scoreless.
"I'm proud of all the boys, they showed so much pride, yet were humble," Kamehameha coach Uri Barron-Silva said.
"We came into this the underdogs. … We knew what was possible, we pushed them to the every end. (It just came down to) one mistake," he said.
Kamehameha (10-2-1), which will play Campbell (12-3-1) for third place Saturday, last played in a state tournament in 2010.
"It took us 15 years to get back here," Barron-Silva said. "We're here, but we're here to stay."
It was Mililani's fourth consecutive game decided by a single goal. It held off Castle, 2-1, in an OIA semifinal two weeks ago, then edged Campbell in double-overtime in the league final the following night on Caleb Ishizaka's golden goal in the 95th minute. In Thursday's state quarterfinal round, it was Pookela Tom-Makue's goal in the 65th minute that proved to be the difference.
"I tell you what man, these guys continue to surprise me. We had to pull through a similar situation in the OIA finals and it just speaks a lot of volume on how much grit these guys have as a group. I mean, they're willing to battle and fight it out to get the win, no matter what the costs so I'm proud of them," Cosner said.
The Trojans will face a familiar foe Saturday night in the Raiders, who did all of their scoring in the second half to turn back OIA runner-up Campbell in their semifinal matchup.
Through the first half of play, however, it was the Sabers who largely controlled the game. They registered their first shot on goal in the 12th minute after Devin DesJardin took possession of a misplayed ball in Iolani's defensive third. DesJardin fired a right-footed shot from about 20 yards out that forced Raiders' goalkeeper Braydon Obrero to make a diving save.
About two minutes later, Obrero was whistled for foul just outside the 18-yard box and was subsequently given a yellow card for his reaction to the call. Obrero was forced to exit the game momentarily, which thrust reserve goalie Anson Bagoyo into action. Campbell's Joshua Yadao served the restart toward the middle of the box, where Jadyn Parker was able to head it toward goal, however, Bagoyo came up with the save.
Iolani coach Chris Lee credited Bagoyo for coming off of the bench and clutching up to keep the Sabers off the board.
"We talk about everybody making sure that they're ready to go in the game and being ready when your opportunity comes up to help the team be successful and Anson was one of those guys today," Lee said.
Yadao put another shot on goal for the Sabers from about 30 yards out in the 25th minute that forced Obrero to make another diving save.
The Raiders broke through in the 45th minute. A foul by the Sabers gave Devin Lee a restart opportunity from the left side of the flank. Lee found Brody Awaya along the left sideline, Awaya pushed the ball upfield before he crossed a pass to Kahi Apao near the middle of the 6-yard box.
Campbell goalkeeper Kainoa Salgado lost his footing while he tracked Awaya's cross after a collision with another Iolani player, which left an open Apao to head the ball into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the year.
"I knew that if I got it Brody — that's one of my best friends and we have the same chemistry — and I knew if I got it to him he would create a chance and there Kahi was in the middle to score for us," said Devin Lee, a junior midfielder.
In the 56th minute Iolani doubled up its lead on a set piece. A Campbell foul just outside the 18-yard box gave Lee a free kick, which he kept low to the feet of Kekama Kane. Kane used his right foot to flick a one-timer toward the left side of the goal past Salgado.
"Before I took it I looked over to my coach, coach Grant Fukuda, and he gave me the signal to cross it in the one spot and we practice that in practice every day, so I just knew I had to put it there and Kama was there to execute it," Devin Lee recalled.
Devin Lee was on the finishing end of the Raiders' third goal of the night, which came in the 75th minute. Austin Ancheta delivered a well-placed pass toward the back post and Lee finished the one-timer into the left side of the goal. It was his seventh goal this season.
"I was kind of just sitting on the back post and I saw that Austin had the ball and I just trusted him and I knew that he would give me a quality service and I was just there to put it in, score the final goal and stick the dagger in them," Devin Lee said.
Campbell registered four of its five shots on goal in the first half, while Iolani tallied five of its six shots on goal after the break.
"We were really pleased with the first half," Sabers first-year coach Lance Thompson said. "It was our brand of soccer — attacking, aggressive soccer on their half of the field — (but) I mean, listen, they're a championship program with a championship history. This is our first trip here, so that largely plays a part in what transpired in this."
Thompson noted that at one point his two forwards were both freshmen.
"That's a challenge against a team of that caliber — they're in a different place, different standards have been established, while we're still building and growing — so I'm really pleased with the way we completed. I mean, we showed in the first half it's possible, we can do it, so that's what I'm going to take from this," Thompson added.
Chris Lee said the Raiders' adjustments at the intermission were not of the tactical variety.
"Just playing a little different tempo," he expressed. "We just had to play quicker. Campbell was flying around the field defensively, causing some problems and we needed to adjust to that and just play quicker."
Devin Lee echoed the sentiment of his veteran coach.
"We knew that we just needed to come out with more energy. In the first half we definitely were nervous, but in the second half we settled in, started moving the ball and we were able to complete passes and that's what helped us," Devin Lee said.
The Raiders recorded their eight shutout of the year.
They will be trying for 11th state championship and second in three years.
"It feels really good to get here and I'm so grateful for everything and I'm just so proud of these boys for putting all that hard work in at practice over and over again and coming out here every day and we're a family, we're together," Devin Lee expressed.
Iolani beat Mililani in penalty kicks in the 2023 final. The Trojans flipped the script with a 1-0 victory in the rematch a year ago.
Saturday's Division I final is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff and will follow the D2 title game between No. 2 seed Kapaa (13-0-1) and No. 1 seed Kamehameha-Hawaii (13-0) at 4 p.m.
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