honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Fuerte built strong case as Kapa'a's dual soccer threat

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Kapa'a's Ikaika Fuerte had two goals and an assist in a 3-1 win against Hawai'i Prep in the Division II title game Saturday at Waipahu.

ANDREW SHIMABUKU | The Honolulu Advertiser

spacer spacer

"His name translates into 'strong-strong,' " Seabury Hall soccer coach Mike Russell said of Kapa'a senior Ikaika Fuerte. "Ikaika means 'strong' in Hawaiian, and Fuerte means 'strong' in Spanish. And that's what he is."

Russell's comments came Friday afternoon at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex, minutes after Fuerte scored on one penalty kick and blocked two others to lift the Warriors to a 1-0 victory (3-2 in PKs) over the Spartans in the JN Automotive Group State Championship semifinals. Fuerte had played at forward throughout the 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods, but changed into a yellow goalkeeper jersey when the score remained 0-0, sending the game into the penalty kick phase.

"His reactions are the quickest, so I knew if we went into penalty kicks, he would be our guy back there (in goal)," said Kapa'a coach Kevin Cram. "He's a player, and I know he can do whatever we need him to do."

Fuerte had not played keeper all season, but he felt natural in the goal anyway.

"I started out as a goalkeeper (in youth soccer)," Fuerte said. "I wanted to go back there (after overtime), because I had a feeling I could make at least one save."

He ended up making two — the first on Seabury Hall's second shot and the other on the Spartans' fifth attempt, which could have tied the PK score at 3-3. Fuerte dived to his left and knocked it away, clinching the victory for the Warriors.

Fuerte also was Kapa'a's first shooter in the penalty kick phase and scored on a clean shot into the lower right corner of the net. He also scored a goal in Thursday's 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Kailua, then had two goals and an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win over Hawai'i Prep for the championship — the first ever for a team from the Garden Island.

It was sweet redemption for the Warriors, who lost to Mid-Pacific, 1-0 (4-2 in PKs), in the 2008 DII state title match.

"We have 11 seniors, and a lot of them have played together since the youth leagues," Cram said. "We got the output we wanted from them."

'IOLANI 45, LE JARDIN 38

Kevin Serai scored 14 points and Matthew Talavera added 10 points to lead the host Raiders over the Bulldogs in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II boys game.

Taylor Gray led Le Jardin with 18 points.

LE JARDIN (3-8) 12 6 12 8 — 38

'IOLANI (6-6) 5 16 12 12 — 45

LE JARDIN — Tevin Togami 6, John Whitty 6, Kelvin Akamine 0, Kalani Soeda 3, Sean McWhinnie 0, Josh Kava 0, Wilson McCleod 5, Alex Gomes 0, Taylor Gray 18, Oliver Donkervoet 0, William Durnin 0. Totals 15 6-14 38.

'IOLANI — Gavin Yorimoto 0, Larson Leu 0, Justin Ho 0, Kevin Serai 14, Travis Muraoka 0, Matthew Talavera 10, Joshua Seto 4, Scott Sakaida 4, Curtis Martin 9, Chase Hu 0, Taylor Kennedy 4. Totals 18 8-15 38. 3-point goals: Le Jardin 2 (Togami, Whitty). 'Iolani 1 (Serai).

Reported by 'Iolani Athletics

ISLAND PACIFIC 57, AC. OF PACIFIC 52 (OT)

Theo Duplechain scored 29 points to lead the Navigators over the Dolphins in an ILH Division II boys game at Hawaiian Mission Academy.

Nicholas Gomes had 14 points to lead AOP.

ISLAND PACIFIC (3-8) 10 10 14 14 9 — 57

ACAD. OF PACIFIC (1-10) 15 10 10 13 4 — 52

ISLAND PACIFIC — Malik Veazie 4, Tennyson Lee 1, Christian Yagi 0, Jackson Durrett 4, Matt Westmoreland 0, James Okeke 0, Timmy Silverman 3, Evan Fujimoto 2, Willie Carter 4, Theo Duplechain 29, Kyle Arzaga 10, London Amorin 0, Sam Evans 0. Totals 22 9-18 57.

ACADEMY OF THE PACIFIC — Ronald Nipp Jr. 12, Evan Paresa 0, Nicholas Gomes 14, Michael Datz-Rice 0, Jordan Ching 9, Dan Stanfield 4, Miria Gould 8, Nicholas Seberg 5. Totals 14 24-39 52. 3-point goals: Island Pacific 4 (Arzaga 2, Duplechain, Veazie).

Reported by Mark Kinimaka

HAWAIIAN MISSION 62, WORD OF LIFE 58

Seth Katada scored 21 points, Jonathan Ko 14 and Aaron Bechard 13 as the host Knights beat the Firebrands in an ILH DII boys game.

Raffi Torres, Ralph Aviles Jr. and Brad Foster had 11 points apiece and David Daniels added 10 for Word of Life.

WORD OF LIFE (9-3) 12 14 15 17 — 58

HAWAIIAN MISSION (9-4) 18 9 16 19 — 62

WORD OF LIFE — Raffi Torres 11, Ryan Alvarado 0, Kendell Ching 0, Ralph Aviles Jr. 11, David Daniels 10, Brad Foster 11, Gabe Miller 9, Issac Iwamoto 0, Kahu Moriani 0, Alex Robinson 0, Solomon Vellez 0, Mackenzie Togafua 0, Cobey Young-Bailey 4, TJ Russell 0, Javison Caires 2. Totals 22 9-16 58.

HAWAIIAN MISSION — Jonathan Ko 14, Jacob Chan 4, Grant Kono 7, Brandon Winslow 0, Aaron Bechard 13, Seth Katada 21, Ryan Asatani 0, Jeff Lamog 3, Brian Williams 0. Totals 23 14-31 62. 3-point goals: Word of Life 5 (Torres 3, Aviles, Miller). Hawaiian Mission 2 (Ko, Katada).

Reported by Mark Kinimaka

ST. ANDREW'S 49, HAWAI'I BAPTIST 41

Noelani Kawashima hit three 3-pointers and scored 18 points as the Pride defeated the visiting Eagles in an ILH Division II girls game.

Narissa Fujii led Hawai'i Baptist with three 3-pointers and 17 points.

HAWAI'I BAPTIST (8-5) 17 5 8 11 — 41

ST. ANDREW'S (9-4) 12 10 13 14 — 49

HAWAI'I BAPTIST — Stefanie Sueda 0, Sharon Kim 2, Kimberly Au 0, Keline Yoshimura 4, Narissa Fujii 17, Jordin Ramos 8, Kayla Yamamoto 4, Lindsay Strach 0, Jennifer Young 6, Jami Grumling 0. Totals 13 11-17 41.

ST. ANDREW'S — Shelley Wong 7, Minna Watanabe 7, Noelani Kawashima 18, Erika McCaskill 4, Teisha Laboy 8, Diana Cabral 5. Totals 18 9-14 49.

3-point goals: Hawai'i Baptist 4 (Young, Fujii 3). St. Andrew's 4 (Watanabe, Kawashima 3).

Reported by Missy Kilbey

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.