JV soccer ends season with 6-2 win
Photo by Alyssa Urayanza
Freshman Hinano Long (4) attempts to slide tackle the ball away from a Nā Aliʻi player in the second game of the day. The Kamehameha Maui junior varsity boys went 1-1 in the double header against the Bears and Nā Aliʻi at King Kekaulike High School.
The junior varsity boys soccer team cleaned up with a 6-2 win against King Kekaulike in their second game today, but lost to the Baldwin Bears with a score of 2-3 in the first game.
“I think we did pretty good for [junior varsity] and the other teams, they put up their [varsity] players and stuff and we just had straight [junior varsity],” freshman Gideon Aiwohi said.
With many players on academic probation, the boys were shorthanded in both games and played with only 7 players against Baldwin and 8 players against King Kekaulike.
“We did good for a bunch of our players being on and barely anyone showing up for practice,” sophomore Nicholas Mendez said.
Playing today were freshmen Aiwohi, Hinano Long, Michael Singh, and Brendan Urayanza, and sophomores Mendez, Noa Moikeha-Silifaiva, Dorian Raboy-McGowan, and Justin Walker, who only played in the second game today.
Due to the boys being shorthanded some adjustments were made to ensure that the game was fair. Both the Bears and Nā Aliʻi players and coaches agreed to play with the same amount of players.
“[Playing seven on seven] you have to run more, so you usually get tired fast and bog out,” Aiwohi said.
Besides playing with less players, the field was also shortened by bringing the two goals closer together.
“The field is way smaller. We [couldnʻt] really open up more to play better,” Moikeha-Silifaiva said.
The boys ended their junior varsity season with a total of three losses and three wins. They lost to the Baldwin Bears twice, defeated Lahaina Luna twice, and lost one and won one against King Kekaulikeʻs Nā Aliʻi.
“Iʻm very proud of them. Itʻs a great season,” head coach Kyle Herendeen said. “I believe that they are the best team in the whole league. They improved a ton; passing, shooting, dribbling, but just understanding the game and how to play as a team and attack as a team.
Coach Herendeen does double duty serving as varsity head coach as well.
“I wish I was able to spend more time with them, but having to share time between the varsity and junior varsity, I donʻt feel like they got all the attention that they deserved, so hopefully next year we can do something to improve that.”
Next season, the boys hope that there will be more official teams in the league and that players will focus more on improving their grades.
“I think the best part of the season was coming out here with the boys and [playing the] games,” Moikeha-Silifaiva said.
