Kalaheo Vying For Soccer Crown
By Jack Danilewicz
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It would be easy for Kalaheo boys head soccer coach John Nakagawa to regard his players as generalists rather than specialists, certainly on the defensive end, where they have been their usual stingy selves throughout the OIA’s season and conference tournament.
“We emphasize everyone contributing to defense,“said Nakagawa, whose team takes an 10-3-2 record into this week’s Division I State Soccer Championships,“not just the four (defensive) guys in the back, but all 11 players as far as pressuring (the ball) and closing the gaps.”
Solid defensive play not only keeps teams in close games,but wins them as well. These are comforting thoughts for a team that has known more close encounters than most, having outscored their opponents just 13-9 through their first nine league games. Kalaheo, which had gone 6-2-1 in that stretch, saw the trend of close games continue as predicted in the recent OIA Tournament, winning an exhaustive affair over Aiea 1-0 on penalty kicks, and a workmanlike 1-0 win over Roosevelt in the fifth-place game. They had opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Kapolei in a game that was closer than the final tabulation.
“Although we lost, I thought we played very well,” Nakagawa said. “We played the best that we could have.”
More to his liking was the win over Aiea, a signature triumph in that it neatly summarized his team’s ability to perform with poise under pressure. Scoreless through regulation, the teams failed to tally in overtime before the game was decided in a shoot-out.
“Three things have contributed to our success this year: No. 1, we have great assistant coaches; No. 2, our ‘team play’ has really come together, and the kids have put aside personal glory for the good of the team; No. 3, our emphasis this year on fundamentals and basics has helped. It’s been a combination of those three things, and the game with Aiea really showcased this.
“Even in the shoot-out,which you think of as being individual, there’s a camaraderie.The boys picked each other, and there was a feeling that we could do this together. It’s tough to go through zero-zero.Any score (by either team), and that’s it.”
The Mustangs are akin to a rock group without a front man,but their “nameless” lineup is balanced and has produced results on the field. “Everyone has contributed,” Nakagawa said. “Our team play begins with our reserves. They work hard in practice to help make the team better.”
While Kalaheo was to learn of its opponent late Sunday afternoon,giving Nakagawa and his staff two days to game-plan for their first-round game, the emphasis is all on his own team as they get ready. Part of their diligence on defense has been their play in conversion and in possession of the ball, offensively.
“Our best approach is to play our own game the best that we can. Two aspects that have helped us are ball control combined with really, really good defense. But we need to be prepared in all aspects the best that we can. When you get to the state tournament, anything can happen. Every team is excellent, and they’re also playing their best soccer of the year to be there.
“Our mantra all year has been that while we can’t guarantee the outcome, the one thing we can guarantee is our effort in practice and in games. We have to capitalize on our strengths.”
The soccer championships will run Wednesday-Saturday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
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