The Mililani boys soccer team on Thursday went down to the wire for the first time this season, but the Trojans are moving on.
Ethan Funtanilla scored late in the first half and Kai Martin had a goal early in the second as No. 2 seed Mililani beat King Kekaulike 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Boys Division I State Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
“We had to work hard for it. King K was a strong team. They made us work for everything,” said Mililani coach Steve McGehee, whose team had outscored their opponents 89-1 entering the game.
The Trojans’ closest game previously was a 2-0 win over Campbell in the OIA title game Jan. 27.
Mililani (14-0-0) will face Punahou in today’s semifinals at 5 p.m. at Waipio’s main stadium.
“We’re just keeping our heads straight,” Funtanilla said. “We can’t get too cocky, we have to play our game. We have to do our job, our part, and I think we’ll pull it off this year.”
Funtanilla scored on a rebound of his own shot in the 37th minute.
“The ball was just going to the keeper and there was a little rebound, a little deflection, and I initially just tried to head it all the way in, but it didn’t make it,” he said. “The defender intercepted it and I just came in for the second and just tapped it in.”
In the 46th, Martin received a long ball from Maumausolo Uiagalelei on the left side, dribbled in on goal and scored.
Skyler Vail pulled off an effective dummy by making it look like he was going to head Uiagalelei’s pass. The ball sailed right over him and hit Martin in stride.”
“Mau gave me a good ball,” Martin said. “My striker, Sky, let the ball go and I just put the ball in.”
Na Alii answered quickly in the 47th on an indirect free kick from Rex Riecke to Elias “Bubba” Emmanuel from 15 yards out.
“They did a good job of being technical in that area,” King Kekaulike coach Tye Perdido said. “It was pretty close to the goal line and they had all their guys back, so we had to be specific with where we were going to put the ball and they were able to finish clinically in that spot.”
McGehee said: “Unfortunately, we didn’t defend it very well.”
King Kekaulike (10-3-1) was awarded the foul when Mililani goalkeeper Maddox Flanders handled the ball in the penalty box on a back pass off a teammate’s foot.
The Trojans got the better of possession in the first half, managing three shots on goal to zero for Na Alii.
Mililani nearly scored in the 28th when Derek Wurlitzer’s free kick from 30 yards was saved by King Kekaulike goalkeeper Corey Swatek, who leaped and punched the ball over the crossbar.
The teams played on even terms in the second half.
Na Alii nearly got the equalizer a couple of times in the final minutes.
Rex Riecke dribbled down the left side and crossed to Lai Green Abafo, who sent a shot over the crossbar in the 74th.
In the 79th, Lorenzo Gonzalez took a shot from in close off Emmanuel’s free kick, but Mililani’s Flanders smothered the ball.
“The boys played hard,” Perdido said of his team. “They were kind of scraping toward the end. We almost got a couple back that we should have put away, but I can’t fault them for that.”
Baldwin 2, Kalani 1
The Bears conjured up some final-minute magic courtesy of Guiness Ruiz Rockett.
Ruiz Rockett scored on a header in the 80th and final minute off a cross from Kanata Kuwahara for Baldwin.
“We were swinging the ball around, we get it wide to Kanata and he just picks out the perfect pass straight to my head,” Ruiz Rockett said.
The Falcons scored first on Koa Close’s goal in the 35th.
Baldwin tied it at 1-1 on Jordan Carbonell’s header goal off a corner kick by Brayden Barbosa in the 46th.
“They’re experienced and they know how to stay in the games and push through. You just let them go,” Baldwin coach Kaniela Palazzotto said.
Punahou 4, Waiakea 1
Isaiah Kutaka (20:00) and Jack Maretzki (24:00) scored in the first half, and Jedidiah Griffin (46:00) and William Ruotola (58:00) had goals in the second for the Buffanblu.
The Warriors’ Aziah Nelson scored in the 53rd.
