It might be time to do a story on the magic soccer elixir in Pearl City. For the past few years, there have been new Chargers breakout stars and it all came together this year under the guidance of coach Frank Baumholtz III.
It helped to have the latest sensation, Sunshine Fontes, a freshman offensive force who was voted by coaches from around the state as the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s player of the year.
To the winners go the spoils, and such was the case for Division I state champion Pearl City, which placed five players on the Star-Advertiser’s Stellar Eleven. The others are speedy sophomore striker Daelenn Tokunaga, junior midfielder Randi Fontes, fullback Bree Fuller and senior goalkeeper Sydney Young. In addition, Baumholtz was chosen as coach of the year.
Sunshine Fontes is the first freshman — boy or girl — to win the top soccer honor, and the way things are going for Pearl City, there may be more like her coming up the line. Two years ago, Randi Fontes, Sunshine’s sister, broke on to the scene as a freshman and was an immediate presence and offensive threat. Last year, Tokunaga showed her potential, and she really flourished this year with 26 goals, topped only by Fontes’ 29. Previously, Tokunaga was the choice as the Oahu Interscholastic Association West player of the year.
Baumholtz jokingly said that Sunshine — whose nickname is Moonbeam and who is a member of the U.S. 15-and-under national team — is so successful because Randi was a “tyrant” while giving her little sister instruction when they were younger.
“I asked their mother if Randi pushed Sunshine when she was little, and she said, ‘Randi put cones around and made Sunshine dribble around them,’ ” Baumholtz said. “She was like a coach driving her little sister to dribble with her right foot and her left foot. I told her, ‘That’s a good thing. It means you wanted her to compete against you and now she’s competing with you and that’s what makes it so beautiful. ’ ”
That pipeline of players who fit right into the Pearl City starting lineup also includes Fuller, another freshman, and sophomore midfielder Brittny Ihara, who was selected as an All-State honorable mention. Fuller was a defensive leader along with All-State second-team pick Nahenahe Damas in front of Young, who, according to Baumholtz, was the most improved player on the team.
“It was a great feeling to win the state championship because we got to put Pearl City on the list again for the first time since the 1990s (1997),” Sunshine Fontes said.
There were three repeat Stellar Eleven selections, including Mililani senior forward Tia Furuta (20 goals), who was the Player of the Year last season. The others are ‘Iolani defensive leader Rachel Bowler and Punahou shutdown defender Kailey Totherow.
Three ball-distributing junior midfielders who also pack a punch on opposing defenses with their offensive abilities round out the Stellar Eleven — ‘Iolani’s Kylie Kim-Bustillos, Punahou’s True Dydasco and Baldwin’s Skylar Littlefield, the only neighbor island player to crack the first team.
STELLAR ELEVEN
Strikers
Sunshine Fontes, Pearl City, Fr.
Tia Furuta, Mililani, Sr.
Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City, So.
Midfielders
Kylee Kim-Bustillos, ‘Iolani, Jr.
Skylar Littlefield, Baldwin, Jr.
True Dydasco, Punahou, Jr.
Randi Fontes, Pearl City, Jr.
Fullbacks
Rachel Bowler, ‘Iolani, Sr.
Bree Fuller, Pearl City, Fr.
Kailey Totherow, Punahou, Sr.
Goalkeeper
Sydney Young, Pearl City, Sr.
SECOND ELEVEN
Strikers
Kailana Kaeo, Mililani, Sr.
Quinn Williams, KS-Maui, Sr.
Tatum Kauka, Kamehameha, So.
Kaui Taylor, Hawaii Prep, Sr.
Midfielders
Marlie Mandaguit, Hawaii Prep, Sr.
Chardonnay Curran, Campbell, Jr.
Aliani Lorenzo, Campbell, Sr.
Kainoa Dafun, Baldwin, So.
Fullbacks
Kylie Minamishin, Kamehameha, So.
Nahenahe Damas, Pearl City, Sr.
Goalkeeper
Katie Yuu, ‘Iolani, Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Baldwin—Piilani Chaves, Jr.
Kaylcie Leiana Gaoiran, So.
Malie Kuia, Fr.
Kacy Lyn Navarro-Laumatia, Jr.
Castle—Ciana Rivera, So.
Hawaii Prep—Emi
Higgins, Fr.
Kaiser—Tommi
Hintnaus, Jr.
Kamehameha—Laulea Akana-Phillips, Jr.
D’awncey Jones-Black, Fr.
Alisha Kahele-Manners, Sr.
Kamehameha-Hawaii—Kekailani Wong Yuen, Sr.
Konawaena—Taiana Tolleson, Sr.
Mililani—Mariko Bebb, Sr.
Kasey Isobe, Sr.
Jodi Lillie, So.
Jayna Morikawa, Sr.
Taylee Miyamura, Sr.
Malia Napoleon, Jr.
Pearl City—Brittny Ihara, So.
Kylie Wong, Sr.
Punahou—Aaliyah Fesili, Sr.
Kaile Halvorsen, So.
