No. 4 Iolani torches Moanalua to advance


ScoringLive staff
February 12, 2018, 9:09pm

Iolani's Jonah Kawamura (right) heads the ball in for a goal in the 49th minute. Spencer Honda | SL

The Raiders remained red hot by extending their unbeaten streak to 11 games as they got back on the winning side after torching Moanalua, 4-0, Monday afternoon at Eddie Hamada Field at Kozuki Stadium in opening round play of The Queen's Medical Center/HHSAA Hawaii Boys Soccer State Championships.

It was the fourth-ranked team's first win since Jan. 24 after having finished the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season with a pair of draws to Kamehameha (2-2) and PAC-5 (4-4).

Iolani (9-2-2) twice bunched a pair of goals together: first, at the nine-minute mark with a Brandon Simon goal. A minute later, Cole Motooka followed up to net another goal to go up, 2-0.

Coming out of halftime, Motooka again hit one in to extend the Raiders' lead. Alexander Liu drove down the left side of the field before dropping it back to Jarin Simon who tipped it to Motooka for a score from just beyond 18 yards.

Five minutes later, Jarin Simon footed a pass from about 40 yards out toward the penalty area where Jonah Kawamura headed it in for the final goal of the match.

Iolani advances to take on two-time defending Division II state champion Hawaii Prep. Ka Makani made the move to Division I and finished a perfect 12-0 to claim the Big Island Interscholastic Federation D1 title.

The two teams will play Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex Main Stadium, with the victor facing off with the winner of No. 2 Kalani and King Kekaulike — who defeated Pearl City, 2-1, on Monday.

Raiders are chasing their 10th koa trophy after last winning it all in 2014.

Moanalua made its return to the state tournament after missing out last season. In Na Menehune's last appearance, they lost to Kaiser, 5-3, in the opening round in 2016.

Na Menehune finished their season at 8-5-2.