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WAIPAHU - Valentino Quijano-Moeckel scored in the 72nd minute to lift Honoka'a to a 1-0 win over Kapa'a in the title game of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II Boys Soccer State Championships Saturday.

The Dragons successfully defended their state title from a year ago and completed the season with a 19-0 record before a crowd of about 500 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

"It's the best feeling in the world, I can't describe it, there's nothing better, it's what you dream of," said Quijano-Moeckel, a junior midfielder. "It was a good rematch, but both teams had new faces, so it's different from last year's title."

The top-seeded Dragons controlled most of the match and took 23 shots to Kapa'a's five on goal.

"These boys, most of them came back from last year and it's different coaching a front-runner - they've been the favored team in almost every match they've entered - but they never stopped, they're relentless and my hat goes off to a determined bunch of young men," said Honoka'a head coach Maurice Miranda. "We told them that we're not going to change anything, we're just going to keep coming at them and see if they  break and we got one and I figured that one would be enough."

The Dragons used long throw-ins and quick, short passes to dissect the Warriors' defense. Kapa'a goalie Shane Nishioka-Healy was kept busy all night as he recorded eight saves. Honoka'a also had 12 corner kicks to Kapa'a's zero. Despite the statistical imbalance, the game was knotted at a scoreless tie at halftime.

"Coach told us to calm down, keep it on the ground and we knew that the goal would come," said Quijano-Moeckel, who has four goals on the season.

The lone goal began with a long throw-in that found the 6-yard goalie box. It was batted around for a while before Quijano-Moeckel blasted a right-footed shot to the right of the goalie from about 10 yards out.

The game was a rematch of last year's state championship, which Honoka'a won, 4-1. over Kapa'a, the tournament's no. 2 seed, and was the Dragons third consecutive appearance in the state title match. The Warriors, who won the Kauai Interscholastic Federation and finished with a record of 11-2-2, captured the 2009 state crown.

"At the beginning of the season, we saw it as a rebuilding year, so to get to this point, we're definitely pleased," Kapa'a coach Kevin Cram said. "We knew (Honoka'a) was going to come at us, we knew we were playing a better team and our goal was to give them a good match and I think we did that."

Both teams earned a first-round bye in the 12-team tournament. Honoka'a beat Castle and Mid-Pacific en route to the final while Kapa'a defeated Makua Lani and Christian Liberty in earlier rounds.


Division II All-Tournament Team (selected by HHSAA staff)

F � Kekahu Aluli, Kahuku
F � Nakaya Kerr, Christian Liberty
F � Elijah Lingenfelder, Makua Lani
F � Justin Warren, Honoka'a
M � Robert Connors, Honoka'a
M � John Hyland, Mid-Pacific
M � Chayce Moniz, Honoka'a
M � Florian Steundel, Kahuku
D � Alden Aguirre, Honoka'a
D � Tyler Shiramizu, Kapa'a
GK � Shane Nishioka-Healy, Kapa'a

Most Outstanding Player: Robert Connors, Honoka�a