Ally Tamayose never got to play for Pearl City High School's girls soccer team, but to those close to the team, she remains one of the most revered Chargers in program history.
Tamayose was in middle school when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer, in her left femur. After a brave five-year battle, she passed away on Jan. 29, 2023. She was 16 and midway through her junior year at Pearl City.
Before her diagnosis, Tamayose was a promising soccer talent who simply loved playing the sport with her friends on the youth circuit. Her parents, mother Dayle and father Tory, as well as her sister, Keely, will never forget the support she received over the course of her battle with cancer.
"When she was diagnosed, she had to stop playing soccer. But the soccer community was fantastic, just very supportive," Dayle Tamayose told Aloha State Daily. "Our family and all her friends played soccer. Those were all the people that we hung out with. She never played in high school, but the Pearl City community, the soccer community, the support was very overwhelming."
Pearl City retired jersey No. 40 in honor of Ally Tamayose. The program, led by head coach Eric Arakawa, continues to honor her with a preseason soccer invitational, where T-shirts are sold and the proceeds go towards a different charity each year.
"Having this preseason tournament in memory of her, we thought it might be a great way to honor her and her memory," Arakawa said. "Ally is important to our girls."
In last year's Ally Tamayose Invitational Tournament, over $1,000 was raised towards Kapiolani Medical Center, which Dayle Tamayose says was "one of Ally's favorite charities that really helped us during our time." Her family continues to support the fight against cancer through the Facebook page they created chronicling Ally's journey.
The third edition of the Ally Tamayose Invitational Tournament, which included Pearl City, Castle, Kamehameha, Kalani, Mililani and Punahou, concluded on Saturday.
The Chargers defeated Castle 4-1 in their final match on Saturday. One of the team's catalysts is Keely Tamayose, a sophomore midfielder. "She's like our Energizer Bunny," Arakawa says of her.
Keely Tamayose, who has been on the varsity team since her freshman year, balances her relentless energy on the field with wisdom beyond her years off of it. She does her best to honor her sister each time she steps on the pitch, one of many Chargers who sports a yellow ribbon in her hair, a worldwide symbol of support for cancer patients and victims.
"I feel like it's a great opportunity to honor my sister, especially since she loved the game of soccer," Keely Tamayose said of the tournament. "I feel really honored to be able to play in this tournament under my sister's name and be able to play for her, as well as Pearl City High School. I feel very grateful and thankful that I get to do this with my team, and I'm able to honor my sister in such a great, memorable way."
While Keely Tamayose began playing soccer because of her sister, the sport has also been there for her to navigate the times without her.
"I definitely grew up with my sister playing soccer. I just wanted to follow her footsteps," Keely Tamayose said. "My sister is definitely my role model. ... Soccer has definitely been a support system that I've always relied on before my sister passed away. I have so much great relationships through friends and coaches, and I'm just really grateful. Soccer has really been there as a backbone for me to just rely on, and I always have someone that's there for me in soccer, so I'm really grateful to have soccer as a staple in my life."
Proceeds from T-shirt sales for the 2025 tournament went towards Assistance Dogs of Hawai‘i.
"Assistance Dogs of Hawai‘i would bring their therapy dog into where my sister was getting treatment, and it was just a great way for my sister to find a source of like comfort, because Ally really loved dogs," Keely Tamayose said. "We were really just super grateful for all that they have done for our family."
As the season progresses, the ultimate goal for Pearl City's soccer team is a state championship, a feat the Chargers most recently accomplished in 2016. All the while, Ally Tamayose's legacy will continue to live on with the team.
"There are a lot of foundations and organizations out there that support osteosarcoma and other types of cancer, so people can just spread awareness and donate to those awesome organizations who are trying to find a cure for cancer. That would be awesome," Keely Tamayose said.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
