KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — Colton and Cody Sadler arrived on Okinawa from San Diego last summer intent on restoring Kubasaki’s boys soccer team to the Far East Class AA title it last won in 2002.

They accomplished just that on Friday, teaming up for the match’s only goal in the third overtime as the Dragons dethroned defending champion Christian Academy in Japan 1-0 at Kadena High School’s Lower Field.

"The Sadlers rode us to victory today," coach Chris Kelly said of the brothers, who combined for six goals during Far East. "If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be where we are. Hats off to them. They helped us out and played big for us this year."

The Sadlers, who transferred from Fallbrook High near San Diego, helped boost Kubasaki to eight wins after the Dragons entered Far East 4-10. The Knights went 7-1 in the tournament.

It was the third time the Dragons won the Class AA championship but the first since 2002.

"We played a great team in CAJ," Kelly said of Friday’s showdown. "We feel fortunate to come out on top. It was a slugfest between two championship fighters."

Those two fighters from the start put the clamps on the shooters who served as each team’s bread and butter.

CAJ’s defense locked down on Dragons junior Jacob Hess, who earned tournament MVP honors with 12 goals at Far East, while Kubasaki put junior defender David Krievs on Leo Kobayashi, with nine tallies.

"We were very fortunate to limit what he [Kobayashi] could do," Kelly said. "Krievs came through. He’s an athlete and has a will to win. He knew his job and stuck with it the entire game."

CAJ pressed the action in the first half, getting six chances to three for Kubasaki. Fortunes reversed in the second half, but neither team could break the ice, not through regular time or even through two extra-time periods of 10 minutes each.

That led to the third tiebreaker, two five-minute periods featuring "golden goal," or sudden-death finish.

Four minutes into the "golden goal" period, the Knights were whistled for a violation, and Colton Sadler, a senior fullback, lined up to kick the ball from 40 yards out.

The kick found his junior brother Cody, a junior midfielder, just in front of the goalkeeper box, and he headed it into the net, ending the longest championship match without a penalty-kick shootout in Class AA Tournament history.

"We were able to sneak one into the corner," Kelly said.

"It was a fantastic game," CAJ coach Sean Collier said. "One of the best I’ve ever seen. They left it all on the field. I’m proud of them. They gave 110 percent. Nothing to hang their heads about."

Migrated