HONOLULU (KHON2) — Four weeks, that’s how long many Lahainaluna High School students sat idle waiting for the Hawaii Department of Education to decide their fate.
Now that the HIDOE officially announced Sept. 14 as the start date at Kulanihakoi High School there are some mixed feelings.
“That’s really weird. I never really moved schools and stuff but this is just really different,” said Morgan Bula Montgomery, senior Lahainaluna football player.
“Yeah, I feel excited to go back. Got to learn something new. Excited to learn something,” said Simione Olakuatu, Lahainaluna junior.
While they won’t be able to return to their home campus here in Lahaina for at least another month, it still gives them a chance to bring the community back together through football.
“It means a lot to us,” said Olakuatu. “Cause we come here with pride from where we’re from and we’re happy to finally have a chance to show off our talent.”
“Super excited very very excited for the season,” said Montgomery.
“This is the generation that’s going to bring our community together cause I hear the division I see the division in our own Lahaina Community but once we get our boys on the field our communities going to be one again,” said parent Tamara Montgomery.
The team has been working out unofficially for 3 weeks of conditioning — and getting ready to represent their community.
The depth of their voices and the game is more important now than ever.
It’s more like lifting, and once you get on that field under the lights, stare out at the crowd and see you’re on the motor everything just goes quiet and disappears.
“You look at them today at least for the time here it takes the burden,” said Dean Rickard, Co-head coach of Lahainaluna Football. “Of having to concentrate on what’s happening in Lahaina 3:24 sharing that camaraderie and pursuing g their initial goals.”
For parents like Tamara, it’s a sigh of relief. A sign of hope.
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Lahainaluna’s first game is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 at War Memorial Stadium.
