Throughout the decades, the Lahainaluna High School football program has represented the integrity of sportsmanship, self-sacrifice, discipline, dedication and unwavering effort.

The 2018 Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II State Championship victory thus becomes an extension and an expansion of the rock solid pathway set down on the sun-baked campus throughout those decades by a long line of coaches/mentors.

In Lahainaluna football there is no number “1,” there is no star player, there are no individual standouts – there is only TEAM. It is clich, but at Lahainaluna, it is the truth. And the insistence of the coaching staff to maintain this mantra of unity and self-sacrifice has led to an undeniable level of success not only on the gridiron but in the game of life itself.

Notice on game day that the players stand throughout the contest, helmets on, uniforms – including shoes – all the same, worn the same. It is difficult to recall an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called against a Luna player. And most are unaware of the year-round dedication of the players and coaches in the early morning weight lifting training, speed and quickness conditioning, and summer practice sessions.

Add to this the academic success of the entire 2018 squad led by 30 student-athletes who earned Honor Roll recognition for grade point averages of 3.0 or better, with four of the players at 4.0 or higher.

The beauty here is that, through their experience in the Lahainaluna football program, these impressionable 14- to 18-year-old boys and girls will carry this invaluable learning experience throughout the rest of their lives. They grow on to live a life of consideration of others before themselves – of courtesy and maximum effort in all that they do.

It is no small wonder that the West Side community continues to be enriched with our younger generations strengthened in spirit in this way. It is a joyous and heart-warming comfort to know that these are the leaders of the future.

The tradition continues… (By Walter Chihara)