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Lahainaluna football coach proud of the team’s seniors and their dedication

By BY WALTER CHIHARA - | Dec 23, 2021

LAHAINA — The discipline, perseverance and team ethics are clearly manifested in the illustrious history of the Lahainaluna High School football program.

Four-time Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II champions, 11 consecutive Maui Interscholastic League titles and a 33-game winning streak all point to this sterling example of athletic accomplishment.

So, despite the pandemic roller coaster of cancellations and restrictions, the Lunas have carried on. The 2020 season was a complete wash, and the 2021 campaign saw Lahainaluna move up to the Division I category.

The final results were yet to be determined at press time, but the Lunas did move into the state playoffs with an abbreviated 6-0 record and the MIL D-I title.

This championship run once again illustrated the value of the steadfast leadership of the Lunas’ roster, and particularly the seniors on the team. Noah Arase, Anatello Flores, C-Jay Caguioa, Dylan Kawaiaea, E’leku Palakiko, Koliniasi Latu, Blare Sylva-Viela, Christian Clarion, Shaun Kana, Sare Latu, Kaeouli Julian and Tongi Tauese all played vital roles in the team’s success this season, and for the most part, throughout the previous three years as well.

The gridiron dreams of the Luna players begin in the youthful years of Pop Warner football and then on to the Big Boys program of the intermediate school age group. Here on the West Side, the Lahainaluna coaching staff mentors the Big Boys team that competes in the spring.

The prospective Luna players are also tuned into the off-season weight training program at the high school. Particularly in the summer months, all of the student-athletes are encouraged to take part in the conditioning sessions at the state-of-the-art facility on the Lahainaluna campus.

So, it is a simple formula of steadfast direction and the buy-in of the young athletes to the Luna way. It is a pathway to success that in no small way can be attributed to the leadership of every senior class of the Lahainaluna football team.

Co-head Coach Dean Rickard said, “We’re very proud of our 12 seniors and how far they’ve come this season by winning the MIL D-I title and securing their chance to play for another state championship, especially considering all the adversity and roadblocks they’ve faced during this pandemic season. We believe that years from now, they will look back and realize the importance of this accomplishment, and that no matter what happens in the state playoffs, the fact that they were able to play and succeed after a whole year off is a testament to their hard work, commitment and dedication.”

“As long as they carry that type of mind set into anything they do throughout life, their chances to succeed will certainly be within their reach. We wish them all the best moving forward and appreciate all they’ve done this season — and throughout the years — for the Lahainaluna football program,” concluded Coach Rickard.