[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
Rematch of football
final is set
It's official.
A rematch of last year's Division I state football championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 28 at Aloha Stadium.
The showdown pits defending state champion Kahuku against Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Saint Louis -- the team the Red Raiders beat 27-26 in the final minute for the Division I title last November.
The game is one of 14 interleague, early-season games featuring both Oahu Interscholastic Association and ILH teams over three weekends, according to OIA football coordinator Richard Townsend.
It is also part of a powerhouse doubleheader at the stadium. In the early game, OIA runner-up Kailua meets ILH second-place finisher Kamehameha.
Four OIA-ILH games are set for Aug. 27, including Farrington at Punahou in the renewal of an old rivalry when both teams competed in the ILH more than 30 years ago.
The three others are McKinley at Iolani, Castle vs. Damien, and Kaimuki vs. Pac-Five.
"We think these games are going to be very good and we think they'll do very well (at the gate)," Townsend said. "It's a step forward."
In the recent past, the football competition between the two leagues was relegated to a few preseason contests and state-tournament games.
Townsend said some minor changes may be made to the interleague schedule and some final details (including sites and times) are still being worked on.
On the following weekend (Sept. 3-4), six more interleague games are on tap, including another Aloha Stadium doubleheader -- Kapolei vs. Saint Louis along with Waianae vs. Kamehameha -- on Friday, Sept. 3.
The Saturday, Sept. 4 games are Punahou at Mililani, Damien at Nanakuli, Iolani at Pearl City, and Pac-Five at defending Division II state champion Aiea.
The final two interleague games are Pac-Five at Leilehua and Damien at Roosevelt, on Saturday, Sept. 11.
"We hope people don't think these interleague games are going to be in football only," Townsend said. "We also plan to do it in a lot of other sports and we'll be sitting down with Don Botelho (ILH executive director) and other ILH officials to work on it in the near future."