Homecoming brings hope, community to Lahaina after Hawaii wildfire

By James On Oct 23, 2023

Red-clad fans poured into the Lahainaluna High School football stadium, snacking on nachos and deer chili, dancing to the high school band’s rendition of “Sweet Caroline,” and exchanging long hugs with neighbors and classmates.

It was a homecoming, and for many fans, coaches and players themselves, being back in the stadium was the closest they’ve come to feeling at home since the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century razed their city.

“I don’t know if I can put into words how much it means to Lahaina,” said offensive lineman Morgan “Bula” Montgomery, who has lived with his family in three different hotels since their apartment complex burned down. “If you just look out into the stands, you see all the old-timers coming out, all the alumni and even the little kids – just all excited, waiting for that first photo.”

Classes resumed last week at Lahainaluna High and the two other public schools that survived the Aug. 8 fire, and on Saturday evening, Lahainaluna’s varsity and junior varsity football teams played their first home games, both therapeutic victories, giving the community a got a glimpse of confidence. hope amid a tragedy that claimed at least 99 lives.

Tickets for the homecoming at the 3,000-capacity stadium sold out in seven minutes, director Richard Carosso said — an indication of how much the community needed it.

Located on a hill, the school takes its name from its location overlooking historic Lahaina: ‘Luna’ means ‘above’ in Hawaiian.
Before the fire, fans in the stadium could see the lights twinkling from the neighborhoods below. Now, as soon as the sun sets, there is darkness.

When Mary-Ann Kobatake arrived at the stadium to cheer on her son, No. 33 James Lukela-Kobatake, she refused to look at the destroyed city, where her own home was among the 2,200 buildings on fire.

“I don’t like looking there,” she said in Hawaii Pidgin, spoken by many in the crowd.

But being back on campus was comforting for the 1993 Lahainaluna graduate: “We still have a place to call home,” she said.
It was also for Heather Filikitonga. A 2001 graduate and mother of a JV player, she could see the gutted remains of her apartment building from the stands.

“If they can get on the field and find some normalcy in their lives,” she said of the players, “then I can do the same.”

Like high school football in other small-town America, Lahainaluna’s strong program is a source of pride. It won four state titles between 2016 and 2019. It’s an equalizer for kids from different backgrounds and something to do in a coastal town where country reggae blares from lifted pickup trucks.

“Young boys dream of one day wearing red and white and representing Lahainaluna,” said Keith Amemiya, a Honolulu bank executive who is leading the Luna Strong fundraising campaign for the 450 student-athletes and coaches whose homes have been destroyed.

Tevainui Loft, a 17-year-old tight end and linebacker, grew up watching Lahainaluna football in the stands overlooking his hometown. The games were always full. “I remember being in sixth grade – the best times of my life,” he said.

A few days before donning his No. 9 uniform for the home game, he reflected on the new view from the field.

“I’ve been practicing the last couple days, just looking to the side, like looking at the water breaks, just looking at Lahaina — everything was just gone,” he said. “I find it so strange that it’s all gone.”

His mother’s house burned down, but his father’s house, far away from the fire zone, survived. He aspires to play Division I college football, and he was heartbroken at the possibility of the season being canceled. “If there was no season, I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself,” he said.

Mr. Amemiya knows the Lahainaluna football program well, having attended many coaches-hosted parties over the years and was in charge of high school sports in Hawaii from 1998 to 2010. He urged coaches not to cancel the season.

“If they could somehow have a football season, it would serve as an inspiration and rallying point for the entire community,” he said. “In times of tragedy, sports can have a healing effect, not only for the community, but also for the players and coaches.”

After the fire, “football was the furthest thing from my mind,” said Garret Tihada, one of the coaches, a 1987 Lahainaluna graduate. The house he grew up in burned down.

But a few days later he received a call from Mr. Amemiya. Mr. Tihada started talking to players, fellow coaches and community members: “They said, ‘We need football back. We need something to look forward to. ”

The teams soon resumed practices, first at a gym in Kahului and later at a park in Kihei, the community about 45 minutes away where high school students took classes during Lahainaluna’s closure.

Offensive lineman Bula Montgomery said it was difficult watching his mother, Tamara Montgomery, navigate the devastating fire alone with four children. His father died in 2019. But knowing that most of his teammates are dealing with similar circumstances has helped: “It doesn’t feel like I’m alone in this.”

Bula is unsure about his plans after high school. He would like to play football or wrestle in college. He is considering the University of Hawaii’s offer to give every Lahainaluna senior a full scholarship.

Before the match, Pastor Ai Hironaka looked at the ruins of the city from the stands.

“The players will fill the ‘puka’ of the heart, he said, using a Hawaiian word for ‘hole’.

Watching the junior varsity team beat Baldwin High School 16-10 and then win his son’s varsity team 28-7 helped Mr. Hironaka forget for hours that he had left his home and the Japanese Buddhist temple where he was the local preacher , had lost.

After the homecoming court halftime presentation, freshman Princess Precious Pante joined her friends in a vibrant student section, dressed in her lavender dress and tiara.