The season isn’t over quite yet for reigning four-time Hawaii top-tier state champion Saint Louis.
The Crusaders will play in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series on Dec. 21 or 22 in Las Vegas against an opponent that has yet to be determined.
Glenn Medeiros, the school president, is excited that the Crusaders are getting the opportunity.
“Our plan is to go, and we as a team, we’ve gotten together and we’re having our final conversations (with organizers) this morning,” Medeiros said. “We didn’t know (until Friday night) for sure that we were going to win the state championship.”
Saint Louis completed a 12-0 season, winning its 38th game in a row, 45-6 over Kahuku on Friday at Aloha Stadium in the Open Division final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
The bowl will be paying a lot of the team’s expenses, although specifics are still being worked out.
The Crusaders will be one of four teams in the bowl series as part of a doubleheader broadcast on ESPNU. The other teams — three more state champions — are unknown at this point, although multiple sources have confirmed the Crusaders’ likely opponent is St. Thomas Aquinas, a school in Florida. The Raiders haven’t finished their season yet. They play for the Florida 7A state title on Dec. 14.
“I think their hope is to get the four best teams (in the nation) together,” Medeiros said.
The Crusaders are ranked No. 7 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and USA Today Super 25 this week, falling one spot from No. 6. St. Thomas Aquinas is ranked No. 2 by USA Today and No. 5 by MaxPreps.
Saint Louis nearly played in the same bowl series a year ago before deciding against it.
“Last year was a team decision made between the coaches and myself to not go,” Medeiros said. “There were some that were happy and others who were not. In this particular case (this year), we’ve had a chance to talk about it in detail for a long time. We feel the best thing to do this year is to actually go.”
Medeiros is not sure how many Saint Louis athletes will go. Some may have other commitments. Others may be injured.
“We do think this is going to be a great opportunity for the students and I’m looking forward to being a part of it,” he said. “I’ve always believed that traveling is a good thing for kids from Hawaii, so you can see the outside world and see what it’s like. So many of our kids don’t have a chance to do that.”
Jordan Botelho, a Saint Louis linebacker and Notre Dame commit who will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 4, said during his All-American jersey presentation at the school Monday: “We have one more game left and we’re going to win that one, too.”
Botelho, the only player from Hawaii selected for the all-star game, was a big part of the Crusaders’ victory over Kahuku on Friday, finishing with 61⁄2 tackles and
11⁄2 sacks.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played at the Alamodome on Jan. 4 and will be televised on NBC.
Botelho, a four-star recruit, has 22 Division I offers, including from Ohio State, USC and Washington, but has committed to Notre Dame.
“It’s something great,” Botelho said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about being in since I was a little kid and it coming true is something special. It just shows that if you put hard work into it, then anything is possible. I’m just very thankful for this opportunity.”