STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Lahainaluna head coach Dean Rickard looks on during a game in 2021.
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For now, hope is restored for the Lahainaluna football team.
The Maui Interscholastic League announced on Friday that the Lunas would begin their game schedule on Sept. 30. The challenges are almost infinite for a program that has no place yet to practice. The campus was not affected adversely by the recent catastrophic wildfire in Lahaina, but the school has not reopened.
“Although we don’t have an official start date yet for when school will open, at least we now know for sure that we are scheduled to play on Sept. 30 against Baldwin which is welcomed news for our student-athletes,” co-head coach Dean Rickard wrote via text message.
Lahainaluna is a perennial powerhouse in the MIL and a regular in the state championships. But now they may have to get used to becoming road warriors.
“Our athletic director is currently in the process of securing a practice site. We are also making arrangements to have equipment and supplies ready to transport, as well as obtaining storage containers to store it in so that once school is opened, we’ll be ready to go,” Rickard said.
Many players’ families lost homes and/or were relocated because of the disaster.
“Of course, the hurt and pain is still there and the devastation still (ingrained) in everyone’s mind. Every day is an emotional roller coaster, but at the same time, it’s the kids themselves that have the desire to get back on the field with the full support of their families and this community,” Rickard said. “This is a testament to our community’s resilience that we will push forward and rise up stronger than ever.”
