Local News

Lahainaluna and Paradise come together in Unity Bowl

Lahainaluna hosted Paradise High School of California on Saturday at Sue D. Cooley Stadium in the Unity Bowl, a football game that represented more than the final score for two communities linked by tragedy.

With about 1,900 people in attendance, the Lunas earned their first victory of the season, defeating Paradise 27-21 as players, school leaders and community members came together in a show of hope and resilience after wildfires devastated both communities.

Driven by powerful winds amid drought conditions, the 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures in Paradise and surrounding Butte County. Five years later, on Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina was devastated by a wildfire that destroyed much of the town and killed 102 people.

The Unity Bowl grew from a vision shared more than a year ago by Paradise athletic director Jerry Cleek, longtime Punahou athletic director Doug Bennett and Lahainaluna athletic director Jonathan Conrad to use high school football as a bridge for mutual healing.

"I think it's been a really interesting week. It's brought up a lot of emotions from three years ago, but I think meeting their administrators, meeting their coaches, our kids meeting their kids, I think it really helped us to heal and showed us that it's gonna be OK and communities can get better and can be resilient," Lahainaluna Principal Richard Carosso said. "And I think it did a lot for us as a school and for us as a community. And through football, one of Lahainaluna's favorite things, I think it was extra special."

For Lahainaluna team captain Ma'a Tevaga, the game carried special meaning. The 2023 wildfire happened the day before he was to begin his freshman year. The fire destroyed his family's home and forced them to relocate to Utah.

Tevaga played football at Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, but returned to Lahainaluna, following in the footsteps of his father, who also played for the Lunas.

"Ours is more recent than theirs, but I think that just having unity and being able to, after the game, share stories with each other and how we got through it, and kind of just representing our town, it's a really, really big thing," said Tevaga, now a senior.

"I repped Lahaina as hard as I could, and let the world know where we’re from," he added. "The biggest thing that I think we can get from this is kōkua aku, kōkua mai. It's an old Hawaiian saying that says, 'We help you, you help us and we can grow together.'"

Among those attending the game were U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.

In a video Hirono recorded with U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California that was played before the game, the two spoke about the importance of learning from each other through the tragedies.

"We realized that football and sports and community heals and so that’s really what this football game is about -- is bringing these students and athletes together, and learning from each other, and sharing hope, and sharing stories, and making friends for life," said Christy Voigt, co-principal of Paradise.

In the game, Paradise scored first when quarterback Cannon Baker connected with freshman Zeke Gibson for a 57-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The extra point gave Paradise a 7-0 lead.

Lahainaluna drove into Paradise territory on the ensuing possession, aided by a 15-yard run from Analu Kala-Abrego and a 13-yard run from Stylez Sa. However, Paradise ended the threat by intercepting a Lahainaluna pass at the Paradise 3.

Paradise went three-and-out, and a bad snap on the ensuing punt attempt gave Lahainaluna the ball at the Paradise 5. Kanoa Moreno scored on a 2-yard run with 8 seconds remaining in the quarter, and Chance Schommer's extra point tied the game at 7.

Another turnover on downs gave Lahainaluna possession at the Paradise 40 early in the second quarter. Kala-Abrego later gained 12 yards to the 15, and quarterback Sefo Leka Rosenthal found Urijah Ragudo in the back corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Schommer's extra point gave Lahainaluna a 14-7 lead with 9:43 remaining in the half.

Ragudo intercepted Baker on Paradise's next possession. Less than 30 seconds later, Treysen Moepono-Duldulao floated an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ragudo in the corner of the end zone. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving Lahainaluna ahead 20-7 with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Josiah Baybayan stopped another Paradise drive with an interception at the Lahainaluna 2. Moreno later broke free for a 79-yard touchdown run, following his blockers before cutting upfield, stiff-arming one defender and high-stepping away from another. Schommer's extra point extended Lahainaluna's lead to 27-7 with 4:45 remaining in the half.

Paradise scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter to pull within 27-14. Ragudo added his second interception of the game with 1:03 left in the quarter, holding on to the ball despite a hit that drew a penalty for helmet-to-helmet contact.

Baker and Gibson connected again for a 55-yard touchdown with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut Lahainaluna's lead to 27-21.

Lahainaluna moved the ball and ran most of the remaining time off the clock. Paradise regained possession at its 29 with 3.9 seconds left, but managed only one short completion before time expired.

The teams came together for dinner and a lū'au Sunday to cap off the trip. Plans also are underway for Paradise to host Lahainaluna in a future Unity Bowl.

"It meant a lot to me," Gibson said. "It's just crazy how we've come this far. I mean, our Camp Fire was so far -- so long ago -- but it's just, it meant a lot to me. A lot."

Paradise senior Robert Lucas said the benefits went beyond football.

"For me, you know, like, they said it a lot -- two tragedies that brought two communities together," Lucas said. "And also, just, like, cultures -- it brought two cultures together."