PO’IPU — Diners at Plantation Gardens in Po’ipu were a bit surprised Saturday evening when 16 young men appeared dressed in uniform red aloha print shirts and were led to a special dining section of the Poipu eatery.
Manager Rocky Reynolds pulled out all the stops as the boys, representing the Offensive and Defensive line of the KIF champion Kaua’i High School football team were each handed a special menu for their dinner selection, and to take with them as a keepsake of the evening that started about a year ago.
Reynolds explained that it was then that Dean Petro, one of the coaches for the Red Raider football team, stopped by for a pau hana break, and conversation turned to the team Petro was coaching.
“The boys are pretty good,” Reynold said Petro told him, “And, Waimea is beatable!”
A discussion ensued, and cutting to the fat, Reynolds and Petro ended the bout with a wager that IF the Kaua’i High School football team took the KIF title, they would be in for dinner at the restaurant.
As the KIF season progressed, Kaua’i beat Waimea once, Reynolds remembers. And, it became interesting as half of the staff at Plantation Gardens are Waimea High School graduates, while the other half are Kaua’i High School alumni.
Reynolds said it became very interesting as the topic was even brought up at one of the staff meetings. “Everyone was interested in the season,” Reynolds said.
Kaua’i beat Waimea twice, and it became evident that the wager was about to be made good.
When the Red Raiders finally clinched the title, Reynolds said everyone got involved in planning out the dinner for the boys and their coaches, planning that was put into action Saturday night when the O and D linemen, coach Petro, coach Kelii Morgado, and QB Kekoa Crowell joined the Plantation Gardens ohana for dinner.
“Kekoa (Crowell) never goes anywhere without these boys,” Petro said. “He loves them. He respects them, and he goes everywhere with them.”
Petro said he’s been feeding the boys every year, and this year, they’re going to be dined twice since he will still take them for their annual spaghetti dinner at Dondero’s at the Hyatt Regency.
Coach Morgado said, “These boys never get any recognition, so it’s a good way of rewarding them for all the work they do during the season.”
“You never hear their names unless a flag is thrown offsides, illegal blocks, facemask, the only time people hear their name is when they make mistakes.”
“But, they work hard,” Morgado said. “They practice hard. They play hard. They deserve the recognition.”
