• Classy football team leaves Kaua‘i Classy football team leaves Kaua‘i By Duane Shimogawa – The Garden island What a class act! Orange County should be very proud of the way the San Clemente contingent conducted themselves. Not only did
• Classy football team leaves Kaua‘i
Classy football team leaves Kaua‘i
By Duane Shimogawa – The Garden island
What a class act! Orange County should be very proud of the way the San Clemente contingent conducted themselves.
Not only did they play a clean, hard fought game, but they did themselves proud off the field as well. After the JV game, the San Clemente players took it upon themselves to go over to the Kaua‘i High School stands and interact with the host squad.
San Clemente brought over a lot of people for the trip, which included parents, supporters, cheerleaders, and trainers.
They stayed at the Kaua‘i Marriot Resort and dined at Duke’s Restaurant, overlooking Kalapaki Beach.
A manager at Duke’s mentioned that the boys were extremely respectful and courteous to the entire staff.
One of the Triton coaches approached the manager of the restaurant and said that if any of the players acted up or showed any disrespect, then they would have to answer to him (the coach).
Also, as I watched the game from the sidelines, team photographers, players, and even a parent from one of the athletes were very appreciative of the opportunity to play on Kaua‘i.
As for their opinion of our island, well, they had nothing but good things to say, which was really no surprise at all, but they all had one common thing to say: We want to come back again! I thought it was really a class act on the part of both teams to shake hands after the game. This great respect for each other comes from good coaching. There’s no secret why both teams conducted themselves with dignity and respect.
The San Clemente coaching staff deserves a chunk of the credit for teaching their boys about how to be gentlemen, as well as Keli‘i Morgado and his staff. I was also mingling with one of the San Clemente parents and he was ecstatic about the whole Kaua‘i experience.
The team arrived on Kaua‘i earlier this week and were treated to hawaiian activities, which included a luau feast. The parent also mentioned after the game that this was the first time that they had ever won a game in Hawai‘i.
San Clemente’s two previous visits were on O‘ahu. They challenged St. Louis School on their first visit, which ended in a Crusader rout. The Triton’s second stay allowed them to play Punahou and the Buff-n-Blu trampled San Clemente too.
Although Kaua‘i was their first victim, I think they enjoyed the whole experience here, instead of being able to pick up their first win in Hawai‘i. I hope that one of the Kaua‘i teams will have the chance to travel up to San Clemente for a preseason game because the type of competition that the Tritons offer isn’t seen anywhere else on the island. The Kapa‘a Warriors caught a glimpse of how Japanese players fare on the gridiron. Although it was just a scrimmage, both teams got a chance to mix it up and get to know each other’s cultures.
What really made the whole trip a success was the fact that the Kwansei High School program donated money towards the Kapa‘a Pop Warner foundation. I think that the Osaka, Japan squad should be commended for their extremely generous support for Kaua‘i’s kids.
Also, a big mahalo (thank you) should go towards Wes Kaui and the Kapa‘a High School football program for hosting the Kwansei Fighters.
JTB coordinator, Kei Shiba worked well alongside Kapa‘a’s Puna Dawson, who helped with the coordination of players and host families here on Kaua‘i. The football season hasn’t even started yet and we already have two great stories. Can’t wait ‘til it all starts on Sept. 10 (Kapa‘a v.s. Kaua‘i at Vidinha).
Duane Shimogawa, Sports Editor can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) and kauaisports@pulitzer.net
