LIHU‘E — Practice for the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Association tackle football and cheer programs started on Aug. 1. A scrimmage between town associations prior to a busy weekend and the start of the season seemed an appropriate way to end
LIHU‘E — Practice for the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Association tackle football and cheer programs started on Aug. 1.
A scrimmage between town associations prior to a busy weekend and the start of the season seemed an appropriate way to end the days and weeks of practice.
“When our head coach Teddy Arroyo approached me with the idea, I thought it was a good one, and after checking with the KPWA, I approached the president of the Kapa‘a association,” said Lilane Corpuz, president of the Lihu‘e Pop Warner Association.
That set the stage for what Corpuz believes is the first inter-team scrimmage, Wednesday afternoon at Isenberg Park.
“This is a good thing,” said Billy DeCosta, one of the coaches for the Koloa association that joined the numerous spectators that ringed the Ehiku Street side of the park. “The only thing I would add is Mother cheerleaders. They cheer anyways, so we should have Mother cheerleaders.”
Kelvin Moniz, one of the referees for the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation, said he had a problem finding parking because there were so many spectators for the game.
The scrimmage came the day before the opening of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair where four of the KPWA associations were to be manning food booths as a means of fundraising for their respective associations.
The matchup also comes with just about a week before the opening of the KPWA season, Sept. 5.
“That is the first official games,” Corpuz said. “The KPWA kicks off the season with the Jamboree which will be held at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium this year. Everything starts at 10 a.m. and includes the presentation of scholastic winners, a presentation to the Shriner’s Hospital, and a day of games.”
But before that, the associations will be at the fair, manning their respective food booths.
“We’ll have the malasada booth again,” Corpuz said. “Mark’s Place is doing the dough for us, and Kaua‘i Coffee Company is donating the coffee.”
In addition to the malasada offering, the booth will have Li Hing Apples and Seasoned French Fries, Corpuz said.
Jason Nagahisa, president of the Kapa‘a Pop Warner Association, said their booth will have flying saucers, for sure.
Beyond that, a Kapa‘a board member said they will be offering sushi from Genki Sushi, sandwich wraps, chowder, and assorted cold drinks.
Koloa and Kekaha are the other KPWA associations that will also have food booths at the farm fair.
“The inter-team scrimmage game is a great way to start the season,” Corpuz said. “It allows the players a chance to form new friendships as well as work on what they’ve been practicing before the season starts. The chili is just a nice way to end the day.”
Arroyo said it was a nice way to end a Wednesday afternoon, and judging from the turnout of spectators, a lot of people agreed.
“We would like to thank Paul Pancho, president of KPWA, and the KPWA Board for the support they provide for all the children of Kaua‘i,” Corpuz said. “They make it possible for things like this to happen.”
Arroyo said the scrimmage is just another way to help the kids.
As the guest Kapa‘a Eagles players dug into the chili and rice that ended the day, one couldn’t help but exclaim, “The chili the bomb!”
