LIHU‘E — The one-game high school football playoff between Waimea and Kapa‘a Saturday was postponed due to the weather. KIF Secretary Diane Nitta said lightning was spotted around Vidinha Stadium in the hours prior to the game and the weather
LIHU‘E — The one-game high school football playoff between Waimea and Kapa‘a Saturday was postponed due to the weather.
KIF Secretary Diane Nitta said lightning was spotted around Vidinha Stadium in the hours prior to the game and the weather forecast predicted more strikes throughout the day.
“Because of the inclement weather and concern for health and safety of the players and fans we decided to postpone the game,” Nitta said.
The game was rescheduled to be played at 3 p.m. Monday at Vidinha Stadium in Lihu‘e.
Nitta said it’s policy that if lightning strikes near a stadium during a game, play should be suspended for at least 30 minutes without another strike. Saturday’s game wouldn’t have been able to go on with that uncertanty, Nitta said, because of the threat of darkness.
The game’s kickoff time was set for 3 p.m. and Nitta said if there were long delays the game would have been pushed into the dark, which would have caused another postponement.
Because of the Newell’s shearwaters and endangered Hawaiian petrel season, stadium lights aren’t permitted until Dec. 15.
The KIF was alloted four 4:30 p.m. game slots this season, with games starting in the day and ending under the lights. Three of those games have been played already and the league scheduled the fourth to be saved for the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II playoffs.
The winner of Monday’s game will host Pearl City, Saturday at 4:30 p.m., in the first round of the HHSAA playoffs.
