For a while there, I really believed this was going to be the year a team from Kauai would finally be crowned.
After an assignment on the East side and taking a lunch break last weekend, I came back to the newsroom and checked online the score of the Division II football state championship game.
I was in shock to see that the Warriors had a two-touchdown lead right before halftime.
During practice prior to the championship game, Warriors head coach Philip Rapozo said his team was undoubtedly the underdog.
Kapaa had to overcome two early losses in the season, going on an eight-game win streak including beating Kaimuki of Oahu in the semifinals to punch its ticket to Aloha Stadium.
Lahainaluna High School of Maui, on the other hand, was unbeaten going into the D2 title game and several times defeated its opponent by wide margins.
Rapozo called Lahainaluna the “standard of Division II football.” Can’t really make an argument against an unbeaten record.
But then I saw that the Warriors had punched the Lunas on the mouths in the first half, and I was floored.
With two absolute bombs from senior kicker Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo from 55 and 45 yards, Kapaa extended its lead to 19.
(Side note: congrats to Lagunes-Rapozo for setting the new state record for the longest field goal in state tournament history at 55 yards. The previous record was set in 2014 by Punahou’s Jet Toner with 53 yards. The new one’s got to stay up there for a long while, right?)
Then the thought that they could finally do it after two previous failed attempts at a title started to sink in.
Could this finally be the year?
As the second half went on, I sank further into my seat as Lahainaluna cut into Kapaa’s lead with touchdown after touchdown, then eventually the Lunas took the lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Wow. Just, wow.
And then when the game clock reached zeros, showing that Kapaa had lost, the first thought that went into my head was, “This is not going to be a fun story to write.”
Then the second thought was, “Man, it happened to them again.”
Though I’m supposed to be unbiased, I can’t help but pull for the Kauai team.
I remembered when Kapaa lost to Radford of Oahu at Aloha Stadium four years ago. I remember when Kapaa then lost to Lahainaluna three years ago.
I did not want Kapaa to go three strikes and out. But sure enough, it was not meant to be.
I imagined this was akin to the Buffalo Bills during those runs in the early 90s to four straight Super Bowls only to lose in each of them.
I was gutted.
Talking with Coach Rapozo afterward, he was disappointed in the loss and letting another chance at a state championship slip, but he was taking it in stride.
Rather than sounding deflated, he sounded rather uplifted. He was quick to praise his players and his coaching staff, and he was congratulatory to Lahainaluna for winning three straight Division II championships.
“Nothing to be ashamed of. Falling short to a great team like Lahaina, I’m pretty sure they feel like they got away with one. We just came out on the shorter side of the stick. We’d be more than glad to get another chance next season.”
Selfishly, it would have been awesome to have written about a state champion.
Though it didn’t come in 2018, I’m sure that elusive title will come to Kauai soon enough.
Chin up, boys.
•••
Nick Celario can be reached at ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
