A team from Canada is coming to Hawaii to play against Damien in football this fall, according to Monarchs coach Eddie Klaneski.
Damien, a Division II team, has also scheduled a game against three-time defending Division II state champion Lahainaluna.
The Canada team that will visit is from St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, B.C. That matchup will be held at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m.
The Damien vs. Lahainaluna matchup will be the weekend of Aug. 2-3. Details are still being worked out. If it happens, it will be the first time ever the two schools have met on the football field.
“I ran into (Lunas) coach Garret Tihada at an all-star game on Maui and we started talking,” Klaneski said. “I ran it by him and he said they would try to work it out. It turns out they were going to move their game against Kapaa for that weekend to another week anyway, so it became possible to set it up.”
The St. Thomas More Collegiate game came to fruition after Mt. Spokane (Mead, Wash.) cancelled a game against the Monarchs as part of a home-and-home series. Last year, Damien visited Washington and lost to Mt. Spokane 42-14.
“It’s cool because St. Thomas More is part of the Christian Brothers network of schools like us,” Klaneski. “It’s a good deal that we’re playing against each other. We plan to get the two teams set up together to do some outside community service projects, like beach cleanups.”
Klaneski said he might schedule one more nonleague contest instead of taking a bye week during the regular season.
McKinley coach Pat Silva confirmed that the Tigers will be playing King Kekaulike from Maui at Skippa Diaz Stadium on Aug. 3.
Kohala didn’t waste any time trying to schedule nonleague games to start its first season back at 11-man football. Cowboys coach Chad Atkins said it’s “not set in stone” but it’s looking pretty good that his squad will visit Oahu to play Kalani on Aug. 2 and then square off against Honokaa of the BIIF on the following weekend at a site to be determined on the Big Isle.
HAWAII TEAMS VS. MAINLAND, 2019
Subject to change
FRIDAY, AUG. 23
>> Mission Viejo (Calif.) at Konawaena, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUG. 30
>> Punahou vs. Long Beach Poly (Calif.), site in Southern California TBA, 4 p.m. Hawaii time
Aloha Football Classic
>> Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Saint Louis, at Aloha Stadium, 7 p.m.
>> Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) at Mililani, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
>> St. Thomas More Collegiate vs. Damien, at Skippa Diaz Stadium, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
>> St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) at Mililani, time TBA
OTHER KNOWN HAWAII NONLEAGUE GAMES, 2019
Subject to change
Note: Coaches or athletic directors with information on other nonleague games scheduled, please email hawaiifootballcoaches@gmail.com.
FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, AUG. 2/3
>> Damien vs. Lahainaluna, date, time and site TBD
FRIDAY, AUG. 2
>> Kohala vs. Kalani, at Kaiser Stadium, time TBA (tentative)
SATURDAY, AUG. 3
>> King Kekaulike vs. McKinley, at Skippa Diaz Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, AUG. 9/10
>> Kohala vs. Honokaa, date, time and site TBD (tentative)
@JetWavy
Said Damien should be in the Open division because they recruit like their basketball team.
Let’s wait for his response?
Still waiting?