Lahainaluna’s 28-20 victory over Baldwin on the Bear’s turf — War Memorial Stadium — puts the pride of the West side firmly ahead in the Maui Interscholastic League football maze.
The Lunas may be Division II on paper, but they’ve played elite football for decades, even when the shelf wasn’t quite loaded and the roster has been quite young. This season, the defending D-II state champs are primed to become the overall MIL champion, as well, whether the league has a trophy or not.
In most years, Lahainaluna and Baldwin do anything but split their two games. The Lunas have a beautiful home stadium, as well, making it more difficult than ever for Central Maui and Upcountry programs to wield their old home-field edge on the team in red. In fact, in six of the last seven seasons, the Bears and Lunas split only once.
The win by Lahainaluna on Friday night ends a four-game losing streak to Baldwin.
2017
Lahainaluna 28, Baldwin 20, at War Memorial Stadium
2016
Baldwin 29, at Lahainaluna 27
Baldwin 15, Lahainaluna 13, at WMS
2015
Baldwin 48, at Lahainaluna 27
Baldwin 30, Lahainaluna 9, at WMS
2014
Lahainaluna 42, Baldwin 7, at WMS
At Lahainaluna 35, Baldwin 0
2013
Lahainaluna 28, Baldwin 7, at WMS
Lahainaluna 48, Baldwin 3, at WMS
2012
Lahainaluna 32, Baldwin 0, at WMS
Baldwin 20, Lahainaluna 17, OT
2011
Baldwin 24, Lahainaluna 17, at WMS
Baldwin 41, Lahainaluna 0, at WMS
2010
Baldwin 27, Lahainaluna 20, at WMS
Baldwin 14, Lahainaluna 0, at WMS
Like the BIIF, being in D-II in the MIL is not an easy place to be when the league’s best team is often a smaller program that really does belong in D-II — enrollment-wise. In terms of quality and longevity, tradition and consistency, Lahainaluna can easily battle with the state tournament’s D-I programs. That’s a choice best left, of course, to the Lunas. Until then, the likes of King Kekaulike and Kamehameha-Maui are stuck with the Lunas, much the way Honokaa, Hawaii Prep and Kamehameha-Hawaii are stuck with Konawaena.
If HPA delves further into the possibility of 8-man football — Pahoa’s comeback and success is a huge boost for 8-man football everywhere — it could signal a new era for some of the state’s fringe D-II teams. But that’s another story for another day.
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