They're Playing for Real

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Courtesy: MGhelmets.com

The Fire and Ice Bowl is now a tradition when it comes to the start of high school football in America.

For the second straight year, the high school football season kicked-off off the mainland with Alaska taking on Hawaii.

Last year it was one game, this year it was two on Friday night in Hawaii.

Courtesy: MGhelmets.com

Punahou, which finished runner-up in Hawaii's Division I, won the first game of the year with a 48-0 shutout of West High School from Anchorage.  Hawaii made it a clean sweep of the Fire and Ice Bowl with a 23-15 victory by Leilehua over defending Alaska Big Schools champ Service.  Last year, Service and Leilehua battled to a 34-34 tie in the inaugural Alaska vs. Hawaii game.

The Alaska Daily News reported that Punahou was led by sophomore wide receiver Kanawai Noa, who caught four touchdown passes in the first half to lead the Buff and Blue to a 34-0 halftime lead.

In the Leilehua/Service match-up, the Mules jumped-out to a 23-7 halftime lead on their Alaskan opponents.  According to the Anchorage Daily News, Service drove to the Leilehua 30-yard line with 10 seconds left, but fumbled on the last play of the game.

Click here to read the Punahou/West game story.

Click here to read the Leilehua/Service game story.

However, I should point-out those weren't the only games this weekend as many other Alaska and Hawaii schools also began their regular seasons.

Below are all of the first week's scores:

Friday Scores -Alaska

East  42  Kenai  7
Lathrop  44  Nikiski  41
Lathrop JV  60  Seward  8
Leilehua (HI)  23  Service 15
North Pole 32  Dimond  14  Click here to read game story
Punahou (HI)  48  West  0

Friday Scores - Hawaii

'Aiea  35  Kaimuki  21
Campbell  34  Kaiser  6
Kamehameha  30  Castle  7
Kamehameha - Hawaii  25  'Anuenue  6
Kapolei  28  Pearl City  7
Kealakehe  12  Kailua  0
Mililani  31  Moanalua  21
Waiakea  26  Waimea  14

Saturday's Scores - Alaska

Colony  56  Skyview  7
Eielson  26  Valdez  0
Juneau-Douglas  45  Thunder Mountain  7
Monroe Catholic  16  Barrow  0
Palmer  27  Soldotna  7
Sitka  30  Ketchikan  8
South  68  Eagle River  6
Wasilla  21  Bartlett  14
West Valley  35  Chugiak  12

Saturday's Scores - Hawaii

Damien  31  Kalaheo  0
Farrington  37  Wai'anae  23
Kapa'a  42  Kalani  21
Kauai  43  Waialua  0
'Iolani  43  Konawaena  40
Pac-Five  26  Waipahu  13

Hawaii and Alaska Open the 2011 Regular Season

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

With the Lower 48 still going through fall camps, Alaska and Hawaii open the 2011 regular season this weekend.

Actually, the season got underway Thursday night with a match-up between teams off the mainland in the Fire and Ice Bowl in Oahu, Hawaii.

Service High School, Alaska's 2010 Large Schools runner-up,  faced Leilehua High, a Hawaii Division I semifinalist last year.  In the end, neither state could claim bragging rights as the game ended in a 34-34 tie that wasn't broken because there was no overtime played in the preseason contest.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that Leilehua mounted a brilliant comeback that saw the Mules score two touchdowns in the final 3:05 after Service took a 34-21 lead.

Now let's take a look at this weekend's schedule in both states:

Alaska Week 1 Schedule

Tonight's Games
Monroe at Nikiski, 6 p.m.
Seward at Lathrop, 6:30 p.m.
Kodiak at Houston, 7 p.m.

Saturday's Games
North Pole at West, AFS, 1 p.m.
Bartlett at West Valley, 1 p.m.
Delta at Barrow, 1 p.m.
Skyview at Wasilla, 2 p.m.
Eielson at Kenai, 2 p.m.
Eagle River at Soldotna, 3 p.m.
Valdez at Homer, 3 p.m.
South at Chugiak, Chugiak, 7 p.m.
Palmer at East, AFS, 7 p.m.
Dimond at Colony, 7 p.m.
Thunder Mountain at Juneau, 8 p.m

Hawaii Week 1 Schedule

Today's Games
Campbell at Waipahu, 7:30 p.m.
Hilo at Honoka'a, 7 p.m.
Kahuku at Wai'anae
Kauai at Kamehameha Hawai'i, 6 p.m.
McKinley at Castle, 7:30 p.m.
Mililani at Moanalua, 7:30 p.m.
Nanakuli at Kaiser, 7:30 p.m.
Pearl City at Kapolei, 7:30 p.m.
Punahou at Roosevelt, 7 p.m.

Saturday's Games
Kailua at Kealakehe, 7 p.m.
Kaimuki at Hawaii Prep, 2 p.m.
Kalani at Kapa'a, 4:45 p.m.
Kamehameha at Farrington, 6:30 p.m.
Kea'au at Konawaena, 5 p.m.
Konawaena at Kea'au, 5 p.m.
Pac-Five at Lahainaluna, 1:30 p.m.
Radford at 'Iolani, 7:30 p.m.
Saint Louis at 'Aiea, 7 p.m.
Waimea at Waiakea, 7 p.m.

Hawaii High School Football Scoreboard - Week 2

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Pac-Five quarterback P.J. Minaya is on fire. Saturday he tied a Hawaii state record with eight touchdown passes in Pac-Five's 66-40 win over McKinley. The Wolf Pack QB threw seven TD passes in the season opener and has now thrown for 729 yards in two games. The eight TD effort ties the mark set by Timmy Chang of St. Louis in 1999.

Hawaii High School Football Scores
Saturday, August 22, 2009

'Aiea 50 Kalani 0 Honlulu Advertiser game story
Kahuku 24 Punahou 14 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Mililani 21 Leilehua 18 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Pac-Five 66 McKinley 40
Radford 35 'Anuenue 0
Roosevelt 27 Damien 13

Hawaii High School Football Scoreboard - Week 2

Hawaii High School Football Scores
Friday, August 21, 2009

Campbell 21 Waipahu 0
Castle 42 'Iolani 21
Hawai'i Prep 14 Waimea 6
Kaiser 35 Waialua 26
Kamehameha 34 Kailua 2 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Moanalua 26 Kalaheo 22
St. Louis 35 Kaimuki 7
Waiakea 12 Kamehameha-Hawai'i 0
Wai'anae 41 Kapolei 21 Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaiian Grocer Steps Up to Help Economically-Struggling Hawaiian High School Sports Programs

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

While all high school athletic programs are being challenged by the economic crisis, none may be hurting more than the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

Last month it was announced that approximately $1.2 million will be cut from Hawaii’s public high school athletic programs for the 2009-10 school year. HHSAA said that the budget cut amounts to approximately 50% of the funding needed for supplies, equipment, and ground transportation for 45 public high schools statewide, and that the budget cut would require drastic measures to be undertaken, including the possible cutting of all public high school junior varsity sports.

On Thursday, however, Foodland Super Market announced that it wanted to do something to help. Hawaii’s largest and locally-owned and operated grocery retailer has announced it will partner with its customers to support the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) to help save athletic programs in public schools.

Beginning Monday, August 17 and running through Aug. 31, customers are encouraged to make a donation of any amount up to $249 at checkouts at any Foodland and Sack N Save store statewide. Foodland will match all customer donations dollar for dollar up to a total of $50,000 for all donations combined.

“We were saddened to hear about the recent budget cuts to Hawaii’s public school athletic programs, and we want to do what we can to support our schools and community,” said Jenai S. Wall, Foodland Chairman and CEO. “We know our customers also recognize the importance of high school athletics and we’re pleased to provide them with an easy way to help, along with an incentive to do so,” continued Wall. “Together with our customers, through donations made at checkout in the next 2 weeks and Foodland’s $50,000 matching gift, we hope to give $100,000 to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.”

“We are overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of Foodland to join together with its customers to help us during this challenging time, ” said Keith Amemiya, HHSAA Executive Director. “With 30 Foodland and Sack N Save stores statewide, it really does make it easy for everyone to help in whatever way they can.”

The High School Football Huddle salutes Foodland and Sack N Save for taking leadership during tough times!!

Hawaii High School Football Scoreboard - Week 1

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Two-time defending Hawaii Division II state champ 'Iolani opened the 2009 season with a 30-19 win Kaiser in the Father Bray Classic at Aloha Stadium. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Raiders QB Jarrett Arakawa was the star by passing for 234 yards and four touchdowns in the first half.

Hawaii High School Football Scores
Saturday, August 15, 2009

'Anuenue 26 KS-Maui 20
Hawai'i Prep 26 Honoka'a 20
'Iolani 30 Kaiser 19 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Kahuku 49 Kealakehe 14 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Kailua 20 Baldwin 9
Kapa'a 16 Kalani 0
Kapolei 47 KS-Hawai'i 0
Konawaena 22 Waialua 14
Pac-Five 48 Kaimuki 19 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Waipahu 27 Kea'au

Hawaii High School Football Scores
Friday, August 14, 2009

'Aiea 24 Roosevelt 3 Honolulu Advertiser game story
Castle 37 Pearl City 7
Farrington 20 Campbell 14
Kahaheo 34 King Kekaulike 7
Leilehua 23 Radford 20
McKinley 27 Nanakuli 8
Mililani 16 Moanalua 3
St. Louis 48 Wai'anae 35

Hawaii Letter of Intent Day

Former University of Hawaii head coach June Jones is off the island and that may have kept some of Hawaii's top talent on the island. Click here for a nice video montage from several Hawaiian television stations that wraps-up national signing day