Hurricane-Relief Game Pits Westlake Against Kauai Football Champion

Much more than the football championship of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation of Hawaii was on the line last week when Waimea High edged Kauai, 14-12, on Kauai.

For 50 Waimea players, coaches and parents still struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of Hurricane Iniki, the victory meant a chance to end an emotionally devastating season with a special treat.

Visiting Waimea (4-2) will play Westlake (3-7) at Thousand Oaks High today at 1 p.m. in what is being billed as the Hurricane Iniki Friendship Charity Bowl. All proceeds will benefit the KIF, which will use the money to repair playing facilities ravaged by the hurricane.

“I think the hurricane--despite all the pain and adversity it caused--is the kind of thing that makes a team get closer,” Waimea Coach Pat Pereira said. “We’re not very big and we’re only 30 players strong. But the people on this team are bonded together. This trip really cheered us up.”

The game was arranged by Mel Hayashi, longtime team doctor for Newbury Park High and the brother-in-law of Warren Mizutani, executive director of the KIF.

Both men wanted to help with hurricane-recovery efforts. They began arranging the game last month.

All expenses associated with the trip were covered by donations from members of Thousand Oaks and neighboring communities. Conejo Valley families are hosting Waimea players and families during their three-day visit.

“This is something to perk up the kids because of all the traumatic conditions the kids have gone through,” Mizutani said.

Many of Waimea’s players are still living with their families in tents in the back yards of their homes, Pereira said. The roof of Pereira’s house was destroyed, causing severe damage to the rest of his home.

Storm damage forced the families of two players to relocate to other islands, but all other players have remained with the school, Pereira said. As did many, Pereira originally considered it impossible to continue the season.

“At first I said, ‘No more football. The community is too severely damaged,’ ” Pereira said. “But the players wanted something to focus their attention on. They wanted to get back and play.”

The chance of earning a trip to Southern California helped. As an added treat, the team was scheduled Friday to take a free tour of Universal Studios, courtesy of movie director Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg, who was in Kauai working on a film when the hurricane struck, is a close friend of Waimea Athletic Director James Kitamura, according to Pereira.

“The people in Thousand Oaks who are taking care of us are doing a tremendous job,” Pereira said. “This certainly restores our faith in the human race. This whole thing brings out the good character in people.”

Because of the hurricane, three games were wiped off Waimea’s schedule. As the champion of the three-team KIF, Waimea ordinarily would have entered the Neighbor Island playoffs along with the champions of the Maui Interscholastic League and the Big Island Interscholastic Federation. Each year, the defending champion among the three conferences is afforded a first-round bye.

Waimea will not participate in the Neighbor Island playoffs this season.

Westlake finished sixth in the eight-team Marmonte League with a 3-4 league record. The game also allows the Warriors to continue their season.

“We’re approaching it like any other football game,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said. “Most of our seniors (would not have played) football again and this gives them a chance to play one more.”