Tickets selling well for Classic

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The First Hawaiian Bank Football Classic — set for Sept. 21 at Aloha Stadium — already has sold 15,671 tickets, according to Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya.

The two participating Hawai'i schools in the doubleheader, Kahuku and St. Louis, sold out their combined allotment of 7,500 tickets by last week. De La Salle of Concord, Calif., has sold out its allotment of about 600 tickets, and the other Mainland team, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, has sold nearly the same amount. Also, The Honolulu Advertiser purchased 3,000 tickets to be distributed to all O'ahu varsity and junior varsity football players and coaches.

The sold-out Kahuku and St. Louis sections include four Orange (level) and four Blue sections each.

"De La Salle will have one whole Orange section filled," said Amemiya, who is spearheading the Classic. "That's pretty good for a Mainland team."

Amemiya had estimated the Classic would need to sell at least 15,000 tickets in order to cover expenses, and that goal was reached a month before kickoff.

"With this being an inaugural event, we weren't sure what to expect," Amemiya said. "I hope people will continue to buy tickets in advance, especially because all the seats are reserved. This is not your typical high school game where you can just show up right before, buy tickets and sit wherever you want."

The attendance record for a Hawai'i high school game is 32,812, set in the 1978 Prep Bowl matching Kamehameha against Wai'anae. Amemiya said he expects the Classic to approach that mark, especially after increased exposure.

"Once the marketing and media blitz takes effect, people will get more excited," Amemiya said. "At last year's state championship game, the number of tickets sold that night exceeded 20,000."