Posted on: Saturday, September 14, 2002

Waialua still plans to honor 1952 title team

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

The varsity football team already has won its game by forfeit, but Waialua High will go ahead with its homecoming tonight, and will honor the golden anniversary of its 1952 championship team.

Kalani forfeited the varsity game on Thursday because it does not have enough players.

"It's a big disappointment for us," Waialua principal Aloha Coleman said, "It's our homecoming and we're honoring our 1952 team on the 50th anniversary of their Rural OIA championship. A lot of those players are returning" for tonight's game."

She said the junior varsity game against Kalani, usually played at 5 p.m. would be moved to 7 p.m. and the homecoming activities will go on as scheduled. "The JVs will be our big headline game," Coleman said.

Waialua coach Donald Capello, whose varsity team is off to a 2-1 start, said his varsity players would attend the JV game. "They're looking forward to shaking hands" of the 1952 champions, he said.

In addition to a strike by players demanding the return of a defensive coach who was reassigned to the junior varsity team full-time, Kalani's numbers were depleted this week by an internal audit of eligibility, a school spokesman said.

Vice principal Larry Kaliloa said Kalani has only 14 academically eligible players this week. Since grade checks are conducted every two weeks, Kalani's game with Nanakuli on Friday is in doubt also.