The first round of the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Tournament matched the MIL champion Baldwin Bears against our Farrington Governors. The men and lady were reeling after a staggering 23 - 0 shutout at the OIA championship game the week before.
Most of the team made the flight over around mid-day, among many things happening; the APEC conference which caused an unusual amount of surge traffic to Maui, which also led to another problem; lack of rental cars on the island. Also the whole 11/11/11 numerology nonsense that had huge wedding ceremony traffic all over the island, plus the whole notion of packing our team and sending them over the same day, without rest, without pregame practice, just straight to the field and play the home team.
Now this sounds like a string of excuses, and they are. It's just that these extenuating factors do take some out of the team, and if I had any druthers regarding it I would want some things changed. But it is what it is and the team did what they could.
Taniela ("Daniel" as we call him) led the locker room prayer, which was beautiful and from his heart. He then forgot that I was there with them (how many chaplains travel at their expense to be with their teams? Thanks John!), and he apologized again and again, "sorry Uncle, so sorry Uncle.." I told him I was happy and proud of him to lead the locker room prayer, and to pound some football now.
The game began quite in our favor, and FHS scored rather readily within minutes of the game start. Missed PAT kept it at 6 - 0 for a few. Then the Bears began their scoring drive, and we went into the lockers at 14 - 6, Baldwin leading.
At halftime, Daniel came to me and asked if I could lead the field prayer at halftime. Granted, I don't normally do it, so the student players themselves can lead prayer in front of their fans and be great examples of faith. I said if it was okay with Coach Randall I would do it. Randall heartily gave the nod, so I gave a really really quick two minute encouragement, from what Pastor Wayne taught us.
I said that 90% of what happens in this game, anyone can do, even me, with my dumpy, lounge chair body. The next 5%, only the top football players and teams are doing, that's why they are great. And then there's that last 5%, that only the BEST can do, that only THEY can do, because they are championship material. I prayed a pouring of the "5%" on the team, let them know how much I have come to love them, and blessed them from my heart. I asked Jesus to be very present this night and thanked Him for the game. Then it was time to play the second half.
What a great game of football it was! Back and forth, Farrington quickly regained the lead with an 18 - 14 score. Baldwin's quarterback was a fired up and determined young man who really wanted to play this game with all his heart. In an amazing display of football, everything from screen passes to quarterback keepers, to onside kicks right into our surprised line, the Bears fought back, bringing the score to 21 -18.
Our men rallied with a huge drive that resulted in a score of 24 - 21 with 5 minutes or so in the 4th. The men held back the team with great effort, and forced a punt by the Baldwin team. Our men drove the ball back toward our goal line with great effort, until we hit the 3rd and 5 situation. Amo Silva pushed in to gain the first down, only to have a holding penalty against us push back 10 yards to a 3rd and 15, which we could not capitalize on, and we punted the ball back to the Bears with about 2 minutes on the clock.
Here's the scoop. On the third play of the drive, the Bears quarterback showed an amazing display of athleticism by breaking out of a huge pile of people and bustin down the sideline, all the way to the goal, but here's where much controversy stands, and may stand forever. Many many fans told us that the QB stepped out of bounds on his last burst to the goal line, evading two of our defenders, then stepped back in, diving for the touchdown. The refs did not call it, and gave the go-ahead TD to the Bears. They now led 28 - 24.
Our men tried gallantly to drive the ball to mid field, and Travis (our QB launched a huge pass play to Toma (our star WR) and just a few feet too long, and Toma came tumbling down. We lost the ball on downs and it was only a matter of the Bears sitting on the ball to run the clock out, and Baldwin had won and advanced to the next round of play next week against ILH champion Punahou.
Our season ended that night. Amid the tears of disappointment and hugging huge kids, it was something we could all look back on with gratefulness. It was one hell of a season, and I mean that in the most sincere and thankful way possible.
FINAL SCORE: FHS 24, Baldwin 28. THANK YOU JESUS FOR THIS GAME AND FOR THIS ENTIRE MEMORABLE SEASON. More to come later.
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