Farrington and Kahuku deserve bigger venue

Some will say it was overhyped because of the lack of offensive fireworks and the many turnovers. But it was truly the game of the year in Hawaii high school football, at least to this point of the season.

Kahuku vs. Farrington. No. 1 vs. No. 2. Hard-hitting, evenly matched and well-coached, disciplined teams. Mostly running and tough defense, but some sweet passes sprinkled in.

In the end, the Governors were just a little bit better, and they’ll be No. 1 when the new poll comes out. A huge crowd was on hand to see it. Just like everyone knew there would. About 4,000.

So why was the game between the top two football teams in the state held at Roosevelt’s Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium? It’s a fine facility — if it’s hosting a crowd of its capacity of 3,000 or less. Not twice as many. The Roosevelt staff and volunteers deserve plenty of plaudits for handling this event … again. Two years ago, Farrington and Kahuku played here and more than 1,000 fans had to be turned away from the gate. This game should have been played at Aloha Stadium, and at prime time instead of a 5:30 p.m. start.

Farrington makes a good argument that Roosevelt is its home field, and that’s why they played it here. But if both teams are willing to play this at Aloha Stadium every year for the foreseeable future, it could be a better deal for all involved.

Yes, it costs money to rent the stadium. But if fans know they’re guaranteed a seat, even more than the 4,000 who overflowed Roosevelt on Saturday will pay to attend.

And that’s not even considering the parking situation. A Roosevelt staffer said many cars were ticketed and towed last night for being illegally parked. The facility and area simply don’t have enough parking spaces for such a large crowd. Then there’s the restroom and concession situation — again, fine for a crowd the size the facility was designed for, but not for a crowd well above capacity. A full stadium is great, an overcrowded one is dangerous, despite the best efforts of the host school.

The way the rules are set up, yielding home games means schools give up concession revenue. Surely the OIA can work it out so that Farrington and Kahuku share in money from food stands at an annual game at Aloha Stadium.

Also, this game should have been on TV, like it was two years ago. But doing a telecast from Roosevelt creates even more logistical problems, such as taking up many of what few parking spaces are available.

I felt privileged to see this game in person. Indeed, it was the game of the year. And in the final analysis, Farrington made the right decision for its team to insist on playing its home game at its homefield. It won the game by one point, and maybe that helped make the difference.

But these rivals will continue to be at the top of the hill in the OIA for a long time unless something strange happens. Their games will continue to draw huge crowds, wherever they are played. Wouldn’t it be better if they’re at a venue, every year, where no one gets turned away, no one gets their car towed and everyone gets a seat?

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.