They made a pact not so long ago to stick together.

A successful Saturday night under the lights is just the prologue for the Kahuku Red Raiders. Playing football for the first time in nearly two years, they had hardly an error and looked in midseason form against Kamehameha in a scrimmage at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium.

“I’m feeling great. Finally back out there. We came out here and did what we’ve been preparing for this whole week, for a while now since the lockdown. We’re glad to be here and show what we’re about,” linebacker Liona Lefau said. “It’s more than a scrimmage for us. It’s our first time back out here for a while, so our main focus was flying to the ball.”

No. 1-ranked Kamehameha did not suit up its starters, saving them for upcoming late-season ILH games. That was more than OK with Kahuku, which was just thirsty for action. Big Red scored five touchdowns in five offensive series.

New Kamehameha co-athletic director Reggie Torres was instrumental in bringing the two storied programs together. Torres was a state-championship football, wrestling and judo coach at Kahuku across decades. Though it was a neutral site, the Warriors had takeout bentos ready for the Red Raiders before they boarded their buses.

“Thank you to Coach Reggie, Coach Abu (Ma‘afala), for allowing us to scrimmage. That was awesome,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said.

The visitors in red work out at Kahuku District Park, next to the high school, as the track and field on campus gets renovated.

“They’re redoing our field, so we practice at the district park. The kids haven’t seen lines and goalposts until today. We haven’t practiced a field goal or extra point until today,” assistant coach Stuart Carvalho said.

Kahuku made all but one of its PATs. The first try glanced off the left upright against a stiff wind of 30 mph.

For the core of Kahuku players who vowed to stay home rather than transfer to the mainland to play football, this season is a dream come true.

“It went good ’cause we’re still all here together. We still have that bond, that brotherhood. So we’re having fun out here,” said Lefau, one of the state’s top college prospects.

The retention rate wasn’t quite 100%, but it’s close.

“A couple of our boys, they decided to leave. I mean, it’s just next man up. We’re wishing for the best for them. They’re still our boys,” Lefau said.

As for the Kahuku offense, the evolution may be here. Quarterbacks Jason Mariteragi and Waika Crawford were precise and in command from the first 1-on-1 rep to the eventual 11-on-11.

“We’re going to use both. We can always run the ball,” Mariteragi said.

Lefau was willing to grade his defensive unit.

“Um, I’d say like a B. We did good, but there’s always room for improvement,” he said.

Next up for Kahuku: a season-opening game at Kapolei on Friday.

“We have a whole new squad. Everybody’s in the same situation,” safety Malosi Lefau said. “Do what you know, get back to the basics and just play football.”