Lana’i Nakoa Rams Host Chiefs on Saturday

By Maui Now Staff

On Saturday, Sept. 21, the quaint town of Lana’i will get a full dose of “Football Fever” this year, as the Lana’i Nakoa Rams play on home soil for the first time with the Pop Warner Football Association.

In a game scheduled to begin at noon, on the newly blessed Lana’i Community Football Field, the Rams team will challenge the Lahaina Chiefs in a Pee Wee Division match up. This will be the first of four home games for the islands Pee Wee team, made up of 21 boys and 1 girl (ages 9 to 12 years old).

The Lana’i Nakoa Rams, though now in its fifth year playing Pop Warner, is a new comer to the Pee Wee Division, having moved up from the Junior Pee Wee Division. The head coach is Stephen Ferguson.

Due to travel expense and the economic slump of the previous years, the team only played half of its full seasons games, until now, thanks to the support from Pulama Lana’i and their development of the community field.

Saturday’s National Anthem and Hawai’i Pono i will be performed by the Lana’i Academy of Performing Arts, followed by a traditional Hawaiian Oli by Kepa Maly, vice president of Culture & Historic Preservation for Pulama Lana’i. The Lana’i High School Pep Band and an exhibition game by the Rams Tiny Mites Team will entertain the fans at halftime.

In addition to the Pop Warner teams, Lanai High School added a 7‐man Pass League Football Club. A post‐game scrimmage is planned for after the Rams-Chiefs game as the Pinelads are looking to join the MIL’s 8-man football league in 2014.

The day’s closing celebration will marked the live local music by Lanai’s own Red Krown.

For more information on Lana’i football visit the Lana’i Football Association Facebook Page or call Frances Odoshi Waite at 808‐649‐0317 or via email at [email protected].