MitchMash: Fire and Ice Bowl kicks off football season in Hawaii

It's tradition that an Alaska High School team – or two – open the football season throughout the land.

It just doesn't jive that an Alaskan team would do so sporting flip flops and puka shells.

Service (Anchorage, Alaska), the defending state runner-up, plays at Hawaii state power Leilehua (Wahiawa, Hawaii)today at 9 p.m. (PST) in a game that kicks off both the football season and 2011-12 prep sports year.

The game has been tabbed the "Fire and Ice Bowl," and features the last two states to join the union, both in 1959. 



"We're acclimating," said Service coach Jason Caldarera whose team lost 14 seniors from last year's 9-2 team. "We're preaching lots of hydration, loads of sun screen and instructing the boys to get away from the coral."

When Calderera's 36-person squad left Anchorage on Monday it was overcast, damp and a brisk 53 degrees.

When they arrived in Waikiki six hours later, it was a balmy 85 and the Pacific blue was glistening.

Not that Caldarera or the Cougars would notice.

"We're looking at this as a business trip," Caldarera said. "We're not staying in Waikiki. We're staying on the North Shore at a YMCA with 16 bunks.

"Believe me, we're very grateful to our very gracious hosts. The community effort has been tremendous. But our focus this week isn't on this beautiful backdrop or hospitality. We are focused on a game and a very talented and well-coached Leilehua team." {PAGEBREAK} Indeed, under seven-year head coach Nolan Tokuda, the Mules have proved to be a stubborn opponent.



They've made the state playoffs five of seven years, earned a state finals' bid three of the last five years including a state crown in 2007.

They feature the state's most prolific passer in Kenan Sadanaga, a 5-foot-8 senior southpaw who passed for 2,598 yards and 26 touchdowns last season including 420 yards in a 42-28 semifinal playoff loss to eventual champion St. Louis (Honolulu).

Though he'll miss his top two receivers, who graduated, Sadanaga, a Division I baseball prospect, will have Jeremiah Andrade (53 catches, 710 yards, five TDs) and Allen Racette (26-293-4) to pass to.

Tight end Penitito Melei (6-2, 210) and safety Russell Siavii (6-3, 185) are a pair of Division I prospects for the Mules, who came in ranked No. 4 in the state according to the Star-Advertiser newspaper and No. 2 by MaxPreps.

"It's exciting to open the season for the entire country and to play a quality powerhouse like Service," Tokuda said. "It's a great opportunity to showcase what we can do."

Service, which finished 9-2 last year and lost in the state large-division finals, feature talented receiver Alan Busey and tackle Jeff Overbaugh (6-1, 225), who learned last week he's been offered a scholarship to Tennessee as a long snapper.



Overbaugh is ranked the No. 3 long snapper in the country.

The other big standout for the Cougars is safety Matthew Ililio, a 5-8, 195-pound junior who is the son of Service offensive coordinator Fenumiai "Numi" Ilalio Jr., who set the game up.

Numi, who we featured here in 2009 for his duty to the Army National Guard, used to coach at Leilehua while stationed in Honolulu in the early 1990s.

During a recent trip back to the Island for the National Guard, Numi joked to a some Leilehua assistants that it would be fun for Service to open the season in Hawaii.

With some diligent planning and communicating from both sides, the game was announced in January. {PAGEBREAK} It's not the first time Service has wandered out of state, having played games in Las Vegas, Oregon and Montana the last three years.

Service is also believed to be the last Alaska squad to play in Hawaii, following an upset victory over Kahukuku in 1999. Caldarera was an assistant for the Cougars back then.



"It was very, very surprising to a lot of people," Caldarera said. "I'm sure (Islanders) would love to repay us for that game."

Caldarera said this game is far more than preparation for making another state-title run. The Cougars won a state crown in 2008.

"We're definitely representing not only for our school, but the state," Caldarera said. "We're seeing a lot of shirts around here saying, ‘Alaska vs. Hawaii. ‘ "

Both teams and coaching staffs have studied each other on film and both share mutual respect. They both also run the spread offense.

"They're very quick and aggressive and well-coached," Caldarera said. "They'll have at least 50 on their roster. This should be a very good test for us."

Asked about the built-in distractions of a tourist city like Honolulu, Caldarera said: "We're trying to keep every hour structured. We'll do some sight-seeing and have fun after the game on Friday and Saturday."



NOTES: Service might have been the state's top-ranked team had All-State quarterback J.J. Christy not transferred to Buena Park High School in Southern California. ... There's a full slate of games in both Hawaii and Alaska this weekend. ... In Hawaii, top-ranked Kahuku plays at No. 8 Wai'anae and No. 3 Punahou (Honolulu) plays at Roosevelt (Honolulu) on Friday, while No. 4 St. Louis (Honolulu) plays at No. 13 'Aiea on Saturday. ... In Alaska games - all on Saturday - No. 1 West (Anchorage) plays the North Pole at Anchorage Football Stadium, second-ranked Soldotna hosts Eagle River and No. 9 Thunder Mountain (Juneau) plays at No. 4 Juneau-Douglas (Juneau).