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.
Service All-State quarterback J.J. Christy
has transferred to Southern California.
File photo by Carl Auer
"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).
