High school football brings Lahaina and Paradise, Calif., together in “Unity Bowl.”
The concept for the showdown began in 2024 when Paradise High administrators reached out to Lahainaluna about establishing a home-and-home series. Cooley Stadium, with Lahainaluna as the host on September 5. The schools also are planning a return meet in Paradise in 2027. Contributors included NFL quarterback and Butte County native Aaron Rodgers, who donated $15,000 toward the trip. Paradise’s 2019 season started with 12 straight wins, its first season after the Camp Fire. The Lunas’ impressive 46-game streak of Maui Interscholastic League wins ended in 2024 but the team bounced back to make the state playoff and Paradise entered the Unity Bowl this season at 1-1, Lahainaluna at 0-2.
Lahainaluna has been one of Maui’s dominant football programs for more than a decade and has won multiple state titles. The first game was played at Sue D. Paradise made it to Maui after fundraising efforts helped cover the cost of the long trip from Northern California. The teams’ visit was way beyond game day. Players, coaches and parents from both programs came together for a community event at the OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort. The players also had a chance to experience local culture and spend time together off the field with a lūʻau put on with Maui chef Zach Sato. The gatherings were designed to join young people who have suffered eerily similar disruptions while growing up on different sides of the Pacific. Both programs have shown in the past how sport can bring communities back to a sense of normalcy. But the records matter less than the meaning attached to the meeting. For the Lahainaluna seniors, the game holds special personal significance. Some still live away from their homes, which have not yet been rebuilt after the Lahaina fire. Paradise’s players have also been displaced and rebuilt a community, but at a much younger age. Their common experiences create a rare opportunity for intergenerational and inter-geographic connections. The Unity Bowl is not just a first-time football matchup. Two communities finding common ground, letting their youngest generation turn painful memories into lasting friendships.