KAPA‘A — Randon Valenciano was one of the new faces on the field during the Junior Varsity football game between Kapa‘a High School and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Friday. “He started out as one of the ball boys and worked his
KAPA‘A — Randon Valenciano was one of the new faces on the field during the Junior Varsity football game between Kapa‘a High School and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Friday.
“He started out as one of the ball boys and worked his way to the chain gang and even officiated some Pop Warner games,” said Randal Valenciano, Randon’s dad. “This is his first JV game.”
Randon, a sophomore at Kaua‘i High School, is the same age as some of the JV players on the teams competing in the games he is refereeing.
“We need officials,” said Kelvin Moniz, another Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation league official for football. “Randon has been doing it for several years and he’s now getting into the KIF league.”
Moniz said Dallas Correa, who was home enjoying the preseason game between Waimea High School and Hilo High School on Saturday night in Hanapepe, would be joining Randon on the field if he had not gone to St. Louis. Both boys grew up together with a lot of time on the field.
Randal said Randon is most comfortable when Lenny Rapozo is donning the white hat, symbolizing lead official duties. Since Rapozo wore the white hat for Friday night’s game, Randon donned the stripes and whistle to officiate his first KIF game.
Another new face on the chain gang was Dean Pigao, a coach at both high school and Pop Warner levels.
“They need the help,” Pigao said Friday. “But you gotta start from the bottom so I’m doing chain tonight.”
Pigao was one of the chain gang, or down markers as the crew is affectionately labelled.
“They even have Brad Hiranaka of the Kaua‘i Youth Football League helping out as an official,” Pigao said.
The need for officials is made pressing due to the changes in the football scheduling for not only the KIF, but the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League and the KYF program.
Football games are scheduled for daylight hours to minimize the impact to the Newell’s shearwater and other seabirds protected under the Endangered Species Act.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
