Kamehameha High School sits a six-hour plane ride away on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. But on Aug. 29, their football team joined ours on the field to kick off the 2025 season. 

The honor of playing this team was likely a result of the Lion’s success last year, taking the state championship title. 

For defensive end Mason Perkins, senior, this game was a great way to open the season.

“We were all just excited to be back, after last year ending on a win,” Perkins said. 

This game was highly anticipated by the team and the student body, with Kamehameha football being currently ranked third in the state of Hawaii. 

“We didn’t really know how they [would] play, but we saw [game] film,” Perkins said. “They’re very physical [and] you can see they hit really hard.”

The evening before game day, the football and cheer teams from both schools met at the stadium to have a barbecue where they could introduce themselves. Kamehameha gifted the Lions beaded necklaces and even sang a song. 

Among the participants from West Linn, running back Viggo Anderson, senior, enjoyed meeting the team before gameday. 

“It was cool to see how their life is different from ours,” Anderson said. 

Even though both teams knew the following day they would compete against one other, the barbecue served as an opportunity to connect. 

Silas Reynolds, senior, plays outside linebacker and right receiver and is one of the team’s captains along with Anderson. 

“It was cool to see everyone mingle and kind of be brothers. We’re brothers, we’re playing football,” Reynolds said.

The next day, the two teams met for the second time, ready to compete on behalf of their respective school’s. With the exception of film review, the two teams had no way to know how this game would go.

“We all knew we were good, but we hadn’t quite pieced it together, seeing our full potential,” Reynolds said. 

The season started early in preparation for this matchup, including fall camp, film review, and early practice sessions. Perkins was focused on confidence for this first game. 

“I think it’s good to enter a game thinking you’re going to win. I think going in there thinking you’re gonna lose is the easiest way to lose,” Perkins said. “But there’s also a fine line between thinking you can walk in unprepared and win.”

The game started quickly with a one-handed catch from senior MJ Kennybrew, followed by back-to-back sacks from Perkins and Reynolds. At the game’s end, the Lions defeated Kamehameha 48—21. The stadium was filled with students and community members who got to witness this start to the season. 

“So many people on our team fed off of energy, and it was just amazing,” Reynolds said. 

Leading up to this game, the team wasn’t sure how it would end, the results of this game could foreshadow the rest of their season. 

“I felt really good, especially after that first game, we definitely have what it takes to have a great year and win it all,” Perkins said.

Although this was a  serious game for both teams, it was also a reason to celebrate. Being able to play with a team students otherwise would have had no contact with, is the first opportunity of its kind for West Linn, as the school has never before played a Hawaiian team.

“That game was not rivals or enemies, it was just opponents,” Anderson said. 

It is unknown if we will play Kamehameha again in the future, but the first game of the season was a victory for the Lions.