Football Season Starts with 7th Annual Kipimana Cup

The Kipimana Cup trophy. Photo courtesy of W.H. Shipman, Ltd.

Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi and Keaʻau High School will begin their football season on Saturday, Aug. 26, with the annual Kipimana Cup at Kamehameha School’s Hawaiʻi Campus.

The junior varsity game will kick off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity game. A nominal admission fee will be charged.

“The start of the football season is part of the excitement of starting the new school year,” said Bill Walter, president of W.H. Shipman, Ltd. “The Kipimana Cup game was put together by Shipman, Keaʻau and Kamehameha High Schools to both add to that excitement and to send a message to the community that we compete in a friendly way.”

Historically, Keaʻau and Kamehameha have not played against one another because they were in separate divisions—Keaʻau in Division 1 and Kamehameha in Division 2. The Big Island Interscholastic Federation League changed that. W.H. Shipman, Ltd. pitched the idea of a yearly goodwill game seven years ago and the Kipimana Cup was born. The annual kickoff game aims to build camaraderie and goodwill between private and public schools.

“We want to send a big mahalo to W.H. Shipman and Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi for the years of camaraderie and support,” said Iris McGuire, athletic director at Keaʻau High School. “I appreciate the aloha shared between the two schools and not making this event a rivalry.”

W.H. Shipman provides $500 to each of the school’s booster clubs after the game, as well as a trophy to the winning team.

“Both schools are active in our community,” McGuire said. “Our relationship with Kamehameha continues to grow in a positive way. Over the years we have worked together in other aspects both academically and athletically. We may have different colors and different mascots, but when it comes down to it, we are still one community. Mahalo W.H. Shipman for your support!”

Kamehameha School’s Hawai‘i campus opened in 2001 and has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, grades K through 12. Kea‘au High School has an enrollment of 880 children, grades 9 through 12. The school first opened in 1998. Both schools reside on lands formerly owned by Shipman.