Hilo wins funding for on-campus stadium

Then-assistant coach Chris Todd chats with the Hilo Vikings after a state semifinal win over Leilehua.

Hilo High School is located in tight quarters, but a stadium is on the way anyway. 

After decades of training on difficult surfaces, the Vikings now have funding via the State House to begin plans for a new track and field. Rep. Chris Todd, who was the team’s offensive coordinator until the end of last season, was part of the push to get the $6 million of funding. 

The good news at Hilo comes after Kahuku received funding to build a new track and field while solving its drainage problem. Hilo’s football team won its second Division I state championship in three years last fall. An often muddy, rocky surface on the school field has been a normal part of life for the Vikings’ football and soccer teams. 

Completion of the new facility is two to three years away in a "best-case" scenario, Todd said. Then, Hilo will have FieldTurf and no more mud to contend with. 

“Building a playing surface for Hilo High School has been talked about for a long time, but we didn’t think it was possible to fit it on the current track footprint,” Todd said. “We realized it was possible after playing at ‘Iolani in 2017 and seeing how they got the most out of their space. I literally went into Google Maps satellite view and superimposed their field over our existing track to see if it would fit. It was really eye-opening because prior to that game, the plan was to make improvements to the existing Hilo track, but not host games there. We didn’t think we could fit bleachers.” 

First-year head coach Lave Suiaunoa, a longtime assistant under previous head coach Kaeo Drummondo, has seen a lot of intensive labor go into keeping the current field useable. 

“This is awesome and huge for our school. When I first got to Hilo High in 2012, it was already long overdue for an upgrade to its athletic facilities. I don’t think we have 100 yards of playing field. There is a slight slope going down and holes we patch up every year with sand donated from our community,” Suiaunoa said. “During hard, rainy days, we will shift our practices to the old gym if it’s available and do walk-throughs and individual work to make our practices effective. If you know Hilo, when it rains, it could rain for two, three days, sometimes the whole week, so to have funding approved for a new field is greatly appreciated.” 

For Todd, it has been three years in the making. 

“When I first took office in 2017, this is one of the projects I wanted to see through, so it’s very satisfying to see this crucial funding get secured,” he said. 

Some fans will miss the "home-field" advantage of playing at Wong Stadium.

Suiaunoa remembers talks with Drummondo in ’15 about improvements. 

“At that time, Coach Kaeo and some of the staff members often had these talks on how we can propose to get a new field. Then, in 2017, Coach Chris started his post as a state representative, and those discussions were beginning to become real,” he said. “The budget and designed plan were proposed in May of 2017, and it was selected in July of 2019, and funding has now been appropriated.” 

Former Principal Robert Dirks and former Athletic Director Kurt Kawachi were vital to the process, Suiaunoa noted. 

Even with the dream home stadium, the Vikings have a key issue with parking space in the midst of downtown Hilo. A DOE Annex is also nearby, occupying what would be a potential parking lot. Maybe even a parking structure. 

“A parking garage is a logical step forward if we are thinking long term,” Todd said. “(The campus) is locked in on all four ides by Waianuenue Ave., housing, the Wailuku River and the DOE Annex. This isn’t sustainable going forward. The question will be the financials and whether it is feasible given how much need there is across our state.” 

Waianae and Konawaena High Schools, Todd added, are also in the midst of major funding. 

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these projects are moving with many young legislators now representing these areas,” he said. 

Each of the schools with new funding has vast history in athletics going back more than a half-century. 

“I think we have taken football for granted in Hawaii. No one would accept the baseball or basketball equivalent of the Hilo, Waianae or Kahuku fields. I am happy the Legislature has been moving on these new fields because it is really a health and safety concern,” Todd noted. “Another factor is that P.E. classes and community groups also utilize these facilities and it is a huge liability.” 

Suiaunoa has seen the Vikings overcome the challenges of rocky surfaces at practice, muddy terrain at nearby Dr. Francis Wong Stadium. Some would say the Vikings thrive in soggy earthen conditions, as they did in a 19-9 win over Leilehua last fall in the HHSAA Division I semifinal round. 

“We know the benefits of home-field advantage and how exciting and electrifying it is to play in front of your home crowd, at your very own school,” Suiaunoa said. “

The irony, of course, is that Drummondo and Todd both stepped down after last fall’s title run. Drummondo is now a defensive coordinator at Kamehameha. Todd has his duties as a family man and State Representative.