High school alma mater (Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii) of Hercules Mata'afa of WSU Football fame

Wow …What a stadium! What a view!

Here's the alma mater of Hercules Mata'afa of WSU Football fame.

It's Lahainaluna High School in Lahaina (Maui), Hawaii.

News for CougGroup took these photos in Hawaii in March 2018. Two of the photos show the school's Sue D. Cooley Stadium where the Lahainaluna "Lunas" football teams play its home games.

The Hale Pa‘i, the House of Printing website says, "When the first missionaries arrived in Lahaina in 1823, they stressed to the ali‘i of Hawai‘i the importance of education and literacy for their people, and a seed was planted. By 1831, Lahainaluna Seminary was established, becoming the first secondary school west of the Rockies. Lahainaluna survives today as Lahaina’s public high school."

The Lahainaluna High School Foundation website said Lahainaluna High never had its own sports and events stadium. The football team played its first game in 1925. It was host on campus to only a few daylight football games. The school's track & field team traveled to the other side of the island (Maui) to train on a "real track." The foundation worked very hard to change that:

--In 2010, the first phase of the Lahainaluna High stadium project was completed with installation of a synthetic, 4-lane track, Hellas Matrix artificial turf athletic field, lights and scoreboard providing a state-of-the-art field for the school's football, track & field and soccer teams.

--In 2015 the second phase -- seating for 3,000 spectators, restrooms, press box and ticket office -- was finished.

Stadium namesake Sue D. Cooley, who died at age 93 in 2017, was a philanthropist and pillar to the West Maui community. During her life she also lived on Bainbridge Island, Wash., and in Portland, Ore.

According to the Sakamoto Properties website, "It was (Sue B. Cooler's) remarkable contributions that paved the way for the Lahainaluna High School Foundation ... to build the first multi-purpose stadium in the West Maui community. Her donation of more than $7 million made the stadium possible."

In 2015, Lahainaluna had its first night football game under the stadium's bright, shining lights. "Now, the stadium proudly bears Sue's name, so that her generosity will be remembered for generations to come."