Lahaina buddies will be on opposite sides on Saturday

Childhood friends will be on opposite sidelines for this Saturday’s football game at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev.

But since August, Nevada quarterback AJ Bianco and Hawaii receiver Karsyn Pupunu bonded further in dealing with the tragedy of the Maui wildfires that devastated Lahaina.

“Me and AJ are really close,” Pupunu said. “We both grew up in Lahaina. It’s a small town. … Everyone in Lahaina kind of grew closer. Me and AJ have definitely been in touch about what’s going on and what we can do.”

Pupunu’s immediate family escaped the wildfire’s wrath, but two cousins, an uncle, and an aunt were among the confirmed fatalities.

Bianco said his family’s home in Lahaina was destroyed. He said his parents have been staying with a friend on the other side of the island. “Everyone’s safe,” Bianco said. “That’s the main thing.”

Bianco remembered learning of the destruction from a phone call. “It was terrible news,” he said.

Bianco’s initial reaction was to take a hiatus from football and return to Maui to help.

“But after talking with my parents, they wanted me to stay up here and keep competing for the (quarterback’s) job.” Bianco said. “Being up here was good for me. Being around these guys — my teammates, my coaches — I felt that helped me keep the stuff back home a little off my mind. It was definitely tough, but I’d say my support system helped me a lot, especially my parents. They wanted me to be up here.”

After a week on Maui, Pupunu returned to the team.

“As bad as it was, you have to keep working,” Pupunu said. “You have to honor the people who are there and your family members by just giving it your all, by playing for them … and knowing afterward you can go there and help.”

Both players — and their families — have supported relief efforts.

Bianco, a second-year freshman, has completed 64.9% of his passes as the understudy to quarterback Brendon Lewis. Two years ago, it appeared Bianco was set to become a Rainbow Warrior. He made two oral commitments to UH, but ultimately signed with the Wolf Pack.

Bianco said he looks forward to a reunion with Saint Louis School alumni who play for the Warriors. In eighth grade, Bianco, his mother and his sister moved to Oahu. Bianco began at Saint Louis; his sister was a UH student. “My dad stayed on Maui because he had a business there,” Bianco said. “Once I came (to Nevada), they moved back to Lahaina.”

Of this Mountain West showdown and reunion, Bianco said, “It’s going to be awesome. I’ve got a lot of friends on the (UH) team, a lot of people I went to school with. Seeing them is going to be super cool. At the end of the day, it’s a game, it’s our next game, and we’re going to do everything we can to win it. But it’s going to be great to see those guys after the game.”