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Hawai'i Skies

The morning sun peaking through the clouds that make Kaua'i the Garden Island,

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Hawaii Skies 12.29.25

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Morning sun on Kauaʻi</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Neil Brosnahan at Puakea Golf Course on Kaua'i.

Hawai‘i Skies: Morning sun on Kauaʻi

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Neil Brosnahan at Puakea Golf Course on Kaua'i. "The morning sun peaking through the clouds that make Kaua'i the Garden Island," he said. To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

The bakery is located on Keeaumoku Street, in the former Ross space. It will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; hours are subject to change.

The business — which has other stores in California, New York and Texas — is popular for its French- and Korean-inspired baked goods.

The shop offers freshly baked artisan pastries, cakes and beverages. The business prides itself on baking its pastries fresh every day, according to store manager Yuri Woo.

“We’re baking fresh bread every morning,” she says. “That’s the most important thing for our bakery.”

Popular items include salt and butter rolls, garlic cream cheese bread ($7.65), sesame and sweet rice donuts ($3.20 each) and egg custard pastries ($4.70).

Woo notes that most pastries are French-inspired, but some are influenced by Korean flavors.

“The salt and butter (rolls), red bean donuts and custard buns are Korean-inspired,” she says. “The garlic cream cheese bread is popular. It’s bread with garlic cream inside; it’s cheesy and savory.” 

The bakery is especially known for its Cloud cakes, which are available by the slice or as whole cakes.

“The Cloud cakes are the most popular — we have fresh Cloud cream, strawberry, green tea mango and blueberry,” Woo says.

Customers can also opt for a variety of other cakes — ranging from flavors like strawberry tiramisu and classic mocha to tiramisu and seasonal options — macarons and cheesecakes.

TOUS les JOURS also offers a variety of coffees and teas. Popular options include tiramisu lattes ($5.85-$6.85), ube lattes ($5.25-$6.25) and honey lavender macchiatos ($5.85-$6.85).

“We have good coffee selections, but the most popular one — our signature one — is the tiramisu latte,” Woo says. “It’s basically the vanilla latte with cream cheese foam and cocoa powder on top. The cream cheese foam is made with a special recipe.”

Customers can also enjoy limited-time holiday offerings like candy cane hot cocoa ($5.75-$6.25), gingerbread matcha latte ($5.75-$6.75) and gingerbread lattes ($5.75-$6.75).

TOUS les JOURS is celebrating its grand opening with a variety of giveaways from Dec. 28 to 30. The first 100 guests who spend $30 or more will get a free TOUS les JOURS umbrella (Dec. 28); a free TOUS les JOURS mug (Dec. 29); and a free TOUS les JOURS insulated tote (Dec. 30).

[{"type":"text","text":"The bakery will eventually offer validated parking."}]

TOUS les JOURS sign 122725

<title>TOUS les JOURS opens first Hawaiʻi location</title>

The bakery soft opened today and is celebrating its grand opening on Dec. 28 to 30 with a variety of giveaways. The business — which has other stores in California, New York and Texas — is popular for its French- and Korean-inspired baked goods.

TOUS les JOURS opens first Hawaiʻi location

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

Even as the year comes to an end, legal battles on all levels of the justice system will continue into 2026. Aloha State Daily has six cases to keep an eye on through next year.

Students for Fair Admissions v. Kamehameha Schools

 — In September, Virginia-based nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions announced its intention to campaign against the student admissions policy of Kamehameha Schools. One month later, the nonprofit 

 in U.S. District Court, accusing the school of race-based discrimination.

The suit represents two anonymous Hawai‘i families who claim to have been discouraged from letting their children apply to attend KS because their children are not Native Hawaiian and, they believe, would not be accepted.

Meanwhile, the school responded by vowing to defend its admissions policy, which they have successfully defended in court before. A 2003 lawsuit, Doe v. Kamehameha Schools, ended in the school’s favor, on the defense that the admissions policy is needed to correct ongoing imbalances facing Native Hawaiians.

Since the suit was filed in October, the case has moved forward by degrees. SFFA has argued that KS is taking advantage of an exception or carveout of the Civil Rights Act that violates the Fifth Amendment’s principle of equal protection.

By invoking a constitutional question, SFFA has drawn the U.S. Attorney General into the case; the Attorney General’s Office has until the end of January to intervene.

[{"type":"text","text":"KS, meanwhile, will respond to SFFA’s complaint by Jan. 14."}]

— A battle over gun rights in the state that began in 2019 will continue into 2026 in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

The first verdict in the case came from the First District Court in Honolulu in 2021. That verdict found two firearm statutes unconstitutional: one setting an expiration date for permits to purchase handguns, and another that required guns to be inspected in-person at the time of registration.

The case was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which saw a panel of judges uphold the Hawai‘i court’s decision in March of this year. But the appellate court moved to rehear the case in July anyway, negating the panel’s verdict.

That decision raised eyebrows among gun right advocates, 

 in August that the U.S. Court of Appeals has a habit of abusing protocol in order to overturn pro-gun verdicts.

Little and less has happened in the case since August. Oral arguments in the case were initially scheduled to take place Jan. 12, 2026, in California; they have since been rescheduled to March 23.

 — A group of environmental organizations challenged in May a proclamation by President Donald Trump opening most of the waters of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing.

The groups — Kāpa‘a, the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity — 

, arguing that Trump’s pronouncement wasn’t legal.

The suit argued that Trump’s pronouncement incorrectly invoked the Antiquities Act, a law that allows for land to be set aside in order to protect cultural and natural resources. That law, the suit argued, does not authorize the president to undo protections previously established through the Antiquities Act; to do so would require Congressional action.

The groups filed a motion in June requesting that the U.S. District Court declare efforts by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to revise regulations for the Marine National Monument unlawful until the suit is resolved.

In August, the District Court granted two claims by the environmental groups; namely, that the NMFS had failed to comply with legally mandated rulemaking processes while carrying out Trump’s proclamation. As for the actual legality of the proclamation itself, a non-jury trial on the subject is a year away, scheduled for Dec. 7, 2026.

— Hawai‘i is one of 18 states facing lawsuits from the Department of Justice accusing them of violating the 1960 Civil Rights Act by refusing to provide state voter registration data.

In September, the DOJ requested Hawai‘i’s Chief Elections Officer, Scott Nago, send the state’s full voter registration list to the DOJ in order to evaluate whether the state is complying with the terms of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. Nago refused, telling DOJ that the state has a set process for releasing that sort of data, which includes sworn affidavits affirming that the data will not be sold or released for commercial purposes.

, arguing that the Civil Rights Act requires state elections officers to produce election data on request by the U.S. Attorney General.

The case, having been filed on Dec. 11, is still in its infancy, with a motion hearing scheduled for Jan. 22, 2026.

Hitachi Rail Honolulu v. Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, et al 

— HART and a contractor on HART’s Skyline project are duking it out over who is responsible for that project’s chronic delays and cost overruns.

Hitachi Rail, a contractor selected to design and operate much of Skyline’s core systems, 

, accusing HART of breaching its contract and severely mismanaging the project, causing the contractor $320 in delay-related damages.

This was actually Hitachi’s second suit against HART; the first, filed in 2024, was dismissed earlier this year.

While Hitachi’s suit names specific conflicts that wasted the contractor’s time and resources — such as, for example, a mix-up where other contractors supplied rail infrastructure intended for a larger wheel than the ones Hitachi designed, leading to 13 months of delays — HART filed a counterclaim in December, accusing Hitachi of causing the problems.

In the case of the wrong-sized wheels, HART claimed that Hitachi was responsible for ensuring the wheels interacted properly with the track as designed and failed to do so.

HART also accused Hitachi of inflating its damages by doctoring schedules or counting expenses multiple times.

The case is still young, but it might go the same way as Hitachi’s 2024 case: the First Circuit Court will discuss whether to dismiss the case on Jan. 13, 2026.

lawsuit over the state’s concealed carry laws

 will go before the U.S. Supreme Court in January.

In 2023, Hawai‘i — and other states nationwide — changed its gun laws in order to adhere to the results of a Supreme Court verdict that struck down a New York law. That verdict found that states cannot require an applicant for a concealed carry license to show a special need to have a firearm in public.

Included in the new law Hawai‘i adopted was a prohibition on the carry of firearms on private property unless clearly approved by the property owner. This was referred to as the “vampire rule,” referring to folklore stating vampires must be invited in order to enter a home.

Three Maui plaintiffs sued the state the same year, with a circuit court judge ruling in their favor. The state appealed, and the appeals court ruled in 2024 that the laws were constitutional only in part, although a panel of appellate judges upheld the vampire rule.

After the plaintiffs appealed once again, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in October to hear the case, with oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026.

Courtfed

<title>Six court cases to watch in 2026</title>

From student admissions policies to gun control laws, these are some of the biggest Hawai‘i court cases continuing into next year.

Six court cases to watch in 2026

 is opening soon in Kapolei Commons. Its soft opening is coming soon (no exact date given yet), while its grand opening will be in January 2026.

The bakery is located by Massage Envy and Verizon Wireless (in the former space of Teriyaki Madness) in the shopping center.

This is the Japanese-style bakery’s sixth location on O‘ahu, but this store is different because it’ll have a larger menu, according to business owner Alberto Fernandez.

“This is the sixth location, but it’s not easier than any of the other ones before,” says Fernandez, who co-owns BRUG Bakery with his wife, Miho Choi Fernandez. “Now, we have more experience; we hope to do better overall as a team, to be organized and deliver a beautiful, high-quality product from day one. It’s a lot of feelings and emotions — stress, happiness, and excitement — all at once.”

The bakery is known for its soft breads made with high-quality ingredients, including flour from Hokkaido, Japan. The bread doughs are made daily by hand. BRUG makes more than 70 pastries each day.

At the new location, customers can find signature pastries like beef curry pan, Kuma choco custard, melon pan, neko pan filled with original strawberry buttercream and more.

“We’ll have melon pan, custard pan, all the ones that made BRUG famous in Hawaiʻi, as well as our loaves of bread,” Fernandez confirms.

He says the bakery’s Arabiki sausage roll, monkey bread, custard pan, melon pan, bacon epi and curry pan are some of the best-selling pastries. Eventually, the Kapolei store will have location-exclusive pastries, too.

Speaking of exclusive products, the Kapolei store will be the only one (for now) to offer Kuma-inspired cakes.

“We are not going to make custom-order mini cakes,” Fernandez clarifies. “We just wanted to create a product that can become very BRUG, something that — the same way when you see the Kuma (bear) chocolate — people think more about BRUG. We are very Kuma-inspired.”

Cakes will be made daily at the Kapolei store. Customers can look forward to desserts like strawberry shortcake, strawberry mousse cake, chocolate mousse cake, cream cheese panna cotta, strawberry panna cotta, custard cream puffs and more. Prices for the cakes, panna cottas and cream puffs are not yet available.

The store will also feature an expanded drink line-up, according to Fernandez.

“This is the first location where we are doing a full coffee shop drink menu,” he says. “For the other stores, we added hot coffee, then we started adding cold brews, then we started to have matcha. We started espresso-based drinks at Pearlridge and Manoa (stores). This one (Kapolei) has the full barista menu with hot and cold drinks.”

Customers can look forward to Kapolei-exclusives frappes — in flavors like mango, Chai, matcha and strawberry banana — and specialty drinks like strawberry matcha and strawberry milk. Fernandez expects the latter two to be especially popular.

“The strawberry matcha uses the same strawberry milk that we do at (our sister business) Mana Sandwiches,” he says. “It’s made with real strawberry puree.”

Opening in West Oʻahu has been a longtime goal, according to Fernandez, who says he’s “really excited” for the soft opening.

“I like hanging around here, even though I live in town and enjoy town,” he says. “The vibe is just different. It’s a drive-to destination, so that’s why this location is bigger and has more options.

“To me, community building is so important; I have confidence that it’s going to be a good addition,” he adds.

Once the bakery launches, it will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

BRUG Bakery Kapolei Alberto 122625

<title>BRUG Bakery to open soon in Kapolei</title>

This is sixth location for BRUG Bakery, which is known for its soft breads and pastries made with high-quality flour from Hokkaido, Japan. The Kapolei location features exclusive cakes and an extended drink menu. The bakery’s soft opening will be soon; its grand opening will be in January 2026.

BRUG Bakery to open soon in Kapolei

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Selena Costa of Wai‘anae always wanted to start her own business.

 — debuted with the launch of its Lehua collection, offering made-to-order boots “inspired by Hawai‘i’s natural beauty and the resilient spirit of paniolo and cowgirl heritage,” a recent announcement noted.

Costa was going through a “lei phase” early in the year and says the idea for her boots initially came when a pretty purple cowgirl boot with a white stitching design came across her Instagram feed. She thought a purple boot with white crown flowers, one of her favorites, going up the shaft would be pretty.

“I looked around and I couldn’t find anyone that actually made boots with Hawaiian designs,” she recently told Aloha State Daily. “I just started dabbling, creating.”

She created a business plan with the help of ChatGPT and came up with a name.

Costa also was one of 20 aspiring entrepreneurs chosen to participate in the City and County of Honolulu’s 

 by the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization.

 is often among the first plants to grow on lava flows, and Costa says that’s the significance behind her first boots and the design, “because it’s kind of like my first baby.”

In the future, she wants to create a palaka design, but Costa says she’s now working to create a men’s boot with the Hawaiian flag and Hawaiian Islands underneath, and two more boots for women, a bootie style and one with corset lacing in the back, both of which will have a hibiscus flower design. All three collections are expected to drop in March.

Although some parts of starting the business came easily, Costa says finding a manufacturer was the biggest challenge in getting Leather & Lei going.

“Everything else was pretty easy — getting the name, the logo, the LLC, the support — but just finding the manufacturer [was difficult], because it’s hard. It’s hard to find someone who’s going to create boots, especially when all the other markets are like clothing and bags, which is a little bit easier to find. It took me a while to find manufacturers.”

The leather boots are made in small batches in Mexico. Costa says she designs it and works with the manufacturers on how she wants it to look on the boot. The sample is made then Costa approves it.

. As for the business itself, Costa is a one-woman band, so to speak.

“I’m doing this on my own and I love it. I love knowing that I am creating something different. I’m creating a legacy for my future generations.”

As for her participation in the city’s Idea2Biz incubator, Costa notes the support it provided was the biggest takeaway from the program.

Family members, she says, “are going to be like ‘Oh, that’s a good idea,’ but they’re not going to be the ones pushing you, like ‘What do you need?’”

Costa says the structure of the program helped her tackle the necessary tasks and offered resources that helped start her business.

“The support was just unmatched,” she says. “They were excited for me. You can just feel the love and feel the support with them. … Without the support it’s hard to move forward in something when you just feel alone.”

For Costa, though, she says it’s “amazing” that the incubator was held in Wai‘anae.

“Everything is in town, so if this incubator was in town, I probably wouldn’t have applied at all. … The fact it was just in Wai‘anae, the West Side, to me, that’s something that makes such a big difference, especially for those who live on the West Side and want to take advantage of these cohorts or things that are for free, too.”

Costa encourages others to take advantage of the program if it is offered again.

“Even if you have an idea and it’s so small, you never know,” she says. “Sometimes you just have to take that step of faith and just run with it and be a part of something that’s going to help the community, help your business grow and for them to support you in a way that’s unmatched, take advantage.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Idea2Biz update"}]

OER recently shared with Aloha State Daily updates about Idea2Biz, its inaugural cohort and what’s next for the incubator, the first iteration of which focused on aspiring entrepreneurs from the Wai‘anae Coast.

“We believe that nurturing entrepreneurs on the Wai‘anae Coast strengthens the local economy and supports the community wealth building,” OER Executive Director Amy Asselbaye said in an emailed response to questions from ASD, provided by an office spokesperson. “Many of these entrepreneurs are deeply connected to the area, and they share the stories of their families and neighborhoods through their products and services. As they grow, their connections to each other, to West Side community resources and to the city, will help assure that they can continue uplifting their communities and eventually create more job opportunities for local people.”

Asselbaye, who noted that partnerships were “key to making this possible,” says the incubator pilot was “very successful,” with 15 of the 20 participants completing the program and 60% reporting “increased confidence in their ability to pursue entrepreneurship.”

“Another 53% said the program significantly improved their entrepreneurial knowledge,” she continued. “The pilot also created strong collaboration opportunities; OER worked with eight nonprofit partners who helped deliver training during and after the program. All partners shared positive feedback and expressed interest in continuing to work with OER on future cohorts.”

Asselbaye says that all 15 graduates applied for business licenses through the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to move their ventures forward.

“Several are continuing to refine their business plans and have applied to additional small business programs to help scale their operation,” she says. “At least four graduates have already brought their products or services to market and more are expected to launch their businesses in the coming year.”

Although this cohort focused on the Wai‘anae Coast, Asselbaye says plans are underway to develop a second cohort of Idea2Biz.

“It may be designed around a specific location or industry, but the overall structure will remain similar,” she says. The program is being developed with a review of data from the first cohort, ongoing outreach to entrepreneurs and resource partners, as well as guidance from the Economic Revitalization Commission, which Asselbaye says offers “entrepreneurial expertise and real-world market mentorship.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Leather and lei 1225

<title>Wai‘anae entrepreneur kicks off Hawai‘i-inspired boot brand</title>

Leather and Lei debuted in October with its Lehua collection, offering made-to-order boots “inspired by Hawai‘i’s natural beauty and the resilient spirit of paniolo and cowgirl heritage."

Wai‘anae entrepreneur kicks off Hawai‘i-inspired boot brand

Mochi is an integral part of New Year celebrations in both Japan and Hawaiʻi, as it symbolizes prosperity and good fortune for the upcoming year. It’s often eaten in ozoni soup — made with dashi and vegetables — or in stacked mochi cakes with a Japanese bitter orange. 

Whether you’re looking for chi chi dango or assorted mochi with fillings, here are several spots to get mochi to welcome 2026:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Fujiya Hawaiʻi"}]

ahu’s community with mochi and manju for more than 70 years. It’s offering a variety of New Year’s assortments, which include cupped chi chi dango ($78), specialty boxes ($30-$40), and New Year’s platters ($45-$65). Platters include flavors like habutae mochi (smooth red bean), tsumami mochi (white bean), tsubushi mochi (whole red bean), azuki manju, matcha bean mochi, and shiro manju (white bean).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Izu’s Mochi"}]

ako farmers market, 919 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 

: This business is usually located at the Kakaʻako farmers market and offers homemade mochi. Choose from mochi flavors like azuki, kinako, peanut butter, sweet potato, lilikoʻi, azuki strawberry and more. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"K. Minamoto Hawaiʻi"}]

: Various locations (Ala Moana Center or Kāhala Mall) 

i offers a variety of Japanese sweets. The Japanese confections reflect seasonal flavors presented in traditional styles. Choose from mochi flavors like chocolate, green tea, white peach and grape. Seasonal flavors include Ichigo komochi — freeze-dried strawberries and white bean paste wrapped in a soft, mochi rice cake — and Ichigo mochi. The latter features a soft rice cake with a strawberry flavor bean paste filling. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kansai Yamato"}]

: Kansai Yamato specializes in fresh mochi and Japanese desserts. Choose from popular items like chi chi dango platters ($19), fresh mochi combos ($20), strawberry and cream mochi ($5.99), and peanut butter mochi ($7.99).

You can also find Kansai Yamato’s mochi at various retailers, including Times Kahala, Beretania and Aiea; Marukai, Don Quijote, Don Don Donki and more. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Marukai Hawaiʻi"}]

: You can find options like Yamamotoyama komoshi mochi, caramel pudding choco Daifuku (soft, chewy mochi filled with chocolate and caramel pudding), and more. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Nisshodo Candy Store"}]

: Family-owned business Nisshodo Candy Store is known for its confections made from scratch, including mochi, manju and chi chi dango. Nisshodo’s mochi and manju come in flavors like peanut butter, coconut, Daifuku and more. 

Where to get mochi Kansai Yamato 122625

<title>Where to get mochi for New Year’s</title>

A popular New Year’s food symbolizing prosperity and good fortune, mochi can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Ring in 2026 with the options below.

Where to get mochi for New Year’s

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — They took their lumps early but believed in each other and stayed together until the end. Facing a situation that once seemed insurmountable, they continued to plug away for the person next to them. By the end of it, tears were shed and there we too many hugs among them to count. 

's four years as the University of Hawai‘i football program's head coach symbolized his tenure more than the team's dramatic, improbable and historic 35-31 victory over California in the Hawai‘i Bowl on Wednesday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. 

The Rainbow Warriors, down 21-0 in the second quarter, staged the biggest comeback in the existence of the Hawai‘i Bowl, a game that debuted in 2002, back when Chang was UH's quarterback. Chang won two Hawai‘i Bowl MVPs as a player and was coaching in it for the first time on Wednesday. How did he compare the two experiences? 

"I think it's better now (as a coach), because I think I'm helping raise leaders in the community and building young men to just be great fathers and husbands, and we can come out here and win games as well as do those things. I think that's the joy that I have now being older," said Chang with tears in his eyes after the game. "It's one thing to go out there and go play and have the competition, but I totally love being a coach, and I love coaching the University of Hawai‘i."

After going 3-10 in his 2022 following the fallout of the Todd Graham era, Chang and the Rainbow Warriors finished the 2025 season 9-4, their highest win total of the decade. Wednesday's contest against the Golden Bears (7-6) was the program's 

"They're gritty," Chang said of his team. "They've learned how to fight through adversity. I would say the first three years taught us the ways not to fight through adversity, and this year has taught us the ways that we can handle adversity and continue to propel ourselves. I think the game of college football, or the game of football, is not too complicated, right? You make mistakes. You know you're going to lose games. You make mistakes and you keep battling back. You keep fighting through. It's never perfect, so is life."

, it was Cal who came out blazing in the Mānoa sun on Wednesday. 

After Hawai‘i punted on the game's opening possession, Cal struck early with a 41-yard touchdown pass from freshman sensation Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a Campbell alumnus, to Jacob De Jesus with 7:01 left in the first quarter. Sagapolutele was an efficient 5-for-5 with 64 yards on the first Cal possession. 

The Rainbow Warriors went scoreless in the first quarter as 

 missed a 50-yard field goal attempt, just his second miss of the year. 

Cal took a 14-0 lead when running back Kendrick Raphael went 19 yards to the end zone untouched in the first play of the second quarter. The onslaught appeared to be on when Anthony League put Cal ahead 21-0 with 9:38 left in the second quarter. 

Cal's early lead did not deter the sellout turnstile crowd of 14,301, the vast majority of whom stayed in their seats from the sunny 3 p.m. kickoff to the game's dramatic finish. 

Hawai‘i got on the board with a 13-yard touchdown from Micah Alejado to Pofele Ashlock with 3:57 left in the second quarter, then trimmed the lead to 21-10 after a 29-yard Kansei Matsuzawa field goal with 27 seconds left in the first half. 

A 39-yard Matsuzawa field goal cut Cal's lead to 21-13 with 5:58 left in the third quarter. The Rainbow Warriors then tied the game on Alejado's 3-yard touchdown pass to Ashlock and ensuing underhand pass to Cam Barfield on the two-point conversion, tying things at 21 with 13:50 left in the fourth quarter. 

After Chase Meyer's 22-yard chip shot put California broke the tie, Hawai‘i took its first lead of the game on a 17-yard touchdown from Alejado to Brandon White. 

Cal answered with a quarterback sneak from Sagapolutele to go back up 31-28 with 1:57 remaining. Down to one timeout, Chang says the Rainbow Warriors were more than content with getting in field goal range to give 

, an opportunity to send the game to overtime. 

Alejado, whose helmet fell off multiple times throughout the course of the contest, also took a number of big hits that caused him to stay down on the turf. The final instance saw the redshirt freshman rolling around in pain, forcing the 'Bows to use their final timeout. 

 entered the game in Alejado's place and wasn't thinking tie, floating a 22-yard touchdown to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left. 

"It was God working through me, working through our team. Just all season, that was just God's work," Weaver said. "I said a quick little prayer before I went out there, and I feel like he took care of the rest. It's pretty surreal."

In the final play of the game, Cal desperately tried to prolong the game with laterals, only for Hawai‘i to get the final stop on its own 42 yard line. After the victory was sealed, the teams engaged in a brief skirmish. 

"I think these guys are definitely a rival now," UH senior running back 

 said. "They really thought they were Hawai‘i's team and that's the title that we hold and we're proud of."

Sims was supposed to play in his first Hawai‘i Bowl in 2021, but the game was canceled due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the team. Less than a month later, Chang was introduced as the team's new head coach following dozens of player departures and a Hawai‘i Senate hearing against Graham. 

"A lot of guys down 21 points, that's a tough spot to be in. This is just one of those memorable games that will go down in Hawai‘i history that you can never forget," Sims said. "We've always been the underdogs. I don't think you could have really written a better script than tonight. 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Just so proud of these guys. It's just a hell of finish.\""}]

The quarterback duel between Alejado and Sagapolutele lived up to the hype, as Alejado completed 32 of his 46 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Sagapolutele went 28-for-39 with 343 yards and a touchdown. Neither team turned the ball over, a Hawai‘i Bowl first. 

Ashlock was named the Hawai‘i Bowl MVP after catching 14 passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns, shouldering the load at receiver following the 

"I think lately, I haven't been confident in the most ways. So, going out there was just amazing, just going out there and just playing my game, and having Micah just be right there with me and the team right there with me, and to come out here and do it in the biggest stage, in front of a whole bunch of fans, man, it was amazing," Ashlock said. 

Peter Manuma and Wynden Ho‘ohuli each had eight tackles to lead UH, while Cal safety Aiden Manutai, a Kahuku product, had three tackles. 

, who was thrust into the role after the firing of Justin Wilcox, dropped to 34-34 in his career. Rolovich was a UH quarterback from 2000 to 2001, a student assistant from 2003 to 2004, an assistant coach from 2008 to 2011 and the head coach from 2016 to 2019 before taking the Washington State job. Following the game, Rolovich is set to begin his post as Cal's quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach under new head coach Tosh Lupoi. 

"Incredible emotional ride for me this week," Rolovich said. "Not only coming back to UH. The Sheraton bowl, I don't know if there's a better bowl in the country, the experience they gave these guys. When you wear that (Hawai‘i) jersey, you know what it's gonna be like and you're gonna fight until the end and they did and they deserve credit for that."

With the 2025 season complete, the next event on the docket for the Rainbow Warriors is the upcoming NCAA Transfer Portal period, which runs from Jan. 2-16. Spring practices have yet to be announced for the 'Bows. Hawai‘i will begin its 2026 regular season at Stanford. 

, believes the win will serve as a launch pad for what figures to be a promising 2026 for the 'Bows. 

"It's a great launch pad for us. This definitely was a turnaround year for us, and just showing the state our potential, getting the state back," Alejado said. "Going into next year full steam ahead with all the momentum, we're excited to start doing it again."

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