A Rainbow Discovered at Canyon : Boys’ basketball: Cowboys get a chance to schedule a tuneup for the playoffs after their game against a team from Hawaii is canceled.

CANYON COUNTRY — Canyon High boys’ basketball Coach Greg Hayes may have lost an opportunity to play a game, but he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

Hayes attributes “a lack of communication” for a nonleague game against St. Louis High being canceled Wednesday when the team from Hawaii failed to show for a scheduled 7 p.m. start.

“At Canyon, we’re used to having games canceled two ways,” Hayes said. “When the roof in our gym leaks and earthquakes. This was easy.”

The cancellation could turn out to be a blessing for the Cowboys.

With an odd number of teams in the Foothill League, Canyon’s regular season ends almost a week before the playoffs begin.

The Southern Section permits teams to play a maximum of 20 games--tournaments count for two games--exclusive of playoffs.

Now the Cowboys will have the opportunity to schedule a nonleague game on the final week of the regular season in February.

“At the top of my Christmas list is someone for us to play after our regular season ends,” Hayes said.

“I don’t really want to head into the playoffs with a week between games.”

Canyon thought a contract to play St. Louis had been secured last spring.

“We mailed them the paperwork and had everything set up,” Hayes said.

Instead, St. Louis ventured into Orange County and played El Toro.

When Hayes contacted an assistant coach at the team’s hotel, the coach claimed a representative of the team had called Canyon and canceled the game.

Meanwhile, fans, officials and players waited at Canyon High for the Hawaiian team to arrive.

“Once it got to be 6:30, we’d watch someone come through the door and think, ‘Hey, they look Hawaiian,’ ” Hayes said.

“You’d be amazed at how many Hawaiian-looking people live out here.”