Revised formats get mixed reviews

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state tournaments are on, but the ripple effect of the revised, smaller tournaments is being felt.

Mid-Pacific, the regular-season baseball champion of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, saw its automatic berth to the state tournament taken away under the new setup.

The ILH was awarded only one berth in the revised eight-team tournament rather than two under the traditional 12-team format.

So the Owls will have to either win the ILH double-elimination tournament or they'll have to win a playoff with the team that does.

"The kids are disappointed, but there is nothing we can do about it," Mid-Pacific coach Dunn Muramaru said. "We just have to go out and play the games.

"Whether we're part of (a state tournament) or not, I'm just glad they decided on having one."

The 20-day public schools teachers' strike ended Tuesday, but Superintendent of Schools Paul LeMahieu first announced that public schools would not participate in state tournaments because travel time took away from instructional time. LeMahieu later backed off, allowing for school and athletic officials to come up with a viable solution to the problem.

St. Louis baseball coach Dean Sato was happy there will be a state tournament, but wasn't pleased with the ILH getting only one berth.

"That I really feel is unfair because they're penalizing the ILH schools because of the HSTA strike," Sato said. "The public school teachers went on strike and these (ILH) kids were going to school and playing their games. Because of them, they (public schools) should have less teams going in."

For baseball, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association will have three teams (down from five) and the Maui Interscholastic League one (down from two) in the state tournament. The Big Island Interscholastic Federation (two) and Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation (one) aren't affected.

The girls basketball tournament will also have eight teams instead of 12. The OIA will have three teams, the ILH two, and the BIIF, MIL and KIF one each.

"When you cut 12 down to eight at this stage of the season, you're cutting out a lot of kids who are deserving of playing in these things," said Kalaheo basketball coach Chico Furtado. "Under the circumstances it was an admirable job by the leagues to get together with Paul LeMahieu after the blunder they made the other day."

Furtado was very critical of LeMahieu when he first announced that public schools would not participate. "My motive is to get people to realize that the decisions we make impacts our kids," Furtado said.

"My only statement about Mr. LeMahieu had been he didn't realize the impact of his opening statement. My understanding is he got a rash of people, not only me, who called and voiced their opinions about wanting this thing to be worked out."

Furtado's star player Brandy Richardson, the two-time state player of the year, is glad the tournaments are on.

"It's what we worked for the whole year," she said. "That's our goal to reach the state tournament."

Richardson said Kalaheo, Kailua and Castle players stayed in shape by playing unsupervised scrimmages at the Kailua Recreation Center, sometimes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

"Like the strike, you have to take some concessions," said McKinley basketball coach Jesse Victorino. "Although it won't be a full state tournament, the girls have something to look forward to. . . . they could have easily decided to not have one."

Iolani is currently third in ILH girls basketball. The Raiders were a good bet to make it into the state tournament as the ILH's third team. Now they will have to battle for one of the two berths. The ILH regular-season champion will get into the state tournament, and a postseason tournament will determine the league's second berth.

"As long as we have a chance to play to get in, that's fine with me," Iolani coach Glenn Takara said. "I'm a little disappointed since we're in third place, but I'm just happy they're having a state tournament."