ILH creates two divisions for football

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The enduring push for parity in Hawai'i high school football made historic progress yesterday when the 92-year-old Interscholastic League of Honolulu adopted a form of classification for the first time.

Damien president Brother Greg O'Donnell, in explaining his decision to forfeit games against football powerhouse St. Louis, said, "Ferocity in football is great, but when there is a physical mismatch, it's too risky." Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

The change has Damien, Iolani and Pac-Five — which often face disadvantages in manpower and physical size — playing 15-time defending ILH champion St. Louis only once instead of twice as usual.

The plan was developed by league athletic directors last week but came to the forefront this week after Damien announced its intention to forfeit two games to St. Louis because of safety concerns.

The format approved by ILH principals yesterday is intended to be a one-year experiment, although it could become permanent pending reviews at season's end.

"We decided to do this in fairness to all concerned," ILH executive secretary Clay Benham said. "Fairness and equity have been league concerns through the years. (The Damien forfeit plan) was just one reason to discuss it now. All of this is based on the adage, 'What is best for our young people.' "

An example of what many in the local football community are trying to shield young people from is the 84-0 defeat Damien suffered to St. Louis last season. The Crusaders led that game 77-0 at halftime.

St. Louis also beat Pac-Five, 65-0, last season.

Crusaders coach Cal Lee acknowledged the new format may help the situation.

"I think classification is good, not only in our league but for the whole state," Lee said. "It's good overall for everyone."

Hawai'i is believed to be one of a few states without across-the-board classification for football.

The 22-school O'ahu Interscholastic Association divided its football league into power-based classifications in 1992. That move was spurred largely by a 75-12 victory by Kahuku over Kalani the year before in a game that had to be called in the third quarter because Kalani ran out of healthy players.

The Big Island Interscholastic Federation, with schools varying in size from heavily populated Waiakea to remote Ka'u, has used unbalanced schedules in the past to address possible mismatches.

But for the tradition-rich ILH, arguably the most visible of the state's five high school athletic leagues, classification is unchartered territory.

The league has recently attempted other measures to induce parity, such as imposing a 65-player roster limit for games and going to a running clock when a team is ahead by 35 or more points in the second half.

St. Louis, a team usually loaded with college prospects, had 113 players on its varsity last year. Damien had 63 players and Pac-Five 45. The numbers are inflated because the ILH does not have junior varsity programs.

"Our biggest problem is that we have only six teams," said Benham, who has been associated with the ILH since attending Kamehameha in the late 1930s.

"If we had 10 or 15 teams, classification would be easier. But I do think classification is the answer to high school football in Hawai'i. Right now, we're dying on the vine. There must be a major change."

BIIF executive secretary Roy Fujimoto said classification "is an issue everybody is talking about." He said that continuation of lopsided scores will only feed the debate.

"People are always expressing concern," Fujimoto said. "We would like to see the small schools play the small schools. I'm in favor (of the new ILH format). I think it's a good change. I think eventually (classification) will come for everybody."

Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association, has been one of the state's strongest advocates of classification. He lobbied to have it adopted for the HHSAA football tournament, but his proposal was voted down by a subcommittee.

"I don't know what effect (the ILH format) will have as far as the state tournament," Amemiya said. "It's never good when a school feels it has to forfeit. But at least this has moved the ILH into the direction of classification."

Pac-Five coach Don Botelho, who has coached in the ILH since 1965, said his team will benefit from the move. In 1999, the Wolfpack lost to St. Louis, 89-7 and 84-28.

Pac-Five is composed mostly of players from Hawai'i Baptist Academy, Mid-Pacific Institute and Lutheran, Maryknoll and University high schools.

"I think we enjoy playing St. Louis, if we can play them just once," Botelho said. "To play them twice, that's not the best way to do it. For us, (the new format) is great. I think it's a good idea."

Botelho said he has great admiration for St. Louis, which has built itself into a national power while steamrolling ILH opponents.

"But I think their domination has kind of hurt the league," Botelho said. "If you look at our history from 1977 to 1982, we had five different champions in six seasons. We don't have that anymore. Some felt that a change at this point is what the league needs. I don't know how this new system will work. But I think we gotta try it."

Despite the new format, Damien president Brother Greg O'Donnell said last night the school still plans to forfeit its one scheduled game against St. Louis.

His statement came after a meeting with players and parents protesting the forfeit decision.

"The chances of changing this decision are slim to none," O'Donnell said. "I've heard nothing that would change my mind."