Cal Lee's ILH football proposal rejected

Advertiser Staff

St. Louis coach Cal Lee's proposal for a two-tier schedule in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu "didn't get off the ground" at a meeting of football coaches Wednesday night, two coaches said.

"It appears it will be status quo for next season," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "We had a good discussion, but it didn't get off the ground."

Ane called the proposal "a good attempt for reclassification," but agreed with Iolani coach Wendell Look's assessment that the proposal for St. Louis and Kamehameha to each field two varsity teams essentially would give them junior varsity teams while the other four schools in the private-school ILH have none.

"It would give them an opportunity to develop some of their younger players," Ane said.

Lee made his proposal after ILH principals imposed a 65-player limit for varsity games next season. St. Louis and Kamehameha have suited up more than 100 players since the league dropped junior varsity football several years ago because none of the other four schools had enough players for JV teams.

A proposal to substitute a 7th-8th grade league for the present intermediate (7-8-9) and to have a JV league for 9th and 10th graders, allowing some 10th graders to flow back and forth from varsity to JV, also was subject of "a good discussion," but no action, Ane said.

Ane said the coaches would "try to talk again after they take a look at spring (turnout) numbers." Spring practice at most schools will start May 21.

"Every school has its own situations and we are all trying to do what's fair and equitable and work out what's best for the league," Ane said.