Posted on: Sunday, May 27, 2001

High Schools
OIA, Neighbor Isles make gains

• High school champions by league

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

A memorable high school year included, clockwise from top left, 'Aiea coach Fran Villarmia-Kahawai, right, hugging Kylee Nakamura after winning the state girls basketball title; Kahuku making a splash in football; Kailua beating Mid-Pacific in baseball; Skyler Wilson, left, and D.C. Daniels celebrating Kalaheo's boys basketball title; pitcher Shannon Tabion helping Baldwin to a state softball crown; and Alana Souza and Baldwin earning soccer's top prize. Advertiser library photos

Public school vs. private school.

The issue is as central to Hawai'i's culture as town vs. country, rice vs. potatoes and "slippahs" vs. shoes.

In high school athletics, the bold line that separates public and private is one that is painted with controversy, rivalry and emotion. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu, which is comprised of private schools, has won the lion's share of state championships in the past 10 years — 139 of 213 (65 percent).

The 22-school O'ahu Interscholastic Association, meanwhile, has struggled with an 18-percent success rate

(39 of 213). But in the just-completed athletic year, the OIA and Neighbor Island leagues made a loud statement in the 25 state tournaments: Watch out, ILH.

It started with Kahuku's stunning football title victory over St. Louis, a program which had dominated the sport locally for the previous 14 seasons. The public school victories continued in the winter with Kalaheo's boys basketball championship win over Iolani and Mililani's first-place finish in boys soccer. Baldwin, of the Maui Interscholastic League, won the girls soccer and softball championships.

In the spring, Kailua shocked Mid-Pacific to win the baseball title and 'Aiea topped Kalaheo in the first all-OIA girls basketball final in state tournament history.

State championships also were won by public schools in bowling ('Aiea boys, Pearl City girls), golf (Waiakea boys, Kaua'i girls) and girls wrestling (Moanalua).

"It's a credit to the OIA and the Neighbor Island teams," said Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association. "They've raised their level of competition, and in some sports, actually surpassed the ILH."

Different kind of year

Public perception of ILH dominance is based not just on history, but also on allegations of recruiting, supposed retention of athletes and assumed superiority of facilities in the private schools.

Punahou girls basketball coach Shelley Kahuanui Fey, whose Buffanblu were upset by 'Aiea in the state semifinals, said she's pleased that some public schools have focused on improving their own programs instead of pushing for rule changes aimed at weakening the ILH.

"I think they realized that if the ILH is constantly winning, it's up to all of us to raise up to that level," Fey said. "I think ('Aiea's win) is reflective of girls basketball being more popular everywhere — a lot of changes have occurred. You've got the Kalakau'a clinics, Roosevelt and Kahuku have their own things going on, the Vulcans Camp (in Hilo). . . .

"Maybe at one time, the best players did go to private schools, but that's not the case anymore," Fey added. "(The all-OIA final) was bound to happen sometime. Hopefully, 2001 will be remembered that way — that you don't need to put in extra rules just to beat the ILH."

Competitive disadvantage

This year's public school triumphs notwithstanding, some in the OIA still believe the ILH has an inherent competitive edge.

"We're at a disadvantage every year," Kailua baseball coach Corey Ishigo said. "They play twice as many games as we do, and they get good players from all around the island, not just in their own community. Some of the best players grow up with our kids, but then they go off to a private school. It makes it tough to compete."

This spring, the public schools had one more obstacle thrown in front of them with the 20-day Hawai'i State Teachers Association strike. Teams were not allowed to have official practices or games during the strike, and once the it ended, schedules were scrunched and championship tournaments had to be squeezed into short time frames.

"I thought the ILH might have an advantage because they played all the way through the strike," Amemiya said. "But to me, that wasn't a reason not to have the state tournaments. I'm sure some of the OIA teams still wanted an opportunity to participate."

He was right.

Ishigo said he and his staff strived to make his Surfriders think that they had just as good a chance to win the state title as any ILH team.

"We drilled it into them every day that they can play with anybody," Ishigo said. "It took a while, but eventually they started to believe in it."

'Aiea girls basketball coach Fran Villarmia-Kahawai said her team gained confidence after beating two-time defending state champion Kamehameha in the preseason.

"We had never beaten a private school before," Villarmia-Kahawai said. "Afterward, the girls felt they could beat anyone. The ILH is always going to be strong, but this was a special group we had this year. It just goes to show, with the right kids and with the right coaches, you can compete."

Raising the bar

So, was this year's strong showing by the public schools the beginning of a trend, or was it just an aberration?

Mid-Pacific baseball coach Dunn Muramaru, a former Roosevelt player who coached at Kalani from 1975 to 1985, said he still thinks the ILH is the strongest baseball league, but added the "quality of players is going up" around the state.

Kahuanui-Fey, who will take a break from high school coaching next year, said 'Aiea's title win was "a great thing for everybody, it'll make everyone better."

And Amemiya, whose association conducts all 25 tournaments, said this year's public school success could provide momentum for next year.

"It should give them confidence and optimism," he said. "It never hurts for anyone to feel they have a shot at winning. And parity is always a good thing, because it maximizes fan interest."

Amemiya and Villarmia-Kahawai placed extra significance in Kahuku's improbable win back in November.

"I think that's what started it all," said Villarmia-Kahawai, an 'Aiea graduate. "Coming from a public school, it made me feel really, really proud."