Parity reigns in 12-team OIA football tournament
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
If the O'ahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs turn out anything like the regular season did, then fans should be in for an exciting four weeks.
The 12-team tournament gets underway on Thursday, with Castle (4-4 overall, 4-3 OIA) facing Kaimuki (5-3, 5-2) at 5:05 p.m. followed by Leilehua (4-4, 3-4) vs. Farrington (4-4, 3-4) at 7:35. On Friday, Mililani (5-3, 4-3) plays Nanakuli (6-2, 6-1) at 5:05 p.m. and McKinley (5-3, 4-3) meets Waipahu (4-4, 3-4) at 7:35.
All games will be played at Aloha Stadium and will be televised live on Oceanic Channel 16.
The field was expanded to 12 teams this year after an eight-team format was used the past three seasons. In 1997 and 1998, the OIA advanced 16 teams into the playoffs, which rewarded all seven teams from the Red Conference — including those that did not win a regular season game.
There was some skepticism from coaches before this season about the new format, especially with teams playing only seven regular season games and concern that the playoffs would be "watered down" with 12 teams.
But in a wild and wacky regular season that featured weekly upsets, teams scrambled for championships and playoff berths until the final game. In the end result, all 12 teams qualifying for the playoffs have overall records of at least 4-4 or better. And even the two No. 5 seeds, Farrington and Waipahu, are considered dangerous contenders.
"I think most coaches now are happy with it," said Leilehua athletic director Richard Townsend, the OIA's football coordinator. "Even the teams coming in fifth place (in the Red Conference) will actually get an eighth game, and yet I don't think the playoffs are watered down because those fifth-place teams are pretty good teams. We think it'll be more exciting with 12 teams in it."
The timing of the playoff format change could not have been better, since the league has enjoyed more parity than in recent memory. The parity was not just reflected in the big upsets — such as Roosevelt's shocker over Kahuku and Mililani defeating Wai'anae for the first time — but also in the scores of other games.
Townsend said the so-called "mercy rule," which invokes a running clock once the point margin becomes 35 or more in the second half, was applied only five or six times this year as opposed to 17 times last season. The increase in competition also made a difference at the gates.
"Attendance was way up," Townsend said. "Everything was successful. I think the principals and ADs will be very happy when they see the final ticket numbers."
