ILH looking to get tougher on ejections
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu is expected to propose a rule regarding player and coach ejections that is similar to one that is used by the other four leagues in the state.
The O'ahu Interscholastic Association, Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation and Maui Interscholastic League have a rule that suspends a player or coach for one game following the game in which the ejection occurred. The suspension carries over to the following season, if applicable.
ILH athletic directors will recommend to its league's principals for immediate implementation of the same or similar rule, Kamehameha co-athletic director Blane Gaison said.
Gaison said the National Federation of State High School Associations has warned its membership of recent rampant poor sportsmanship nationwide. He said ILH athletic directors will meet next month to finalize a recommendation to the principals, who approve league rules.
Last year's state football championship in which Saint Louis beat Castle, 34-15, was stopped by officials with 43 seconds to play after the benches cleared because of an on-field altercation. At the time, referee Douglas Awana said because players from both teams entered the field, "by rule, everybody was ejected."
Castle must abide by the OIA rule, which means players ejected from the state title game won't be allowed to play in the Knights' regular-season opener at Mililani on Aug. 29. Castle's preseason game against Waipahu on Aug. 22 does not apply, Castle coach Nelson Maeda said.
Maeda said he has 25 returnees, of which 19 are affected by the suspensions. The other six either did not suit up, did not enter the playing field or were already in the game at the time, he said. Maeda said it will be determined later whether the school has a "safe" number of players to compete in the Aug. 29 game. If not, it will forfeit the game against Mililani, Maeda said.
Saint Louis will not be affected because there was no ILH rule in effect at the time.
• OIA changes format: The OIA will crown two football champions this season.
The new playoff format will separate the Red teams, or the East and West teams, from the White teams. Under the new structure, the top four East and top four West teams will compete in their own tournament; the top four White teams will do the same. Since the OIA started classifying schools in 1992, each classification was represented in a single playoff.
The change was brought about after the approval of a Division II state football tournament. Leagues had to determine which of their teams would qualify for each tournament. The OIA's Red teams will qualify for the Division I state tournament, while the White teams will qualify for Division II.
Since the OIA started classification, White teams advanced to the semifinals — or the top four in the playoffs — eight times. 'Aiea in 2001 and Castle in 2000 are the only White teams to qualify for the state tournament, which began in 1999.
