Judy Abril said her son "is learning a lot of hard lessons right now" and that he doesn't excuse his actions and would "go back and change it if he could."

The attack on the referee — captured on home video and shown on KITV the past three nights — was the second serious incident involving a Hawai'i high school player and a game official since 2003, and prompted a three-hour emergency session with all 16 principals of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation yesterday in Hilo.

Konawaena principal Shawn Suzuki had no comment on the meeting, but said BIIF president Gordon Bryson would make an announcement soon.

"We understand the seriousness of the situation," Suzuki said.

TEAMS TO MEET AGAIN

Konawaena will be allowed to play in the BIIF Tournament this weekend and participate next week on O'ahu in the state tournament. The teams meet again tomorrow for the overall BIIF Tournament title.

The Feb. 9 incident occurred midway in the first quarter of the Konawaena-Waiakea boys game that decided the BIIF championship in Kona. The game continued and Konawaena won, 62-47.

The video shows Abril bumping a Waiakea player and shortly thereafter delivering an elbow or punch to the back of the head of the player during the game.

The Waiakea player did not retaliate in the video clip.

After the blow to the head, Abril again engages the player, who once more does not retaliate. Both players were then ejected.

After being escorted toward the bench, Abril comes from off camera and slams into referee Mason Souza's waist and knees. Abril does not throw a punch.

SHOCKING EVENT

Abril said he had not apologized to Souza or the Waiakea player as of yesterday, saying, "I don't know if they want to talk to me. I don't want to make them feel in an awkward position.

"The ref and the player, I don't have anything against them," said Abril, who disclosed that he is taking anger management classes with his family. "It was that whole day that was going so wrong. I was just blowing it."

Judy Abril, who was in the stands at the game, said the incident shocked her.

"Within a split second I was on the basketball court," she said. "I let out a scream that I would never forget. I couldn't believe it was happening. I just never dreamed that it would escalate into something like this."

APPEAL PLANNED

Judy Abril said the family plans to appeal the penalties with school administrators.

"We have the opportunity to appeal the school's decision, and we will be appealing it," she said.

Kainoa Abril said he was disappointed before the Feb. 9 game upon learning that he would not start because he brought the wrong colored jersey. He said he was coming off a two-game penalty for driving a student off campus and had been scheduled to start against Waiakea.

"The day was just not going right," Abril said. "I didn't eat. ... so when you don't eat, I get more short tempered. Everything bad was happening."

COMPLAINT FILED

After the incident, a police complaint was filed by Souza against Abril, alleging Abril assaulted him during a game.

The complaint will be investigated by Kona police and the results will be forwarded to the Big Island prosecutor's office for a decision on whether charges should be filed.

In a similar incident in the 2003 state boys soccer tournament, a Baldwin player knocked down a referee after the game. Baldwin forfeited its next game and eliminated itself from the tournament.

School officials dismissed the player from the team, but he was allowed to attend classes. The Baldwin coach was banned from coaching in the league and also in state tournaments for five years.