Kalaheo won't be host to playoffs

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kalaheo has lost its home-court advantage for tomorrow night's O'ahu Interscholastic Association girls basketball quarterfinals and also for Tuesday's semifinals, should the Mustangs advance.

The decision was reached yesterday morning by the OIA's protest/interpretation/sanctioning committee — including three school principals — after Kalaheo athletic director Lew Fuddy submitted a security plan to host tomorrow night's game. An incident involving a Kalaheo spectator going onto the court to shove a referee from behind last Saturday at Kalaheo prompted the meeting.

Kalaheo, which is 11-1 and shared the OIA Eastern Division championship with Kahuku, won a coin toss Monday morning to earn home-court advantage for the quarterfinals and semifinals, if the Mustangs advance.

Now tomorrow's quarterfinal doubleheader will be moved to Radford, the West's No. 2 seed.

"The committee reviewed (Fuddy's) plan and it was decided Kalaheo will not have any more home games," said OIA girls basketball coordinator Mel Imai, who was not involved in the meeting. "Home court now goes to the next highest seed (in the bracket)."

Fuddy could not be reached for comment late last night.

Imai said Fuddy's plan involved adding extra security and Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado said the fan involved in Saturday's incident has signed an agreement not to attend any playoff games, but Imai said "the committee still said 'no' " because of concerns about fan behavior.

Furtado said his main concern yesterday was his players' sense of fairness.

"They're being penalized for something they had no control over," Furtado said. "When we told them, they were very upset and had all kinds of questions. They've busted their (okoles), only to have something taken away. But I told them in life, they're going to go through these kind of things — sometimes things won't go their way ... they just gotta battle through it."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.