THIS might have come a little too soon for some, but the issue is here. Kisor’s star on the rise
as Kalaheo kickerKalaheo High place-kicker Jessica Kisor has finished the Oahu Interscholastic Association Blue Conference season with 23 points, and that's more than any other kicker in the conference.
She went 16 for 18 in extra points and nailed two short field goals (that's two more than anybody in the conference).
So the question is, what the heck are the coaches in the Blue Conference going to do about it when they sit down at executive secretary Ted Fukushima's office this week to vote on the regular-season all-star team?
Punahou's Tui Moe, now a starter with the University of Hawaii women's soccer team became the first female to score a point in a Hawaii prep football game a few years ago and Iolani's Angela Ichinose last year became the first local female to kick a field goal.
There have been other local girls kicking and making brief appearances at other positions in programs at Moanalua, Kailua and Leilehua in the past several years.
IT is becoming more common to see stories about girls kicking in prep games across the country. And Willamette (alma mater of a number of prominent Hawaii football personalities, including St. Louis head coach Cal Lee) made news this month when Liz Heaston became the first woman to play in a college football game, kicking two extra points against Linfield in the process.
But no female football player in Hawaii has ever put up numbers that seriously warrant all-star consideration like Kisor's do.
Kisor has been playoff-bound Kalaheo's starting kicker and the Mustangs' second-leading scorer behind running back Gary Wright.
Anybody who doubts the value of a consistent extra-point kicker need only look at how important Paliku Kahalepuna's kick was in Kahuku's 21-20 OIA White Conference championship victory over McKinley last week. And does anyone recall how critical Brad Dickenson's extra-point kick was when St. Louis came from behind to beat Kahuku, 27-26, in 1995 for its 10th straight Prep Bowl title?
Kisor also presents the ideal student-athlete background for an all-star in any sport. If only every prep football all-star had her classroom stats.
SHE is not only a multiple-sport athlete, but she is president of the National Honor Society at Kalaheo with a 4.0 GPA. She needs only two credits to graduate.
I've got to think that by picking her as an all-star, the OIA has a real opportunity to gain notice for its action not only locally but nationally.
"Female honors student named football all-star." That'll fly.
The only possible obstacle to this happening is that the special teams all-star format has been changed this season by the OIA.
In past years, there were positions specifically designated for punter, place-kicker and return specialist. But this year, the ballot simply tells coaches to pick two special teams players.
OIA football coordinator Richard Townsend said this change was made long before the current football season began.
I just hope the Blue Conference coaches are enlightened enough not to use this as an excuse to bypass Kisor. I'm sure they won't.