Saturday, September 26, 1998
Crusade for
the truth
The St. Louis president is
By Pat Bigold
investigating whether any
coaches had a hand in
the Vegas scandal
Star-BulletinIf there is evidence that St. Louis School coaches drank with football players or helped them obtain strippers for a wild party at a Las Vegas hotel, they will be dismissed.
That's the latest pronouncement of Father Mario Pariante, the St. Louis School president, who said he recognizes there has been a permissive attitude at the school regarding football players.
He said he will intensify his investigation of the incident next week.
More than half the St. Louis football team has been placed on probation as a result of an out-of-control postgame celebration at the World Trade Center Hotel on the night of Sept. 5 and during the wee hours of Sept. 6.
St. Louis had just routed Green Valley High of Henderson, Nev., in a preseason game.
Pariante said he will conduct one-on-one interviews with players in an attempt to find out what happened. By the end of next week, he expects to decide if any further action will be taken.
"It will take some time, but I do want to call them in individually because I think the best chance of them being forthright with me is one-on-one," he said. "I told them that at our football Mass today."
At least one chaperone and some St. Louis parents have told Pariante that players were entertained by a stripper they brought into the hotel.
Security and housekeeping officials at the hotel said players trashed rooms, ruining mattresses, breaking at least one bed frame, slamming a door knob through a wall, flooding one room, and leaving vomit and pizza stains on furniture and carpets.
Security and housekeeping said there was beer in almost every room occupied by the players.
"We're trying to get to the bottom of any action involving a coach or a student involving strippers, liquor, gambling, things like that," Pariante said.
"If a coach were involved in drinking with students, or actually paying for a stripper for students, I would immediately dismiss them. Anyone.
"Certainly, Cal (head coach Cal Lee) made a public apology that there was insufficient supervision. He took responsibility."
Lee admitted that he left the hotel alone to go to The Strip at 2:30 a.m., a half hour before security said the trouble began. He said he didn't return until just before the players' bus was to leave for the airport at 6 a.m.
Pariante was troubled that one chaperone, Patricia Tupinio, who told a local TV station that players might have brought strippers in through a back entrance, did not come straight to him with that information.
"Some parents, for some reason, fear retribution," he said.
"I think that's the case at every school. People feel that if they bring forth knowledge, somehow they will be singled out by the administration, students or coaches.
"I think that's a natural fear. But one of my primary goals is to instill in the team as well as the coaches that integrity counts more than anything else."
Pariante said he "clearly disagrees" with a statement by Tupinio that the behavior of the players in Las Vegas was not unusual for prep football players.
"The implication that this is normal behavior for young football players, or even worse, that it is normal behavior for St. Louis players, is just not true," he said.
"This is an abnormality, but an abnormality that will be dealt with.
"Boys being boys is not an excuse. We don't exculpate crimes or behavior simply because of their age."
Pariante said he wants to change the perception that football players can get away with anything at St. Louis.
"I do think there has been a permissive attitude," he said. "From what I heard after becoming president 15 months ago, that faculty as well as parents had bent over backwards towards football players in the past. They seemed very appreciative that I came down very strongly last year on a number of incidents involving football players."
St. Louis whips
By Pat Bigold
Iolani, but Igber
continues assault
on rushing record
Star-Bulletin
Iolani's Joe Igber rushed for 148 yards on 20 carries to move within 307 yards of the state prep career rushing record. More prep football
But 12-time defending Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion St. Louis School overwhelmed Igber's Raiders, 54-19, last night before a crowd of 6,248 at Aloha Stadium.
St. Louis improved to 3-0 and handed Iolani (2-1) its first loss.
Igber has seven games to break former Kahuku High star Mark Atuaia's state mark of 3,404 yards (1988-1990).
Igber, who has 3,097 career yards, also closed in on former Punahou star and NFL Pro Bowler Mosi Tatupu's ILH career record of 3,367 yards.
Junior fullback Damien Cole rushed for three touchdowns and all-state slotback Gerald Welch had three touchdown receptions for St. Louis. All of Welch's scores came in the second quarter.
The Crusaders amassed 20 first downs to Iolani's three en route to a 41-0 halftime lead.
St. Louis junior quarterback Timmy Chang completed 17 of 23 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns.
The Crusaders outgained the Raiders, 630-244.
Iolani 0 0 6 13--19 St.Louis 14 27 13 0--54StL--Damien Cole 5 run (Mark lau kick)
StL--Cole 8 run (Lau kick)
StL--Gerald Welch 15 pass from Timmy Chang (Lau kick)
StL--Gerald Kaui Ho 17 pass from Chang (Lau kick)
StL--Welch 10 pass from Chang (Lau kick)
StL--Welch 13 pass from Chang (kick failed)
StL--Noah Campbell 1 run (kick failed)
StL--Cole 10 run (Lau kick)
Iol--Danny Chong 1 run (kick failed)
Iol--Jon Sadoyama 7 run (pass failed)
Iol--Igber 1 run (Ryan Shinkawa kick)Rushing--Iol: Joe Igber 20-148, Ching 6-(-13), Ben Karnuth 3-(-3), Sadoyama 4-12. StL: Noah Campbell 17-147, Cole 11-67, Chang 1-6, Pesefea Fiaseu 7-53, Kalika Higa 2-(-12), Brandon Fasavalu 1-(-2), (#38) 5-24.
Passing--Iol: Chong 3-11-0 for 80 yards, Karnuth 1-2-0 for 20 yards. StL: Chang 17-23-0 for 294 yards, Fasavalu 2-3-0 for 50 yards, Higa 1-2-0 for 3 yards.
Receiving--Iol: Matt Alices 3-80, Sadoyama 1-20. StL: Kanale George 3-52, Anthony Arceneaux 3-52, Welch 6-92, Ho 2-59, Issac Rodrigues 3-39, Frank Rivers 2-9, John-Paul Kanoa 1-44.
Punahou 20, Damien 11: At Aloha Stadium, Shaun Holaday blocked a punt and returned it 14 yards for a score as the Buffanblu beat the Monarchs.
Game statistics were not reported.
