Monday, August 16, 1999

Hammerheads fulfill
promised win to owners

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Calvin Mims limped past Hawaii Hammerheads co-owner George Hetherington after Saturday's 36-16 playoff win over Mississippi and said, "We told you we'd get it for you."

Hetherington stopped and grinned at Mims as the former Rainbow running back faded into the crowd on the field, gingerly pacing himself on a tender knee.

Two weeks ago, the Hawaii Hammerheads ownership made the decision to take a financial bath and host the first game of the Indoor Professional Football League playoffs at the Blaisdell Arena.

The Hammerheads, who were 4-4 on the road this year, will travel to Austin, Texas, to meet the regular-season champion Texas Terminators on Saturday night for supremacy in the IPFL.

However, Saturday night's game was marred by brawling.

As the Hammerheads built a 20-point lead, the Fire Dogs became increasingly frustrated, the taunting of Hawaii fans became more intense and the crew of high school officials working the game seemed to struggle to keep control.

When the officials disallowed a Mississippi touchdown early in the fourth quarter, some of the Fire Dogs linemen made obscene gestures at the crowd.

Shortly afterward, Mississippi quarterback/coach John Fourcade argued with officials about what he said was an illegal sack by Chris Paogofie.

On Fourcade's next pass, full-scale brawling broke out among players. It took coaches and arena security to break it up, as fans threw objects at the Mississippi bench. Fourcade said beer and a whiskey bottle were tossed at his players.

Fourcade was furious that the officials who worked the game were unable to do more to keep order.

"High school officials! That's unbelievable!" said Fourcade. "... I've told the league before, you bring in the damned officials for a playoff game. I made a request three weeks ago to have neutral officials."

Fourcade wasn't the only one upset about the officiating.

Hammerheads head coach Guy Benjamin said, "I think John has a legitimate concern."

But Benjamin said he also sympathized with the officials, and suggested the league should have done more to prepare them.