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Prep Beat
HHSAA hears
Star-Bulletin staff
Punahou soccer appealThe Interscholastic League of Honolulu has filed an appeal on behalf of the Punahou School boys' soccer team in its quest to earn a berth in next week's state tournament. A final decision was to be made this morning by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association's executive director Keith Amemiya after meeting with ILH officials.
Punahou, which finished second in the ILH this season, learned Friday that there would be no playoff this week against the runner-up from the Maui Interscholastic League for the final berth in the state tournament next week. A numerical formula to determine the number of teams from the ILH and MIL that qualified for the state tournament had originally resulted in a tie, as each league field seven teams, forcing a playoff.
However, late last week, MIL officials challenged the number of "legal" teams in the ILH, saying that Pac-5 should not be counted in the formula. A rule passed last June by the state's athletic directors required a minimum number of participants from one school on a combined team before that team could count toward the league's total.
In soccer, the minimum number is 11. Mid-Pacific has the most number of athletes on the Pac-5 squad, with seven.
If the appeal is denied, it would prevent Punahou from competing in the state tournament for the first time since 1976. The Buffanblu have won 14 of the 26 state titles.
Punahou finished 10-1-1 with 32 points, while league champion Iolani finished 10-0-2 with 33 points.
Softball tourney set: Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Iolani is the top seed for the 2000 Chevron State Softball Championship tournament that starts Wednesday at the UH Wahine Stadium.
Other top seeds are Oahu Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Mililani (second seed), Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Waiakea (third seed) and Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin (fourth seed).
Games begin Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. There will be four games that day, five games each Thursday and Friday, beginning at 1 p.m., and four games Saturday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. and ending with the championship game at 7.