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Thursday, July 20, 2000

Three Crusaders would
miss state tourney

By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

Three projected defensive starters for the St. Louis School football team would be ineligible to play in the upcoming season's state tournament because they are fifth-year students, according to a Hawaii High School Athletic Association rule.

Defensive back Enoch McKeague and defensive linemen Lyle Maiava and Lafaele Manupuna have only played three years each, and are eligible for the upcoming Interscholastic League of Honolulu season.

But because the state tournament comes under the jurisdiction of the HHSAA, which has different eligibility rules than the ILH, the three would not be allowed to play in the tournament.

"It's hard to talk about this when we don't even know if we're going to make it there," St. Louis coach Cal Lee said.

"We just want to concentrate on our league season one game at a time. There might be more to say about this if we make it to the tournament."

This is the first time the situation has arisen in football, because the first HHSAA tournament was held last year.

St. Louis won the tournament last year, after winning the Prep Bowl 13 consecutive times.

Although fifth-year students could play in the Prep Bowl, Lee said St. Louis had only one such player in his 19 years as Crusaders' coach.

The ILH voted this past spring to rescind a rule allowing its athletes to play sports for four seasons in five years. The new rule -- four seasons in four years -- goes into effect in 2001-02, putting the ILH in line with the state's four other leagues and the HHSAA.