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Friday, October 13, 2000

St. Louis vs.
De La Salle:
More talk

Radio hosts try to set up game
next month between Hawaii and
California football powers

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By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

St. Louis and De La Salle may never play each other at this rate, but the best high school football teams in Hawaii and California continue to posture and talk about it -- if not directly to each other.

Terry Eidson -- athletic director of De La Salle, the Concord, Calif., school which has won a record 105 consecutive games -- spoke on a Hawaii sports radio show Tuesday night.

On "Hawaii Sports Talk," Eidson said a game with the Crusaders, who have dominated Hawaii high school football since 1986, might be possible as early as the weekend of Nov. 24-25, Miyamoto said.

But Eidson backed off after St. Louis coach and athletic director Cal Lee said the Crusaders could be available.

Randy Miyamoto, one of the show's hosts, admits to booking Eidson as a guest partly as an effort to try to promote a St. Louis-De La Salle game.

"We wanted to see if we could get the No. 1 team (as ranked by USA Today and others) in the nation to play St. Louis. We wanted to stir up the pot," Miyamoto said. "I don't think it will happen, but we'll try."

The Crusaders are a consensus top 10 team, with its highest ranking No. 5 by Rivals.com.

On the show, Eidson said he didn't think St. Louis would want to skip the state tournament to play De La Salle next month.

But when Lee heard that, he said the Crusaders would be willing to forego a chance at the state championship in order to play the Spartans.

"We're interested," Lee said. "But are they really interested?"

When Eidson heard Lee's response, he said such a game would be difficult to arrange in less than two months.

"We'd have to make a financial arrangement that would take into account that we'd have to pay our section for skipping one of their games," Eidson said. "We'd also have to consider parents not being able to see their sons play a game."

The last consideration would be under the assumption that the game would be in Hawaii.

But with the state tournament semifinals on Nov. 24 and the University of Hawaii hosting Wisconsin on Nov. 25, Aloha Stadium would be unavailable.

Lee said he'd be willing to travel to play De La Salle.

Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya said he did not know if there is a rule against the Crusaders declining to play in the state tournament.

"But it wouldn't be the first time nationally for something of this nature," he said. "It's an intriguing idea but the HHSAA doesn't want to jump on the speculation bandwagon at this point."

There has been talk of a game between St. Louis and De La Salle for three years, but most communication has been through media, Eidson said.

"I've never spoken with Cal Lee. I've gotten one voice mail from him, and I've left several for him," he said.

Miyamoto questions whether the Spartans' coaches and administrators really want to schedule the Crusaders.

"(Eidson's) a really nice guy. But it seems like all they want to do is add to their winning streak," Miyamoto said. "(Co-host) Barry (Villamil) and I will do whatever we have to do to see a competitive brand of football where the state can be proud of St. Louis. And we're not St. Louis groupies. We just want to see them play competition from the Mainland."