Friday, June 8, 2001

Last gasp for prep
football classification

The proposal for 2 divisions
in the state playoffs is
voted down by a committee

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By Jason Kaneshiro
Star-Bulletin

WAIKOLOA >> A proposal to implement a classification system for the state high school football playoffs may be on life support, but it's still breathing.

The proposal to create two eight-team tournaments for the coming season was defeated by a 16-5 vote in a committee meeting focusing on football yesterday during the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference at the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island.

Despite the lopsided margin in the committee vote, the measure will still go before the association's general assembly tomorrow. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu called for a minority report, meaning the issue may be voted upon during the final session of the conference.

"Some good points were brought up on both sides," said Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya, who submitted the proposal.

"So even if the proposal fails, I'm hopeful that we can continue the dialogue and revisit the proposal again."

The proposed classification system would create Division I and Division II tournaments. The Division I bracket would include the state's traditional football powers, while the "smaller" schools would compete for the Division II championship.

Administrators attending the meeting raised various concerns, including the logistics of the tournaments, league representation in the brackets and the criteria for classification. Proponents of the system said it would give more teams an opportunity to compete for a state football championship.

Earlier in the meeting, a proposal to implement a mercy rule in the state football tournament was passed. The rule would go into effect if a team leads by 35 points or more in the second half. The clock would not stop for incomplete passes, change of possession, out of bounds plays and first downs.

Proposals passed out of the committees go before the general assembly for a vote during tomorrow's session. The issues must then gain final approval from the HHSAA executive board, which will meet later this month.

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