Thursday, September 13, 2001
[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
All Hawaii prep The Interscholastic League of Honolulu, comprising Oahu private schools, will suspend play this weekend; the league's principals decided to postpone its games at their meeting this morning, making for a silent weekend at high school fields and gyms around the state. With the ILH vote, all prep sports leagues in Hawaii have canceled co-curricular activities in the wake of Tuesday's tragedies in New York and Washington, D.C.
games canceled
ILH joins rest of state
in prep cancellationsBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comIn a release distributed by the Department of Education yesterday afternoon, School Superintendent Paul LeMahieu announced the cancellation of the activities, including all sporting events scheduled today through Sunday.
The decision affects the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Kauai Interscholastic Federation, Maui Interscholastic League and Oahu Interscholastic Association.
"These events provide a time when families and communities come together," LeMahieu said. "I urge us all to take the time to reflect - in gratitude and appreciation for our own families and communities and out of respect and sympathy for those families and communities that have been torn apart.
"For all Americans, this is a time to reflect upon the horrific events of this week, to appreciate the heroic efforts being made to hasten our recovery, to recognize and honor the human sacrifice made and to come to grips with the enormity of this tragedy."
OIA executive secretary Dwight Toyama said this weekend's 20 scheduled boys and girls varsity volleyball matches and cross country meet may be rescheduled, but there is no room to make up the nine canceled football games.
"Football is in a really tight bind," Toyama said. He said the OIA will decide later how to resume the season.
Leilehua athletic director and OIA football coordinator Richard Townsend said extending the season by a week is not an option because the schedule already covers the maximum number of weeks allowed by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, said rescheduling the state tournament to allow the leagues to make up missed games would be difficult.
"We'll explore all of our options and I'll consult with each of the leagues," Amemiya said. "But I'm assuming everyone would like to keep the state tournament schedule intact for the time being.
"Our philosophy has been to keep the fall, winter and spring seasons as separate as possible. By adding one more week, it would further overlap into the winter season."
If this week's OIA football games can't be made up, the game between Red Conference rivals Kahuku and Waianae will be wiped out. Aiea and Roosevelt were also scheduled to meet this week. Both teams are undefeated in the White Conference.
"I can understand it," Roosevelt coach Lester Parrilla said of the decision to cancel the games. "My focus is on the kids and I feel for them because this would have been a great opportunity for them, but I totally understand it. I'm sure the kids will be disappointed, but I think they'll understand it, too."
The ILH had 37 events scheduled for this weekend. Tuesday's volleyball and bowling matches were postponed.
The Iolani girls volleyball team had its trip to Southern California canceled yesterday morning. The Raiders were to have played in the David Mohs Memorial Tournament in the Huntington Beach area this weekend. But the shutdown of air travel around the country led the school to call off the trip.
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