The Big Island Interscholastic Federation's newest school is making a lot of noise in the race for the league's regular-season baseball title. Keaau making
a run for BIIF titleBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comKeaau High School, founded in 1999, fielded its first varsity baseball team this season and is tied for first place in the BIIF at 6-2 entering the final two games of the regular season. Hilo, St. Joseph and Konawaena, which beat Keaau 10-3 last weekend, are also 6-2.
The Cougars face Hilo in a key BIIF showdown at 3 p.m. today at Walter Victor Field. The winner will stay in the hunt for the regular-season championship and one of the league's two state tournament berths. The loser will likely have to win the six-team BIIF tournament to earn a spot in the state tournament.
"It's the biggest game because it's the one that we're playing," Keaau coach Herb Yasuhara said.
If there is a tie after this week's games, the title will be decided in playoff games April 23 and 24.
The BIIF tournament starts April 27.
The senior-less Keaau squad boasts a team earned run average of 1.67 and has shown considerable grit in its first varsity season.
The Cougars started the year 6-1 with each game decided by one run.
"We could have easily been 0-8 at this point, those one-run games could have gone the other way," Yasuhara said. "But these kids have shown a lot of courage as far as battling back and hanging tough, giving us a chance to win late in the game.
"We're a first-year program, we don't have anything to lose, so we just go out and play."
Keaau competed at the junior varsity level the past two years. This year's JV team includes five players who had never played baseball before this season.
"Their biggest thrill was walking around in the dugout with their spikes on before the first game," Yasuhara said.
Samoan athletes honored: Sixteen high school and four college athletes will be honored at the seventh annual Samoa International Sports Awards on April 27 at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Ianeta Lei and Maile Lei Sylva of the Iolani softball team are among the high school athletes to be recognized.
The other 14 are football players Jonathan Mapu, Mulivai Pula, Ferron Fonoimoana, Sola Soliai and Tala Esera of Kahuku; Jason Rivers, Troy Esera, Mesepa Reed, Taualai Fonoti and Jonah Lakatani of St. Louis; Enoka Lucas, Brandon Ala and Abu Maafala of Kamehameha; and Samson Satele of Kailua.
The college athletes to be honored are Nia Tuitele (Hawaii Pacific volleyball), Tagifano Soonalole (Brigham Young-Hawaii tennis), April Atuaia (Hawaii basketball) and Toniu Fonoti (Nebraska football).
Lee roast set: St. Louis athletic director Cal Lee will be the guest of honor at a benefit roast Friday at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel's Hawaii Ballroom.
The event is a benefit for St. Patrick's School in Kaimuki.
Lee, a St. Patrick's graduate, stepped down as head football coach at St. Louis last year after winning 19 Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships.
Speakers include First Hawaiian Bank executive vice president Tony Guerrero, Hawaii football coach June Jones, KFVE sportscaster Jim Leahey and Star-Bulletin reporter Dave Reardon.
For more information, call St. Patrick School at 734-8979.
Hawaii School Web Sites