Baldwin player Ekolu Saffrey, the Baldwin High School soccer player who allegedly assaulted referee Kaleo Benz at the state high school tournament in February, was banned from future state tournaments after a unanimous vote of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association board at a meeting yesterday.
banned by HHSAA
Amemiya says the association
will not tolerate violence like
the alleged attack on a refereeBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comEven though Saffrey is a senior and doesn't play spring sports, the move was made in part to show him and other athletes that violent behavior won't be tolerated, according to HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya.
"Even if he was a freshman, the board (made up of one school principal from each of Hawaii's five leagues) would have been inclined to ban him from any future state tournaments," Amemiya said.
In addition, the HHSAA board suspended Baldwin coach Fred Guzman from any state tournament for five years and placed the soccer team on conduct probation for one year.
"The Baldwin soccer team will be closely monitored by the Maui Interscholastic League next season and by the HHSAA if they qualify for the state tournament," Amemiya said. "If there are any reports of similar types of incidents or unsportsmanlike behavior, we will consider further penalties.
"Based on the evidence presented to the board, there was a lack of discipline and control by the Baldwin coaching staff throughout all of last season. The MIL and HHSAA had numerous calls and e-mails regarding poor sportsmanship by several Baldwin players at the state tournament, including excessive trash-talking and yelling of obscenities and obscene gestures to opposing fans."
Amemiya viewed a videotape of the attack on Benz, which happened at the end of the Baldwin-Pearl City game at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park, and he called it "shocking."
"It was not just a shove, it was a full-on assault from behind," he said.
The MIL is expected to meet later this month to decide if league sanctions against Baldwin are warranted. The HHSAA directly controls the state tournaments and has no control over league policies.
In other developments, Benz has pressed assault charges against Saffrey, and the case is being investigated by the Honolulu Police Department.
"People in Hawaii don't want to see this happen again," Benz said. "I won't tolerate it again. It's not right to attack any referee in any sport. And coaches need to control their players. If a coach can't do that, there's something wrong. Just play the game. No one is perfect. A referee makes mistakes, coaches make mistakes and players make mistakes, but you've got to stay in control."
Shortly after the incident, Saffrey was suspended from school and was told he wouldn't be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies. Saffrey's parents appealed, but the decision was upheld by the Department of Education's Maui complex superintendent. The parents made a secondary appeal to the state superintendent's office, and Saffrey continues to attend classes, with a final ruling (which could come as soon as next week) pending.
Saffrey and family apologized at the time of the incident in February. Benz said Saffrey and his father were crying, but the harm was done.
Baldwin principal Stephen Yamada said Saffrey will be able to earn a diploma if he fulfills all the requirements of his education, which would need to be done from his home if the appeal isn't successful.
When asked if Guzman's job is in jeopardy, Yamada said all Baldwin coaches are reviewed at the end of the year and are either offered the job for the following year or not.
HHSAA