Kahuku’s Perry
will visit Arizona
More often than not, a handshake is better than a phone call, especially when it comes to college football recruiting.
Arizona coach Mike Stoops flew to Hawaii to visit Kahuku center Jeremy Perry on Tuesday, and Perry immediately scheduled a trip to the Wildcats' campus this weekend. He leaves tonight.
Perry, one of the biggest nuggets in this year's Hawaii high school class of recruits, was supposed to visit Michigan last weekend and he's still trying to reschedule the Wolverines for next weekend.
"Face to face is always better when you're doing business," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "Michigan is losing out. Jeremy was sick last weekend and there was some paperwork problems."
Livai confirmed yesterday that both Michigan and Arizona have offered Perry a scholarship.
Perry said yesterday that he'd like to try to set up visits for both the University of Hawaii and Michigan for next weekend.
Kahuku athletic director Joe Whitford thinks Arizona might be the place for Perry.
"From what I understand, he doesn't want to go anywhere where it's cold," Whitford said. "That might mean Michigan and some of the other big schools that are interested him -- Nebraska, Penn State and Brigham Young -- are out."
Perry, however, isn't closing the door yet. He said Michigan, Arizona and Hawaii are among his top choices, but that he's still considering others.
Bulldogs hire Mafua: Kaimuki alumnus Daniel Mafua takes over for Ronald Oyama as the Bulldogs' varsity head football coach, according to athletic director Fred Lee.
Mafua played football, basketball and track at Kaimuki in the mid-1980s and was named to the prestigious Nissan Hawaii Hall of Honor in 1987. He played college football at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and served as a Kaimuki assistant coach for three years.
Oyama stepped down after last season to pursue other interests. The Bulldogs went 0-8 last fall.
Good News Bears: The Baldwin boys soccer team, which is on probation this year for a serious unsportsmanlike incident at the state tournament last year, got a favorable review at a recent Maui Interscholastic League meeting, according to Bears athletic director Jon Garcia.
The meeting was held to determine if there was any unsportsmanlike behavior that resulted in three broken ribs suffered by St. Anthony goalkeeper Kevin Fotch in a game against Baldwin earlier this season.
"Basically, the goalie came out of the box and our player (Star-Bulletin all-state football player Kaluka Maiava) was trying to go after and control a loose ball and his (Maiava's) knee struck the goalie's side," Garcia said. "The videotape was reviewed and it was determined that the collision was unavoidable."
Maiava was issued a red card after the play and sat out the rest of the game and the team's next game.
Garcia, MIL executive secretary Stephen Kim, St. Anthony athletic director Dan Molin and Fotch's parents attended the league meeting, Garcia said.
"The team (7-0 through Tuesday's games) is doing a great job under new coach Kanaiela Palazotto," Garcia added. "They're a bunch of excellent kids."
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