New Kahuku coach Tejada
spent time in minor leagues
Former minor leaguer Michael Tejada is the new head baseball coach at Kahuku.
Tejada grew up in Kahuku and moved to Utah when he was 13.
As a catcher, he got as high as Double-A with the Carolina Mudcats while spending four seasons (2000-03) in the Colorado Rockies' organization.
"Last year was my last year as a player," Tejada said. "The community is small and they needed a coach, so I decided to come here."
He's also back to being a student --at Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
"I'm still learning as I go along how to manage a team," he said. "I've done a little bit of hitting instruction before, but this is a whole different ballgame."
Obviously, Tejada hopes to teach some of what he's learned in the pro ranks to his players.
"They have a lot of talent, but it's all raw talent," he said. "Baseball isn't the game that everyone plays at Kahuku. It's a good group of guys, though, and I think we have a good team that is learning to get to know the game a little better."
Kahuku lost its opener to Kaiser and got rained out against Castle last week.
D-II kings get rings: Division II state football champion Aiea celebrated its successful fall season with a banquet at Rumors in the Ala Moana Hotel last Sunday.
About 250 people -- the varsity title-team players, the junior varsity Oahu Inter- scholastic Association championship players, parents, coaches and guests -- attended the event.
The varsity players received championship rings from athletic director Roy Miyoga.
"Whenever an Aiea team wins a state title, he (Roy) offers the players either jackets or rings and they chose rings," Na Alii coach Wendell Say said. "The alumni helped pay for it."
In addition, both the varsity and JV teams received trophies that were purchased with help from a fund-raiser spearheaded by the players' parents.
Mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann donated 12 special awards, and Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya was a guest speaker.
A highlight tape of the championship game was played on four big-screen TVs.
"It was a real nice atmosphere," Say said. "We really wanted to make it special for the players."
The parents also raised money to enable the players to attend the banquet for free.
Hirata has choices: Iolani basketball guard Ryan Hirata plans to visit Hawaii-Hilo on a recruiting trip in April.
According to Raiders coach Mark Mugiishi, the Vulcans and Chaminade are interested in Hirata, who offers a long-range shooting touch and strong defensive skills.
OIA trims D-I playoff teams: Only eight teams make this season's OIA girls basketball Division I playoffs instead of the usual 12.
The OIA's four other playoff teams vie for the Division II title for a chance to make the inaugural D-II state tournament.
The format is similar to the one the OIA used for its first classified softball tournament in the winter.
Based on last year's final standings, seven teams from the East and seven from the West are designated D-I teams going for the four playoff spots from each division. The rest of the teams are D-II, going for the two spots from each division.
There is a catch. If one of the D-II teams places in the top four of a division, it can enter the D-I tournament and knock out the fourth-best designated D-I team.
At least one OIA coach is against the plan.
"They made the decision to cut the number of playoff teams and to classify the teams with very little input from the coaches," Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado said. "It's a step backward. Teams that are strong for a long time and then have one bad year aren't going to be happy going to Division II."
He cited Roosevelt as an example of a top-tier team moving downward because of an off-year last season.
Furtado also said he's asked for answers at the top levels of the league and that the only answer he got was, "That's what the athletic directors decided to do."
Transfer rule an issue: Several athletic administrators, including Leilehua athletic director Richard Townsend, Kapolei athletic director Elden Esmeralda and Maui Interscholastic League executive secretary Stephen Kim, say a push is on to have the state's public schools use the same transfer rule.
It was a subject of conversation at a workshop for public-school principals and athletic directors earlier this month at Pearl City High School.
As it stands, the MIL, OIA, Kauai Interscholastic Federation and Big Island Interscholastic Federation all have different rules regarding students who play a sport at one school and transfer the next season or the next year to play the same or a different sport at another school.
"We'd like to see it work the same way for public schools across the whole state," Esmeralda said. "I expect it to be in discussion for a long time."
Even though the public schools don't have jurisdiction over the private schools, it's still possible to get it to the point where all leagues (including the private-school Interscholastic League of Honolulu) agree to work it the same way.
The OIA has one of the more lenient transfer rules, according to Esmeralda. It's geared to stop an athlete from transferring and playing the same sport as he did at his old school in the same season.
Other leagues, including the ILH and MIL, force an athlete to sit out of a sport for a period of time after a transfer.
Many other topics were discussed at the meeting, including an emergency plan if public-school funding is cut.
Liability concerns pertaining to leagues that have both public- and private-school membership (especially the KIF and BIIF) was another topic discussed. The MIL, which also has both public and private schools, addresses any liability concerns under its own non-profit entity established several years ago.
Owls seek coaches: Mid-Pacific Institute is looking to fill coaching positions for its varsity girls soccer team and its boys and girls cross-country teams.
Resumes can be sent to athletic director Bill Villa at bvilla@midpac.edu, faxed to 973-5086 or mailed to Mid-Pacific Athletic Department, 2445 Kaala St., Honolulu, HI, 96822.
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Athletes of the Week
>> Myles Ioane, Waiakea baseball: Pitched two perfect games with a combined 28 strikeouts in wins over Kohala and Ka'u.
>> Tereva Moore, Radford girls basketball: Hit the game-winning shot as time expired in a win over Leilehua.
Honor Roll
BASEBALL
>> Tony Ganigan, Pearl City: Pitched a 2-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Campbell.
>> Josh Fetters, Leilehua: Singled home the winning run in a 6-5 victory over Aiea.
>> Bryan Padayao, Kapolei: Went 4-for-4 in beating Radford.
>> Jarryd Maeda, Kaiser: Hit a grand slam in a win over Kahuku.
>> Harrison Kuroda, Mid-Pacific: Hit an RBItriple and picked up the pitching win in relief against Saint Louis.
>> Noah Phillips, Punahou: Drove in five runs in a 14-4 rout of defending league champion Kamehameha.
>> Chris Mahelona, Kailua: Pitched a 2-hitter in an 8-3 win over Kalaheo.
>> Ryan Rodrigues, Kailua: Went 3-for-3 against Kalaheo and hit a 2-run homer in a win over Castle.
>> Andrew Blomberg, Moanalua: Pitched a 3-hitter in a win over Roosevelt.
>> Tyson Seto-Mook, Kaimuki: Hit two solo homers in a win over McKinley.
>> Drake Kula, Kapolei: Went 4-for-4 in a loss to Leilehua.
>> Shawn Hao, Aiea: Hit a triple to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs in an 8-6 win over Campbell.
>> Eli Chee, Kamehameha: Hit a game-winning double in extra innings to beat Mid-Pacific.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
>> Wila Lavea, Hawaii Prep: Scored 23 of her team's 29 points in a win over Pahoa.
>> Richline Batoon, Kalani: Scored 19 in a win over Kaimuki.
>> Tati Beasley, Roosevelt: Had 19 points in a win over Kailua and 20 in a victory over Kalani.
>> Karla Tailele, Kahuku: Scored 19 in a win over Farrington and added 17 in a victory over Kaiser.
>> Marci Lobendahn, Pearl City: Scored 20 in a win over Nanakuli.
>> Bre Carson, McKinley: Scored 24 points in a loss to Kalaheo.
>> Kaiena Huihui, Kalaheo: Scored 20 in the win over McKinley.
GOLF
>> Kurt Nino, Damien: Shot a 70 to take boys medal honors at an ILH meet at Barbers Point Golf Course.
>> Mari Chun, Kamehameha: Took low girls honors at Barbers Point with a 74.
CHEERLEADING
>> Brittiany Broadwater, Radford: The state's most valuable varsity cheerleader won the national varsity individual competition in Orlando, Fla.
>> Radford squad: The state's large-squad runner-up won AmeriCheer national titles in small-squad varsity coed and novice divisions.
>> Baldwin squad: The state's large-squad third-place team won the varsity mount division nationals.
Hawaii School Web Sites
