Former Rams coach
now AD at Radford
Kelly Sur is the new athletic director at Radford, principal Robert Stevens said yesterday.
Since 1983, Sur has been at the school in various capacities, including the posts of teacher, counselor, coach and assistant athletic director.
Sur was the head coach of the Radford football team before stepping down after the 2002 season, when current coach Fred Salanoa took over. Sur is also a former Rams baseball coach.
"We're happy to have Kelly," Stevens said. "He brings a blue-collar work ethic with him."
Sur served as Radford's interim athletic director after Eddie Maruyama left the position last spring to take a job as co-athletic director alongside Carl Schroers at Iolani.
Buffs recruiting Crowell: Colorado has offered Kauai quarterback Kekoa Crowell a full-ride scholarship, according to Red Raiders coach Kelii Morgado.
Morgado said Crowell went to various camps and impressed Buffaloes assistant Brian Cabral and other big-time scouts and instructors, including Mouse Davis (now a University of Hawaii assistant) and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White, who also coached the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League for 13 years.
Crowell, who last year led the Red Raiders to their first Kauai Interscholastic Federation title since 1991, is in the process of scheduling a recruiting visit to the Boulder campus.
If Crowell chooses Colorado, he'll follow in the footsteps of former Waimea linebacker Jordon Dizon, who played in his first game for the Buffaloes last Saturday.
Raiders, Wolfpack a combined 6-0: The Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II football race looks to be a high-powered affair this year. The lower-tier teams may even cause some problems for the big Division I schools.
Two D-II teams -- Iolani and Pac-Five -- are off to 3-0 starts.
"We have good chemistry and a bunch of unselfish players," Raiders coach Wendell Look said. "And our experienced seniors are embracing the younger players."
Iolani has a bye this week and opens the league season Sept. 18 against defending league D-II champion Damien.
The Wolfpack got a big game from defensive lineman Russel Fisher in last week's interleague victory over Aiea. He had 16 tackles and three sacks, while defensive back Kawika Searle added two interceptions.
"We haven't played mistake-free or our best yet," Pac-Five coach Kip Botelho said. "But the guys are finding a way to get it done."
The Wolfpack visit Leilehua for an interleague game tomorrow and open ILH play Sept. 25 vs. Damien.
The ILH holds a 10-3 advantage over OIA teams heading into this weekend's games.
New coaches: St. Francis and Kalani have new coaches in various sports.
Paul Tanaka is the new girls basketball coach and Eric Perry is the new girls volleyball coach for the Troubadours.
Tanaka, a dentist in Kahala, takes over for Chris Doyle, while Perry replaces Sean Maskell.
St. Francis is dropping to ILH D-II in basketball this winter, athletic director Carey Won said. Won is back at the AD post -- a position he held in 2001 and 2002. Outgoing AD Lois McCormick moved back to the mainland after a year on the job.
Joe Otineru and his wife, Delphine -- the parents of reigning Star-Bulletin girls volleyball player of the year Aneli Cubi-Otineru of Punahou -- are Perry's assistants, according to Won.
Meanwhile, the Falcons hired coaches in three sports: Stacia Beck, a Lutheran graduate, who replaces Lori Grimsley in cheerleading; Marvin Sanematsu, a Kalani tennis assistant coach, in the school's revived soft tennis program; and former Iolani goalkeeper Teresa Bennett, who takes over for Kim Galase in girls soccer.
Bennett's assistant is Julie Seitz, a former Falcons soccer player.
Coach suspended: Iolani co-athletic director Carl Schroers suspended boys volleyball coach Luis Ramirez for tomorrow's opener at home against Lanakila Baptist.
By coaching in an offseason tournament, Ramirez violated an ILH rule that states a school's coaches can't coach their own players on club teams.
"He (Ramirez) wasn't clear on the rule. He's clear on it now," Schroers said.
Ramirez led the Raiders to the state championship last year.
ILH football on TV: ILH football games -- starting with a season-opening doubleheader Sept. 18 at Aloha Stadium -- can be seen on OC-16 pay-per-view, according to color analyst John Noland.
"It's huge, in terms of exposure for the league," Noland said. "The ILH hasn't been on TV since the 1970s."
Noland will team with play-by-play announcer Bob Hogue throughout the season, except for the first doubleheader because Hogue has a prior commitment. New KHON-2 sports director Kanoa Leahey is Hogue's replacement for Sept. 18, when Damien meets Iolani at 4:45 p.m. and Punahou takes on Kamehameha at 7:30.
A yet-to-be-named sideline reporter will also help during the broadcasts.
