High school athletic
directors get to work
on Kauai

The biggest issues discussed are
expected to be classification and
state-tournament sites

The rest and recreation aspects of a Garden Island visit come to an end this afternoon when school administrators convene for their annual Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference.

Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya believes the issues that will surface are two that affect programs statewide: classification and state-tournament sites.

Each of the five leagues has a different definition for Division I and II teams. The result is a hodgepodge of teams that play in the HHSAA's state championship tournaments.

In the girls basketball D-II tourney, three of the four teams emerged from schools with enrollments on the lower end. Kamehameha-Hawaii, Saint Francis and Seabury Hall are smaller private schools. KS-Hawaii has 200 girls in its high school and athletic director Bob Wagner is adamant about keeping his program at the D-II level.

The fourth team in the tourney, Kalani, has approximately three times as many girls enrolled as the other three schools that played for the hoops title. KS-Hawaii defeated Saint Francis for the crown.

With travel costs up and budgets facing more cuts, there is a real possibility that ADs will elect to move all state tournaments back to Oahu. Currently, certain tournaments rotate between Oahu and neighbor islands.

Last year's volleyball tournaments were held in Hilo and in Pukalani on Maui, drawing relatively strong crowds. The opening round of the state football tourney is held at three sites, two of which are designated for the neighbor islands.

Champions from the Big Island, Maui and Kauai have gained home-island advantage and some notable surprises over the years. Last season, Lahainaluna edged Oahu Interscholastic Association runner- up Mililani 41-34 at War Memorial Stadium.

The conference concludes Saturday afternoon.

If you build it: Sunday's Nissan High School Hall of Honor banquet took the event to a new level. More than 80 tables filled the Sheraton Waikiki ballroom to honor 12 student-athletes and four honorees.

The selection process wasn't easy.

"This was one of the hardest ones, I think," selection committee member Fran Villarmia-Kahawai said. "I've done this six, seven years, and the only one that was tougher was in 2001."

The award winners were: Shanna-Lei Dacanay, Punahou basketball and softball; Spencer Hafoka, Kahuku football and track and field; Jessica Hanato, Konawaena basketball and softball; Trenson Himalaya, Baldwin football, basketball and track and field; Courtney Kessell, Kailua softball; Kyle Pape, Iolani basketball and volleyball; Mike Kopra, Hawaii Prep football and soccer; Tamari Miyashiro, Kalani volleyball and basketball; Brashton Satele, Word of Life/Pac-Five football, basketball and track and field; C.J. Tausaga, Aiea football and baseball; Vaafuti Tavana, Kauai volleyball and basketball; and Fran Weems, Kealakehe track and field, cross country and soccer.

The award of achievement honorees were: Larry Ginoza, former Waianae football coach and athletic director; Eddie Hamada, former Iolani coach; Charlie Wedemeyer, former Punahou football, basketball and baseball standout; and Wally Yonamine, former Lahainaluna and Farrington multi-sport standout.

With the establishment of the HHSAA Foundation, the event was a fundraiser that netted the organization more than $100,000, executive director Keith Amemiya said.

Guest speaker Norm Chow got the most out of his 10-minute speech. The Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator implored the 12 awardees to always strive for a great attitude.

"Attitude is 100 percent of success," the former Waialua football coach said. He also suggested that the athletes take the time to call and thank individuals who helped them achieve in academics and sports.

Chow also took time between lines to poke playful jabs at Kamehameha. Chow graduated from Punahou.

"Norm's message about attitude and those who had the most influence on you was just tremendous," Amemiya said. The event also included video montages for each athlete and honoree.

Higa to Fairfield: Former Hawaii Baptist setter Brandi Higa will play at Fairfield this fall, joining three other islanders.

Higa, a Star-Bulletin All-State honorable-mention selection, will play alongside former Saint Joseph standouts Ashley Hanohano, Lindsey Lee and Jazzmin Pahukula.

Punahou rises to No. 9: The Buffanblu won the state baseball championship weeks ago, but are still active in the national rankings. Punahou rose to No. 9 in last week's USA Today Super 25.

Patient boys: The Konawaena boys basketball team did the waiting, and the girls team brought home another league title.

Konawaena did something a little different this year, holding off its boys basketball postseason banquet until after the girls' season. Since boys coach Donald Awa is also an assistant to wife Bobbie during the girls season, it was simply more practical.

The Wildcats won the school's first-ever boys league championship, while the girls brought home their fourth crown. The icing on the cake, so to speak, came from the community. Former age-group coach and varsity referee Randy Morris and his family, which owns the recently reopened Kona Ranch House, offered the Wildcats the banquet at their restaurant.

"His generosity is beyond measure," Bobbie Awa said. "Let me tell you, you cannot beat the support we get from our community and the ono food."

Tick, tock: The shot clock may prevail in California, and it has even been recommended by the national high school federation.

Hawaii hasn't budged, though an unlikely proponent has emerged. Kamehameha-Hawaii coach Kimo Miller says the shot clock will be used for all games when the Warriors open their first preseason tournament next year.

What makes Miller an unlikely supporter of the clock is that his teams have used the four-corners spread to upset some of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation's best teams over the past two seasons. With a smaller, younger team that excelled with ballhandling fundamentals, the Warriors maximized their strengths.

"To date, we have the only high school gym (in Hawaii) to have them installed. I encouraged (Bob) Wagner to put it in while they were building the gym so we wouldn't have to deal with the costs later," Miller said.

The two shot clocks cost $1,200, but the installation cost was $12,000, he added. "It is big bucks for any gym in Hawaii that wants to put them in," Miller noted.

The irony of being the first with shot clocks isn't lost on the former Punahou assistant coach. "I am also a believer in spreading the floor if I have to and chew time off the clock. But I know those days will end at some point and I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.

Miller also said that teams interested in the KS-Hawaii tournament are more than welcome to contact the athletic department at (808) 982-0650.

Food for the sole: The Sole Fundamentals Basketball Camp will be held July 25-29 at Manoa Valley District Park Gym.

The camp is open to youths in grades four through 12. Cost is $100, with a portion of proceeds to benefit the ASSETS school athletic department.

Participating coaches are Wade Nakamura of Leland High School (Calif.), former UH player Kalia McGee, Fred Yepez of Freemont High School (Calif.), former Philippines pro player Eric Leano, Maryknoll boys coach Blaine Gier, former Damien boys coach Byron Mello, Hawaii Baptist coach Reid Takatsuka, former Kalani boys coach Reed Sagawa, Sean Clark, Reggie De La Cruz, former ASSETS coach Len Black, and Chad Mizunaka and Ross Kinsler of Saint Andrew's.

For more information, call camp director Kinsler at 282-8300.