King Kekaulike coach J.W. Kenton came close to resigning on Wednesday because of public criticism about his team, stemming for a game with Baldwin two weeks ago.

“;It's about my honor and our school's honor,”; Kenton said.

Kenton and his team were criticized for supposedly making a lewd hand gesture toward the crowd at War Memorial Stadium during the closing moments of his team's 25-22 loss. He also drew fire for not shaking hands with Baldwin coach A.J. Roloos after the game.

The roots of the King Kekaulike “;salute”; began early in the season when the team went to Florida for a nonconference contest. While the team attended the Florida-Hawaii game, players were inspired by Florida fans - and their Gator chomp ritual - to come up with a symbolic 'H' sign of their own to salute UH.

The hand gesture caught on with other teammates, so much so, that they used it all the time - even while riding a roller coaster at Disney World. By the time Na Alii returned to the islands, the gesture was modified to something similar to a mountain peak since the school is located on the slopes of Haleakala.

“;It just became more of a rallying thing, saluting each other,”; said Kenton, who led the program to a Division II state title two years ago.

Fast forward to the Baldwin game. When King Kekaulike rallied to tie it at 22 late in the game, Na Alii fans were jubilant.

“;It was more intense than the Iolani game. Our coaches saluted our fans,”; he said of the gesture. The misunderstanding by fans outside of King Kekaulike, Kenton says, probably started then.

“;We would never do something that was offensive, especially to women,”; Kenton said, adding that principals at both King Kekaulike and Baldwin are women, and that his JV team has a female player.

Kenton said his response to officiating cost the team a possible win. With an injury to one of his linemen on an illegal chop block, Kenton says he lost his cool, which led to an unsportsmanlike conduct call. That led to a game-winning 39-yard field goal by Ceejay Santos.

At game's end, he had several senior leaders to console.

“;I'm trying to calm my team down. A lot of the kids were crying,”; Kenton said. “;It was an incredible game, but I lost the game. Instead of a 55-yard field goal, it ends up being 39 or 40 yards.

“;My first fault was getting mad at the officials. If I'm cursing at him, I wasn't going to get anything. We teach self-control, and that was a perfect example of not having it,”; he said. “;Then I was still sour after the game. I was so mad at the officials.”;

Though he normally doesn't shake hands with players, he did so with Baldwin. The problem was, he missed three Baldwin coaches, including Roloos.

In the meantime, King Kekaulike (2-2, 1-1) has eschewed the hand gesture that was born in Gainesville.

On the Big Island, Keaau canceled last week's game with Hawaii Prep. The game between Division I Keaau and D-II HPA was an exhibition - divisional crossover games do not count in the BIIF standings. Keaau canceled to focus on this week's key matchup with defending D-I league champ Kealakehe. A key reason for the cancelation was timing.

“;I talked to (Keaau) before the season even started and our athletic director had already set up the game. Their coach (Leo Aberilla) wanted to play the latter part of the season and I wanted to play the beginning part of the season,”; Hawaii Prep coach Geoy Purdy said.

“;I like playing the Division I teams because it'll tell me where we stand. If you're going to set up something, it has to be two-sided,”; Purdy said.

Here's a look at tomorrow's matchups:

No. 8 Iolani vs. No. 1 Saint Louis

The Raiders (6-1, 4-0) are in Division II, but have a penchant for hanging tough with the D-I elite. Last year, the Raiders lost to the Crusaders 49-34, but that was with Kela Marciel at quarterback. First-year starter Jarrett Arakawa has faced just one D-I defense so far - Kaimuki - and was 12-for-33 in his debut. Since then, he has thrown for 12 touchdowns and only two picks in four games.

Saint Louis (4-0, 2-0) is well-rested after last week's bye. Any additional time off helps running back Austin Wakinekona, who had a season-high 99 rushing yards in the win over Kamehameha two weeks ago despite a nagging injury.

No. 6 Kamehameha vs. Damien

The Monarchs (5-2, 2-2) played without league-leading rusher Brenan Furtado (138 yards per game) in a loss at Iolani last week. Kamehameha (3-3, 0-2) is coming off a loss to Punahou and may look to re-establish its ground attack. Leading rusher Ryan Ho had just 32 yards, only his second non-100 yard game of the season.

Castle at Kailua

This is a district rivalry, but it's also a chance for the Knights (3-2, 2-1) to stay in the thick of the hunt for an OIA Red East playoff berth. Kailua (1-5, 1-4) has battled everyone tough. Last year, the Surfriders lost at Castle 14-8. The Surfriders have gotten solid production from quarterback Bob Lastimosa and wide receiver Corey Lau. Castle burner Shaydon Kehano has 19 receptions for 470 yards and six scores. The junior is also a major threat as a returner. Blake Rapozo has thrown for 514 yards with no picks in his last two games.

McKinley vs. Kaimuki

The Tigers (1-5, 1-3) struggled against the East's top teams (Farrington and Kahuku), and now have a hungry team of Bulldogs. Kaimuki (3-3, 2-2) can stay in the playoff hunt with a win. The run-oriented 'Dogs have one of the state's top receivers in junior Chris Fiamate (21 catches, 383 yards, four touchdowns).

Waialua at Moanalua

The hard-running Bulldogs (3-4, 3-3) had 186 total yards but didn't score in a loss at Kaiser last week. Meanwhile, two Cougars ran for 100-plus yards. Moanalua (4-2, 3-2), with its different option sets, is coming off a big win over previously unbeaten Kalaheo.

Moanalua has stayed in contention despite myriad injuries. “;We've got five starters out and we're down to our third-string quarterback,”; coach Arnold Martinez said. “;In 17 years, I've never had anything like this happen. It's almost driving me crazy.”;

Anuenue vs. Kalaheo

Na Koa (0-7, 0-6) run a Double-Wing offense that puts the ball in the hands of several backs. Kalani Pua'oi and Keliikoa Aki have been consistent contributors for a squad that has endured several close losses. With a tough, but thin roster, Kalaheo (6-1, 4-1) faces a challenging part of the season. Staying healthy is key.

Konawaena at Hawaii Prep

Even with the unexpected break last week, Purdy would've preferred the game with Keaau. Understandable, since Ka Makani (3-1, 2-1) haven't played a lot of games. Konawaena (7-0, 3-0), which is 3-0 against the league's D-I teams, hasn't had a bye yet. The injury-plagued Wildcats will face HPA's two-way linemen, including 290-pound freshman Shane Brostek and senior Honu Look.

Kealakehe at Keaau

This is just short of a grudge match. Last year, Keaau won a second-round battle at Kealakehe, but lost to Waiakea. In the larger scheme, a win by Kealakehe over Waiakea would've forced a tiebreaker game with Keaau. Instead, Kealakehe benched several starters and lost to Waiakea, eliminating Keaau from contention.

The Cougars (2-3, 2-1) canceled last week's exhibition with HPA to focus on the Waveriders. Kealakehe (4-2, 3-0) is a different team now with explosive Jordan Ursua at quarterback.