Of 874 people who voted either “yes” or “no” in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Big Q” today before 1:40 p.m., 82 percent favored a proposed OIA-ILH football alliance.
The 82 percent figure does not factor in the 36 people who voted “not sure.”
The vote totals were 719 in favor and 155 against. The Big Q is not a scientific poll.
The football union between Oahu’s two leagues would create three tiers of competition instead of the two used now. It would also set up a 10-team Open division in which Oahu’s top football-playing schools would compete.
To vote in the poll, click here.
1. Money from local business to support this alliance = ILH alumni businesses with an agenda
2. Super conference/Open division = So that St.Louis/Punahou/Kam can have friends and dont need to play each other 4 times every season
3. Three divisions (Open/ D1/ D2) = a place for Iolani to fit in at the mid tier D1 level
…Im telling you all this is all done to cater to the private schools hopes and desires, all they have to do is dangle a banana in front of the OIA administration and POOF! OIA sells itself out
4. OIA to ILH Two year sit out transfer rule = Cal Lee recruiting kids at a younger age, isnt that what St. Louis needs, kids at a younger age to fill-up their new Elementary school. The increased ticket sales at the gate will also help fund the scholarships to recruit more public school kids into the ILH schools. smh!
But what if a kid transfers from the Roosevelt school district after 8th grade then goes to St Louis for 9th grade. And that was the family plan all along. Does he still sit out 2 years? I think they got o make outer island kids sit a year too. St Louis brought in numerous neighbor island kids just for their senior year without them having to sit out a ear. Tristan Nichols was one, Luca Vartic another. Hire guns.
@Mahatma Gandhi I’m not sure if I have this correct but I believe Vartic could do that because he was attending a Charter School. Again I could be wrong. It didn’t matter, I don’t think he played much anyway.
MaGandhi – That is the ideal scenario where a family plans ahead of time to save money and send their kid to a private school for a better opportunity and education. Thats the way Punahou did it back in the day – They fielded a football team based on the student body that was available to them.
The St. Louis dynasty of the 80’s and 90’s abused that system by offering low income athletes free or partial tuition, familys that could never afford to attend private schools but had an outstanding athletic son that could help their football team win championships. Punahou has since followed suit and have been recruiting the same demographic (polynesian athletes) to help their football team win games.
This unfair advantage of recruiting and mentality that money can buy these ILH people anything is why the ILH and OIA need to remain separated. Always remember that the Sharks at the top of the food chain will never do anything unless it benefits them more, you may think that this alliance benefits the community and athletes but it doesnt. Our polynesian kids are being used as pawns, spectacles of entertainment for the benefit of the wealthy upper class.
Would eventually like to see a merge but this needs to be fine tuned on so many levels. The sit out transfer rule for two years is ridiculous for one thing , did the kid commit a crime? Penalize the school in question, hell they did it to us RR in 2010. As a schools admin it is your obligation to know the intricate details of each student enrolled. So many topics needs to be ironed out and favorable for the KIDS success to garner scholarship offers. If you keep them the center of attention then your heart shouldn’t be questioned.
There must be checks and balances to make this work I would like to say that the ILH should have a minimum and/or a fair number of recruited players playing each game exspecially for the pundits. And for the OIA to put there best teams in each year which would be reviewed annually taken from the proposal. The coachs and staff would decide very simple no Rocket Science.
HaterofElitist, St Louis went way too far in its recruiting in the 1980s and 1990s. They destroyed the competitive balance of Hawaii state high school football. Even their third team would have won the state championship. Punahou had to start recruiting too if they wanted a competitive football team. I want to emphasize the world “competitive”, not “dominant”. Punahou had to fight damn hard for both their state football championships. Nor would Punahou ever bring in hired guns from the outer islands for just 1 year of play like St Louis did last year. I was there last year when Kahuku whipped St Louis. I loved every second of it, because of how St Louis destroyed the competitive balance by their excessive recruiting. Kahuku beat St Louis in 2003 and 2006 in the cruelest of ways, last second miracle wins. gut wrenching losses for the Crusaders.
HaterofElitist (4:30pm) You couldn’t have said it much clearer than that. If people aren’t able to get the gist of your comment, they’re not looking at the big picture. They’re only thinking about watching a better competitive conference but overlooked the advantages of what ILH schools are able to provide (financial aid, better education and facilities) to an exceptional athlete and at the same time, are able to stack their team in hopes of “winning” the state football championship. It’s all about “home grown” versus an “all state” team.
Com-on man, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that every boy on the legitimate roster will be able to participate for the whole game. You can’t punish the players from participating whenever needed just because they’re recruited by an ILH school. Checks and balances are not necessary…we’re not dealing with money.
IF mommy and Daddy was paying the bill for there son to play then I would say does not apply but if you give that young man a full ride just for athletics then it falls on the school giving it in short less or minimum scholarships given to check and balance a merger with the OIA exspecially in High school Football. That way you will have less grumbling and a more balanced and competitive conference just like the old days. Kahuku won the State Football Title last year so whats the point if the ILH has (financial aid, better education and facilities) explain that one to me. At the end of the day we all bleed red and Im not a Kahuku alum (Joke!!!) Im just trying to address the so called recruiting problem thats all.:)
To Mahatma — anyone transferring into the ILH from anywhere in the state would have to sit out two years if this passes.
“UNITY=STRENGHT” “STRENGTH” (sp)?? Just because the ILH recruits doesn’t necessarily mean that they will win the state championship every year. Recruiting as much talent on their team would surely give them an advantage but Kahuku was an exception last year and past years. It was just a matter of having a good coach and staff and a talented group of home grown boys. Kahuku will be reloading for the next 20 years even if the ILH schools recruits a hand full of talented athletes…another is waiting to fill that position. Limiting playing time for ILH recruits will not solve the recruiting issue. The only way is to keep the leagues as it is today…that way they don’t have to deal with the ILH recruiting blue chip players.
All you here is recruiting this and recruiting that Kahuku wins the States and you still hear the same thing nuff already get limo on top!!! I was just trying to come up with suggestions with all the grumbling. After all anything is possible nowadays and it seems to me a majority wants this to happen so let it be. Positive always intergrates negative always segregates or is this about pride.
@Nick Ambro, regarding transfers (mahatmas example) I think your mistaken. in guessing he can go from middle school to any high school and not be penalized. Only when you attend high school and transfer does that rule take effect.
If St.Louis starts getting the kids like they used to, then it’s gonna be like the 80’s and 90’s. They dominated without Kahuku kids on the team. Perhaps the biggest name from the North Shore that played at St. Louis was George Ornellas. Mahatma- Tristan Nichols and Luca Vartic were no factors in this year Crusaders team.