After a few days of concern, Saint Louis has learned that linebacker Jordan Botelho is eligible to play in the upcoming First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
A source in the football program confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon.
Botelho drew two unsportsmanlike conduct infractions during the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Open Division championship game on Saturday and was disqualified from the game in the second quarter. The Crusaders weren’t certain if HHSAA rules would permit the playmaking defensive stopper to participate in the upcoming semifinal round.
Botelho was apologetic after the game.
“I take full responsibility for what I did,” he said. “I let my team down.”
Saint Louis won the game, 45-21, to win the ILH title and qualify for the state tourney.
If the infractions had been personal fouls, by rule of the ILH and HHSAA, a player is automatically suspended for a minimum of one game. Both of Botelho’s conduct flags were for celebrations. The first penalty came on his sack and forced fumble as he recovered the ball and dove — or “somersaulted,” as Lee described it — over the goal line. The second came on a celebration after a defensive interception.
“Celebrations. I don’t like it,” coach Cal Lee said after the game. “You score a touchdown, be humble.”
Nationally-ranked Saint Louis is the two-time defending Open Division state champion. Botelho, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior, has scholarship offers from Arizona State, California, Georgia, Hawaii, LSU, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Did anybody really think a STL player would actually get suspended?
And your point is??? Weak penalty for celebrating and is not the same as roughing.
A one game suspension was the only way this kid would be stopped. He is a man amongst boys.
Hey ??? You don’t know anything at all. If you know your stuff in 2015 Jordan Iosefa was suspended for 2 games for being ejected. Why do u hate St. Louis so much? Is it because you’re school got schooled by St. Louis? Don’t get mad bro it’s all good.
Boys will be boys, but this kid is so talented, he shouldn’t have to do things like what he did on the first touchdown.
RRFL!
Lee said ” be humble”, lol. Fights with Kamehameha and Punahou. College turn over”chains” on the sideline. Lee finally got his small college team.
rrforlifebaby…..man just stop. If one of the players on Kahuku did the same thing as Jordan, they would never get flagged. You’re just mad that your precious little red raiders will get beat by Mililani and mauled by St. Louis. That’s it. And Mililani is not even that good this year. Look at the competition they have faced…the only quality team they played this year was bluff and blu and look what happened in that game.
Farney….take it easy man. Who’s your team? Or do u just not like Cal Lee and St. Louis?
The team with the most points at the end of the game will for sure be the winner
Johnny Suite…thank you captain obvious!!!
Victor was the head ref in that game, and he called Bothelo twice, Victor loves to throw flags against Saint Louis, he must be looking for a way to beat Saint Louis, terrible officiating by some of those refs, who seems to try to find a way to beat Saint Louis.
Actually, the team with the most points AND no ineligible player(s) will win.
Lets go Crusaders!!!! THREE PEAT !!!!! BRING IT BACK TO DA HALE, DA LOU !!!
Is it just me , or is Aaron just a pissed off person. I would say exactly what I said regardless of who the person is. I don’t like showboating at any level. I also said this kid is very talented, so I’m not sure how you took what I said to mean anything else. But since you went there, here’s one for you Aaron, many of us mature alums admit that this years Big Red team more than likely won’t bring home the trophy, but we support our kids anyway. Do we have a shot, sure, but we’ve had better odds in other years.
RRFL!!
Red Raider Cry Babies lol. Thats all they do is cry cry cry. Like they are supposed to be on top of the world. Crusaders baby will always have the edge on the pop warner style kahuku team. Only reason you guys are around is cuz of natural talented over aged big kids. Any coach could go there and get same results. Three peat is coming and still counting. Oh yah mililani will smash them too lol. Kahuku should make a shirt called red haters.
Saint Louis gets called for more penalties because they play dirty. I retract that. I would say that they play physical. To be honest, it’s the way football should be played and it is what makes Hawaii football so unique. You physically dominate your opponent thru the whistle every play. They are so physically dominant that the refs throw flags on them more than other teams. Sometimes the flag is warranted, but other times the play looks worse and more vicious than it is because the difference in abilities between the STL LB and the opponents ball carriers. These guys play fast and fly around the ball and our refs in Hawaii are so bad (cannot help cuz they’re basically volunteers) that it’s hard for them to make a call on physical vs dirty play. You can ask most STL alumni and they take pride in the physical nature of which they played and some will even admit that at times it was a little dirty…and yes they celebrate and talk trash (which is also part of the game). Lets be honest guys, a STL gentleman is not always the most gentleman like (i have plenty STL friends who I love but know a little too well to fall for that haha.) Hope I don’t piss people off with this post. Just want to show that I’m not a Crusader fan but I can appreciate the way they play and I can see how it can be misunderstood. As far as the celebrations, success on the field should be celebrated with teammates. I’m all for high fives, helmet slaps, headbutts, things that help to get your team fired up, but I don’t like the “look at me. look at what I did” kind of celebrations. We gotta remember that these are 15-18 year old kids though. Kids are immature and make mistakes. Also, STL kids are not the only ones who are showboating. Got a lot of these HS kids thinking they’re OBJ out there. You just see it more on STL because they’re usually winning by 50 LOL
True dat #16 post. As a STL alum, I concur!
As a Stl.alum, I concur Ugly O. Me and the other 62 players on the team never played a snap because the housing kids took over the hood. Some of my buds from 7th grade went back to Mililani, Roosevelt, Castle etc., just to get playing time in their senior year. We were just fodder tuition paying kids, supporting the football pyramid scam.
@Lou #18
You will upset a lot of people by saying that!
Botelho is an animal. He plays like Clay Matthews with that relentless attack on the QB every play. Unless RRN pulls off the upset, and no one should be shocked if it indeed happened, we are looking towards a Mililani vs STL final with York needing to figure out how to capitalize off Botelho’s aggression and how to contain Tuilete. Those two will keep Malepeai busy picking up the blitzes all night.
@ Lou so they only take the good kids, and use the rest if the kids as tackling dummies. Thank you for clearing that up. Lol
I told you it was coming!!
Hammer called “Lou” a Scrub Saying he didn’t Train hard enough and he should have went to Kalani is funny.
Remember, Hammer is a strength coach and knows all about training, maybe he can train the kids at Kalani and maybe turn them into a division 2 mini STL?
Lou November 1, 2018 3:32 pm
As a Stl.alum, I concur Ugly O. Me and the other 62 players on the team never played a snap because the housing kids took over the hood. Some of my buds from 7th grade went back to Mililani, Roosevelt, Castle etc., just to get playing time in their senior year. We were just fodder tuition paying kids, supporting the football pyramid scam.
#18 post make an interesting statement. So 60 plus players & less than a handful are NCAA eligible & move on to play at the next level?
Per Billy Hull article on mainland D1 football players dated 9/4/18
St. Louis C/O 2018- 2 players
St. Louis C/O 2017- 3 players
St. Louis C/O 2016- 4 players
St. Louis C/O 2015- 1
St. Louis C/O 2014- 1
Botelho more than served his punishment. He did nothing malicious. First flag for diving in the end zone was warranted. Second one was an absurd sack after he did a tiny (standard) celebration after a sack with his team facing Stl sideline.
Already missed more than a half of football.
But Felipe O, my bud at OC16 did make mention of ex Stl. players @mililani,@Campbell@Waipahu,@Castle @roosevelt@Moanalua who played extensively for their real hood team this year. Blessed be to all. All is good and God is great.