Injuries and illness have temporarily befallen the Moanalua football team.
The school announced today that it will forfeit its consolation-bracket game against Campbell. The game had been scheduled for Friday at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium. Instead, Moanalua will not play until the upcoming HHSAA Division I state championship tournament.
“We’ve had ongoing injuries. The illnesses started coming around the past week (before playing Kapolei), and today we have a bunch more,” Na Menehune Athletic Director Joel Kawachi said. “Right now, we’ve brought up JV kids, but they need more time at practice.”
Moanalua (5-5) lost to Kapolei 49-9 in the OIA Division I quarterfinal round. The game against Campbell is primarily for seeding purposes at the state tourney. Moanalua has played Campbell once already during the regular season.
“We need this week for recovery, then possibly traveling to the neighbor islands for the state tournament. It’s unprecedented for us, our first time in the state tourney for Division I. We want to be healthy and prepared,” Kawachi added.
The longtime administrator added that Moanalua has the smallest roster of the remaining teams in OIA D-I that have qualified for the state tourney.
“What affected other teams like Kaiser is starting to affect us, and in the state tourney, there is no bye,” he said.
During the preseason and regular season, Moanalua has not had a bye since the weekend of Aug. 26-27, playing 10 games in 11 weeks. Na Menehune lost at Campbell on Sept. 16, 12-6 in double overtime.
“I spoke to (Moanalua coach) Savaii (Eseulu) about it, and I think it’s the smart thing to do,” Campbell coach Amosa Amosa said. “It gives us another week to get ready. But now I think I’m going to give (Punahou head coach) Kale Ane and (‘Iolani head coach) Wendell Look (a call) for their advice on what they do when they have a three-week break.”
Mililani will host Leilehua in the other OIA D-I consolation-bracket game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Those teams met on Sept. 30 at Leilehua with the visiting Trojans winning 52-35.
Also, Friday’s OIA Division II playoff game between Kaimuki and Waialua will be at Kaiser at 7:30 p.m. Pearl City and Waipahu will play in the other semifinal Friday at Aiea at 7:30 p.m.
(Nick Abramo contributed to this report.)
You can’t compete than let another team in that didn’t make the D1 tournament. I’m sure Kamehameha would love the chance.
They competed for the open not div1 state tournament stop crying
Its unfortunate, but they in the tournament already so they can do this.
Its smart Ill give you that. I wonder if Mililani and Leilehua will follow suit.
And its easy to say its a smart move, if you not the one forfeiting, lol.
I cant help but have an uneasy feeling about this one. Thoughts??
No one is crying. The whole purpose of the new format is to give teams more games. Yet here is a team willing to forfeit a game so they can rest. Defeat s the whole purpose of this new format. So if you can’t play let another team in who can.
HHSAA should just seed them without this game. Mililani and Leileihua just got thru playing brutal games against Kahuku and Waianae. I would believe that Mililani would beat Leileihua at home. So just take a rest. Look at Iolani,they will not play Kamehameha for 3 rd. They saving themselves. The thing is Iolani will probably get top seed because of strenght of schedule. Stay in tune.
Agree with 88!! Maybe bring in Kailua or Castle. Maybe Kamehameha should take that spot since they getting screwed.
89, Castle and Kailua turned in their pads. Kamehameha got to get ready for their Song Contest.
@Knation why did Kamehameha have to declare and pick a division? Why couldn’t the 3rd place ILH team have been put in the D1 tournament?
It’s not like that in the OIA…I don’t get it? No one has answered that yet.
Moanalua just got to recruit better, they should look to their band (lol), they got the most G.E.’s in the state. Speaking of recruiting, Moanalua get kids who live in Kaneohe, Aiea, Pearl City on their roster.
If they no like play, then they shouldn’t be allowed to play.
@88 The OIA has more then enough games to play, resting this week would be good. Its the ILH that is complaining about “not enough games”, do you know how bad it would look if the ILH singled themselves out with that statement? So instead they bring the whole state into the scenario and say its good for all of Hawaii to have more games…and while everyone is thinking about that idea they sneak their 2nd team into the Open div. tourney.
Its the whole reason they want to create a superconference, not because of the safety concerns for OIA teams that are getting pummeled by Kahuku but because the Iolani’s and St.Francis that are getting pummeled by Punahou and St. Louis.
If Cal Lee did not ruin the balance of powers by heavily recruiting in the 90s, it wouldnt have forced Punahou to do the same, and now Punahou’s football team is practically all Tongan and St.Louis is all Samoan. They made their beds they need to lay in it.
99boiz, yes, Cal Lee and St Louis did destroy the competitive balance of Hawaii state high school football. The all-out recruiting actually started in the early 1980s. Actually, it started with Cal Lee’s brother, Ron Lee, at Kaiser in the mid 1970s. I don’t care if St Louis won 50 state titles in a row. I just want to see them have to fight for their wins. They came way too easy. It was around 1995, I went to a Punahou – St Louis regular season game. It was then that told my friend it was time Punahou also started recruiting players too, even going to the mainland to recruit popolos. I think Punahou alumni wants a competitive football team. Iolani alumni too. Not a dominant football team, but a competitive one. That has forced Punahou’s hand. Obviously Punahou has many recruits on their team: Falcon Kaumatule, Miki Suguturaga, Seyddrick Lakalaka, Alama Uluave, Marist Liufau….But St Louis forced them into it. St Louis is a win-at-all-costs football program.
Moanalua making a farce of the new D1 playoff format. Embarrassing! They have a chance to extend their season and play more games and they concede a game. If I was Kawachi, I would have great difficulty looking at his fellow OIA AD’s in the eye. Panties! Mahu’s! Other teams have played games w/their numbers in the low to mid 20’s (# of players) and they can’t do the same? I bet this playoff format will be revisited next year w/much discussion. Menehune’s should be ashamed!
“We’ve had ongoing injuries. The illnesses started coming around the past week (before playing Kapolei), and today we have a bunch more,” Na Menehune Athletic Director Joel Kawachi said. “Right now, we’ve brought up JV kids, but they need more time at practice.”
This is the direct quote from the AD. They have injuries and illnesses thus forcing JV kids onto the roster. The JV kids aren’t ready.
Injuries and being sick often cannot be avoided. It’s part of life. So you guys want to risk injury to JV kids who aren’t prepared just to play a game?
I find you guys embarrassing and lacking empathy. It’s no coincidence that you aren’t allowed to coach and have to resort to blogging.
I applaud you Mr. Kawachi for doing what is right to keep the kids safe.
Did anyone ask the kids if they wanted to play or did the AD & coach make the decision on their own? The kids will regret not playing!!
Mahatma Gandhi- you are one of many that got his a%# spanked by the CRUSADERS back in the days. I don’t think there will ever be a school as dominate as they were. You always come back with recruiting and how Cal Lee ruined it for the state. All private schools were recruiting back in those days. Maryknoll was doing it with Tony Sellito for basketball and then they were dominating everybody. Punahou was recruiting back in the days but they did it by going to St.Louis and asking the 2nd and 3rd stringers if they transferred over to Punahou they wouldn’t have to pay for anything. A lot of the kids that went to St.Louis back in the days went there because the coaches were good and they knew what they were doing. Eventually Kahuku coaches got better and as we can see, the kids are better.
BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU CRY FOR
Moanalua won fair and square!! They only playing for seeding now which means nothing!! If you were a coach or had any football brains you would know they made the right choice!!! It’s all strategy!! Heal up to fight another day! Kailua and castle lost so with that being said, ice up for next season!!! Smart move Moanalua!!! I see u!!
It’s the right thing to do…for their kids and their communities.
Goes to show just how stupid the HHSAA and ILH were when they drummed up this farce of a new state tournament format.
As for letting other teams in…nope. They didn’t earn it according to the new format…as screwed up as it is. Should Kam go instead of Iolani? Yes. But Iolani got a free pass from it’s alumnus who is the head of HHSAA. Go talk to him.
At this point, no matter. Next year will be different…again.
Bumbuchas- moanalua’s season is already extended, not playing this mean nothing game, means nothing. They will still get to play in the “d1” tournament.
???-the kids will want to play, but it’s the adults that need to make the decisions on what is best for the kids.
I am looking forward to reading how iolani fairs against the OIA 5. I am not watching that game because I have better things to do than watch a mean nothing game.
Yo c’mon bro. the game mean might mean nothing to you but it means a lot to the boys playing. When you finally went in with 1 minute remaining in the game it probably meant nothing to us but I bet your family was happy as hell….
88, that is still 1 minute longer than you ever had. But I guess if you count washing jocks, passing out water, picking up the pompoms after the game, then no player in the history of Hawaii has more time spent than you.
Also, since TooMeke is not interested in joining me for lunch, would you care to? I will have a lunch meeting this Thursday at 12:30pm at Stripsteak at the new International Marketplace. Just tell the GM Ron, you are 88 and you are my guest. He will know exactly what to do. I look forward to meeting you. And no need to bring money, I will take care of it for you.
I think the Mililani/ Leleihua game is axed too. The JV is playing instead.
I guess not. How come all these guys don’t want to join me for lunch?
#toomeke
#anywaaays
#88
#crickets
Crickets…..
88 October 19, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Crickets….
Hey look boys and girls. It’s 88, the guy who acts tough but is afraid to come out from behind his computer.
Keep talking. We all know you never played football, wish you made a team, and wish you had any kind of courage.
One thing is to have no credibility. But now we all know you don’t have any nuts either.
#cricketsRR4L
Your always juggling them in your mouth
Hey look it’s the coward, I mean 88 back in effect. Oh little 88, why didn’t you show?
Mean, the guys 88 talks all big. I call him out to meet up and have lunch. I provide him my name, date, location, and time. He doesn’t show? And now his posts are a bit more subtle. 88 is such a tool. The only thing that confuses me about 88 is, “Was he a….”
1) Waterboy
2) Laundry Room Attendant
3) Cheerleader
4) Fan in the Stand
5) Statistician (probably not based on his knowledge of arithmetic)
Subtle? That’s because I don’t need to use a lot of words to get my point across. People who are full of $#it tend to talk a lot. It’s a defense mechanism brought on by your stupidity.
Please ignore this person, it works!!! let’s all try it.
88 October 21, 2016 at 10:38 am
Subtle? That’s because I don’t need to use a lot of words to get my point across. People who are full of $#it tend to talk a lot. It’s a defense mechanism brought on by your stupidity.
88 You talk big but we all know you are a coward behind a computer. You got balls? I invited you 2 times to meet me. I gave you the time, place, and my first name to identify the reservation to find me.
You talk big but let’s be real, you are a P _ _ _ Y! If you are not, prove me wrong. Show up tomorrow. I will be taking some out of town visitors to Likelike Drive-In since they enjoy it there. I will be there at 11:00am. Ask the owners to seat you at Will’s table. They know who I am.
I personally challenge you to show up and “talk football” or whatever your heart desires.
The question is will you show? I am betting you don’t. So does the rest of the blogging world who has any intelligence.
#coward #alltalk #hidebehindyourcomp #scaredlittleboy #itseatinghimupinside #puss #noballs
88, why won’t you meet? It’s like Candyman, say my name you B _ _ _ H. Haha you are the biggest chump.coward on here. Talk big, hide behind the comp, talk smack, but afraid to show.
I have listed so many times you could have met me. But the sad thing is you don’t even have the balls to reply to why you don’t meet me. It’s okay, we all know you are making a puddle right now below your….?