For those that feel the ILH is recruiting players from the OIA, where else are they going to get their student athletes (some are kinda just athletes to be real)? And for those that think that most OIA schools don’t recruit athletes, you are not being realistic. Remember, just because a team recruits doesn’t mean they get em. I see it going both ways, ILH and OIA poaching from each other. It’s just more often that the ILH gets the biggest fish because there is a dollar value associated with a private school education, and many of the best athletes get funded through scholarships or “Friends of the Program” funds. Parents and kids want the prestige of private schools much of the time.

In the ILH, when intermediate teams are playing each other, they are often pretty even, D1 playing D2, with D2 often winning overall. Once 9th grade starts, the D1 teams load up on the best players from both OIA and ILH D2, and the separation usually starts there. No complaints, it is what it is.

D2 teams beating D1 teams does count for a lot… in pre-season. But once regular season begins and a team like Damien has a schedule that consists of Hanalani, Le Jardin, UH Lab, etc. etc. while a team like Mid-Pac plays Maryknoll, Punahou, Iolani, Saint Louis, (TWICE), Damien’s weak schedule should definitely drop them from rankings I could care less how badly they’re beating those other D2 teams. BTW, I agree with your one division statement. The era of the D2 state tournament, to me, has diminished the game in this state.

@OneTeam

Even recruited teams are allowed to have down years. Look at Kahuku they are definitely having a down year but that didn’t erase the fact that they had success with transferred talent the last two seasons. Same with Iolani. They may not have “studs” on their roster now, but not that long ago they were riding the coattails of a 6’9″ post who never had anyone challenge him in the paint in the ILH for 4 seasons.

Wow. How did that happen?