Despite a successful three-team scrimmage against McKinley and Aiea on Saturday, the Kaiser varsity football team has canceled its first scheduled game.
Roosevelt football coach Kui Kahooilihala informed Hawaii Prep World on Monday that Kaiser coach Arnold Martinez called him on Sunday to say that the Cougars do not have enough varsity players to safely play in that nonleague game scheduled for Friday at Roosevelt’s Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium. According to Kahooilihala, Martinez told him that only 12 Kaiser players would be ready.
On Monday afternoon, per Hawaii Prep World’s request, Department of Education spokesperson Lindsay Chambers was in the process of trying to confirm the cancellation through the Kaiser administration.
The Kaiser at Roosevelt junior varsity game will be played as scheduled on Friday at 5 p.m.
Since the scheduled varsity game was of the nonleague variety, it is believed that it will not be considered a Kaiser forfeit and will go in the books as a straight cancellation.
Kahooilihala said that it’s still possible Roosevelt and Kaiser could agree to play a controlled varsity scrimmage after the JV game, but nothing of that sort is scheduled as of now.
Sixteen Kaiser players were in uniform for last Saturday’s scrimmage against the Tigers and Na Alii at McKinley.
According to various sources, the Cougars have 19 players on their varsity roster, but that seven are not eligible yet for various reasons.
It was a little more than a week ago when Kaiser principal Justin Mew announced the Kaiser varsity would play a “modified” schedule, and although he didn’t define what modified meant, it is believed that some of the Cougars’ Oahu Interscholastic Association games will be forfeited.
Kaiser’s next scheduled game is Aug. 11 at Mililani.
Kaiser should just forfeit the season, so maybe the team’s on their schedule can live forward. Maybe even allow the other teams to add a game with another school.
Are we seeing the end of high school football? I have no data to back this up but I am just wondering if the participation numbers for intermediate and JV programs are up or down over the last few seasons? Again I have no numbers to substantiate, but anecdotally I have heard that the numbers at these levels are down and continue to decrease.
Looking at the disparity of strength across the state, if there are only a handful of teams that are strongest (ability, numbers, etc) and another handful that are not as strong, is it worth it to keep playing? St. Louis played 11 games last year and Kahuku played 13 as the state champion participants. The 3 top ILH teams only have 4 league games scheduled and 3 non-league (including mainland teams). If safety concerns about the game continue, I am curious if schools will continue to support high school football given its costs (financial and health).
just a few years ago, kaiser football was pumping with players with maino, now they bring in martinez and that is the end of kaiser football. how can you go from D2 champs down to only 12 players. no one wants to play for this coach
the recruiting stopped when Miano was asked to leave, along w/the Principal, SASA Office Mgr, Business Clerk and oh, Chad Ikei. Also their lame duck AD retired. The shenanigans made the OIA look like fools where it was common knowledge of what was going on. The Players need to give Coach M. a chance to coach and the 18 or so Varsity players are doing that for the love of the game. It’s too bad for the others who have chosen to not play. HS FB is in their lifetime for but a fleeting moment, never to re-captured again. They are building the program through the ground up with their JV Team.
Join Kalani HS football program……….kids can still pay football.
congrats to coach M and using the boys that he has and not holding clinics and hand packing elite boys from around the island AND OUTER ISLANDS to play at kaiser.MIANO AND IKEI BLEW IT FOR KAISER
CONGRATS to Coach M for not doing what MIANO AND IKEI did, going out and recruiting.Play with what you got win or lose Nothing is better than home grown pride.GOOD LUCK
HC Rich Miano knew how to attract great talent with his staff of great Coaches who included professionals like himself and strength and speed Coach Igei. In this day and age if you are not recruiting, you are dying, living proof is what we are witnessing here NO RECRUITS. I’d like to see you do it without recruiting… That just means, You don’t know football and how to build a championship program!
recruit or die ,you just like Miano and must be cheaper also.WE AT PEARL CITY NEVER RECRUITED AND WE GAVE THAT KAISER RECRUITED TEAM FROM ALL OVER THE STATE A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY.HOME TOWN PRIDE, PLAY WITH WHAT YOU GOT,WIN OR LOSE!!!!!!!!!!