Hilo's Elijah Apo (3) was tackled in a puddle near the sideline as teammate Guyson Ogata gives the "safe" sign during a D-I state semifinal game at Wong Stadium. Photo by Tim Wright/Special to the Star-Advertiser.
Moments after a gut-check 19-9 win over No. 8 Leilehua, Hilo seniors Kainalu Lewis and wide receiver Kilohana Haasenritter talk about the path to a 13-0 win-loss mark, and the road ahead. Vikings coach Kaeo Drummondo credits his seniors for leadership after last year’s disappointing loss in the Division I state final.
Look at that pic! That field looked horrific! They should have played on kamehameha’s turf field. Someone was saying that the scoreboard and game clock wasn’t working. I feel bad for the mules who I thought could have taken the state title.
Both teams playing under the same conditions. What makes you think it would benefit the Mules if they played on a neutral turf field?
The field was a joke!! Same conditions yet it was the Mules standing in obvious mud and not being able to clear their cleats. That’s why they couldn’t get their footing! Since Hilo was the host, they should’ve taken the mud but apparently they took the grass to their advantage. Funny, how a state playoff is played on a field like that. Seems liability is no-one’s concern. Guess the city and county don’t mind taking that chance because they could afford to.
That photograph is literally proof of putting the kids in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. I won’t even mention all of the potential hazards of playing a tackle football game in puddles of muddy water.
The wet and muddy conditions severely hindered the execution of both teams. Hilo’s used to playing in rain but that’s not a legitimate excuse but its still a poor decision by the HHSAA authority to NOT find a more suitable venue such as KSH’s or Keeau’s turf fields. If the adults could’ve eliminated the mud and huge puddles why not take those factors out of the equation so the teams could execute at a more optimal level. Double digit fumbles and kids falling down untouched on break aways are attributable to luck and not skill. If it were going to be decided on the weather, might as well flip a coin. Outer Islands already has the reputation of hosing Oahu teams in playoffs so give the naysayers less to grasp.
Rain Check- The Keaau field would be worse than Wong, it’s not turf and the mud is ankle deep. Stop with all the excuses, you want to be a champion you play whatever the conditions are. I’m glad the Leilehua coach was a professional and didn’t make any excuses about the weather.
Football is football! Hilo would love to play on a turf field and no rain. Don’t take away the fact that they were prepared and executed what they needed too. They if not had more turnovers and penalties. A champion must find a way to win.
Not sure how The Rim misconstrues the phrase “playing in the rain is not a legitimate excuse” that is verbatim. Anyway the majority of these post seem to question the wisdom of holding the game at Wong Stadium in contravention of Rim’s spurious weather report. HHSAA should try to eliminate the appearance of impropriety while improving the level of play and protecting the safety of the players.
Why don’t we just wait for the most perfect conditions to play the game, better yet play in a dome? Impropriety? How do you control weather? Now you just sound like a sore loser.
@ Rain check – I believe what @therim was saying was that you make it seem like it only rained on Leilehua and Hilo didn’t have to deal with the same conditions. If they traveled to Leilehua on a wet night and won. Would they still have had the advantage because they come from a town that has more precipitation? Lol
More like CHECK DA RAIN haha
The two points are mutually exclusive: 1) the weather/field conditions did NOT benefit either team; and 2) HHSAA should utilize the best available field to promote the best possible contest and avoid the appearance of impropriety; although I really liked Rim’s dome suggestion even though it was mean-sprited. BTW Rim, impropriety means unfairness or inequity since you used the ? to signify your lack of comprehension in this regard. The phrase “avoid the appearance of impropriety” means to NOT take actions that might be reasonably construed as unfair.
Unfair to who? Do you see how dumb that sounds? Two teams are playing in the same conditions! Get over it, the game was played and one team won. Next time tell your kids to spray WD40 on the bottom of their shoes.
Like I mentioned earlier in the season
Jealousy and Ignorance will always be
Hilo Vikings Play Like Champions and act like fine young men
Hilo Vikings deserve all the praise and glory for an unbeaten season
If by chance you would like to comment on all their games they played in all conditions on every field they went to and have won every game with most games being shut outs!!!!!
So if Leilehua won it would of been OK
Oh and one more thing that game was planned weeks in advance so are you saying Hilo knew it would rain and they wanted those conditions
What a joke
I invite every one of you to Hilo High and look at the condition these Champions play in
They have no proper football field no proper facilities but yet They are always Champions
if you can’t figure that out
You know absolutely nothing about Sports!!
A common misconception in the 21st century is that a person who can read and write is therefore not illiterate; when in fact, literacy also includes a component of comprehension which is what distinguishes the former from the later. Now if the shoe fits ….
Sorry but you guys are acting like this is the first time a rain game had been played at Wong. This has been happening at Hoolulu Complex since 1923, and no one has been significantly injured due to the muddy conditions. Hilo would have played on the muddy side and would still have executed the same way. They took extra preparation for the muddy game if you read more on Coach Drummondo’s interviews.