After three forfeitures to begin the OIA regular season, Kaimuki’s girls basketball team is off the league schedule.
The recent revision on Dec. 30 shows no remaining games for the Bulldogs. They forfeited games against Moanalua (Dec. 23), Kalani (Dec. 28) and Kahuku (Dec. 30). Lack of players has hindered the program in recent seasons. This year, the program was down to four players after one student-athlete opted to play soccer instead.
Kaimuki isn’t the only girls basketball program struggling in the first season since the cancellation of winter sports last year. Anuenue forfeited its season opener against Kahuku on Dec. 23. On the same night, Castle forfeited to Roosevelt and Waialua forfeited to Campbell.
On Tuesday, there were four more forfeitures. Kailua bowed out against McKinley, Waialua forfeited to Waipahu, Anuenue forfeited to Farrington and Kaimuki-Kalani.
On Thursday, Kailua forfeited to Roosevelt, Castle forfeited to Kalani, Kaimuki forfeited to Kahuku and Waialua forfeited to Kapolei.
Positive COVID cases are on the rise across the state, affecting every high school sport. A number of preseason games in boys basketball were recently cancelled due to positive cases, and more have been scratched off the slate as a precaution.
Even before the pandemic, numbers were declining in OIA girls basketball while volleyball, softball and soccer remained fairly robust. The future of girls basketball in the OIA seems grim at schools with smaller enrollments. A number of programs were unable to field junior varsity teams. The level of parity across the state has declined with lower numbers at several mid- and small-sized high schools.
The preponderance of forfeitures, though, seems isolated to the OIA. The spike in positive cases, mostly due to the Omicron variant, has resulted in consecutive days of more than 3,000 new cases. There have been, however, no reports of cluster outbreaks at high schools.
Just four years ago, Kaimuki played in the OIA Division I championship game. In ’16, ’15 and ’10, then-coach Mona Faasoa guided the Bulldogs to OIA D-II titles.
Castle was the OIA D-II champion in ’19.
The good news is that Anuenue, Castle and Kailua remain on the schedule. Games are being played, Spectators with proof of vaccination are still allowed. Spectators who are not vaccinated must show a negative test result — from a certified site — within 48 hours of the event.
I hope it doesn’t happen but a pause in the season is looking more and more likely
Too bad. Any Park leagues to mentor young ones?
Too bad. Any Park leagues to mentor young ones? 10th Ave gym and Crane Park use to have plenty kids.
PAL had a girls season recently, I’m told. There’s at least two other leagues beginning in January for teams in younger divisions, not sure if they have girls divisions. From what I’ve seen past years, leagues offer girls age-level divisions and roughly half of those girls divisions get cancelled due to lack of teams.
Pandemic did nothing to help the situation, of course.
Wait … did @really get banned from posting information? He always had good information about girls basketball and was writing good comments with background info. I notice that his past comments got eliminated. Did he say something to get kicked out? What happened?
1. Nobody has been banned.
2. His personal attacks were not “good”.
^^^ Thanks and good to know. Hope he returns with more background info and less personal attacks.
@really, where you at? Looking forward to your insights in the other stories.