By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
The 2012-13 Big Island Interscholastic Federation sports year kicks off later this month and will include changes that will save the league money in both transportation and officiating costs as well as cut down on the number of weekday games.
“We’re not going to be playing as many weekday games because some schools are finishing later now, at 3 p.m.,” BIIF director Lyle Crozier said. “The later finish in the Keaau, Ka’u and Pahoa complex area would impact travel and the league would rather limit the number of school-night sports that can impact the students’ overall education.”
In volleyball, the BIIF will use a three-team format on Saturdays to cut down on weekday scheduling and save on transportation costs for the schools and officials. There will be six host sites on Saturdays, with both junior varsity and varsity matches being played. On Sept. 8, Kealakehe will host and play both Hawaii Prep and St. Joseph in a scenario that allows each team to play two matches instead of one match in previous head-to-head schedules.
“It’ll save on transportation costs because those schools can play two other schools at one time and not have to make the additional trip, plus with six varsity games and JV games at that site, the officials will cut down on their transportation costs since all the games are at one site,” Crozier said. “Also this year in volleyball we’re not playing the Red and Blue divisions. Instead, everybody is playing everybody.”
He said volleyball, soccer, softball and baseball will follow the “everybody plays everybody” plan while in boys and girls basketball, the schedule will remain the same as last year, utilizing the East and West division format while trying to reduce the number of weekday games.
“In basketball and other sports that we have to play weekday games, we’ll try to schedule the closer games during the week and the farther away games on the weekends,” Crozier said.
In football, the format will remain the same as last year with Division I teams battling for the league title with a four-team playoff, and D-II having first- and second-round winners to determine the BIIF champion.
“In Division I, the playoff will include No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in the first round and the winners playing for the championship,” Crozier said. “In Division II, if one school wins both the first and second rounds, it’s the winner. If those teams are different, then we’ll go to the tiebreaker like last year when Kamehameha won the first round and Konawaena won the second round.
“Then in the tiebreaker for best overall (league) record, Konawaena was declared the champion.”
He said the BIIF athletic directors will continue to meet and discuss schedule tweaks and format changes that could benefit the student-athletes.
Crozier also noted that the BIIF will use the newly formed Hawaii Island Sports Officials Association to call volleyball matches this season.
The BIIF football preseason starts this coming weekend. At 7 p.m, Friday, Kamehameha hosts Anuenue, Kealakehe travels to Kailua and Waiakea visits Waimea (Kauai). On Saturday, Konawaena visits Iolani at 7:30 p.m.
In bowling, Hilo High will host the Vikings’ preseason tournament on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Hilo Lanes.
In girls volleyball, Hilo High will host a preseason tournament on Friday and Saturday at Hilo Armory and a JV tournament on Aug. 17-18 at the school gym.
The eight-team St. Joseph girls volleyball tournament will be held Aug. 16-18 at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
2012-13 BIIF
Football schedule
Preseason
Friday, Aug. 10
Kealakehe at Kailua, 7 p.m.
Waiakea at Waimea, 7 p.m.
Anuenue at Kamehameha, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 11
Konawaena at Iolani, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 17
Lahainaluna vs. Keaau, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18
Kamehameha at Waiakea, 1 p.m.
Hilo at HPA, 2 p.m.
Waimea at Honokaa, 7 p.m.
JV: Kealakehe at Honokaa, 5 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24
Konawaena at Hilo, 5 p.m. JV, varsity follows
Kamehameha-Oahu at Kealakehe, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25
Keaau at Kamehameha, 1 p.m.
HPA at Iolani, 2 p.m.
Waiakea at Honokaa, 7 p.m.