By BILL O’REAR By BILL O’REAR ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports editor Ka’u High School will try to field an eight-man football team this year and hopefully set the stage for other Big Island teams to form a league during the 2014-15
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
Ka’u High School will try to field an eight-man football team this year and hopefully set the stage for other Big Island teams to form a league during the 2014-15 school year.
Earlier this month, the Trojans dropped out of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation football season due to low turnout numbers. They joined Kohala, another small school, in pulling out of the league. Both schools couldn’t reach the 30-player roster minimum that their athletic directors required for participation and safety.
But Ka’u AD Kalei Namohala said the school has 18 players who want to play eight-man football this year and she will work with the BIIF to get the ball rolling on a future league for smaller schools who have a hard time fielding teams.
“We have 18 players who want to play,” she said. “We’ve already scheduled a game against Molokai on Molokai, and we’ve started to fund raise for that trip. Maui already has an eight-man football league, and I’ve heard that some of the ILH schools might have some interest. If we can get three leagues to participate, we can have a state championship in that sport.”
Ka’u will play Molokai on Oct. 5.
Namohala also noted that two other BIIF junior varsity teams have said they’ll play Ka’u in eight-man football games this year to add to their game totals.
“It’s all informal this year,” Namohala said. “But it’s important for our students because we want to provide them both academic and athletic opportunities. If they don’t have those opportunities, it’ll be a lot harder for some of them in school. We want to motivate them to do well all the way around.”
Namohala said she’ll talk to the other BIIF officials about eight-man football at Tuesday’s ADs’ meeting.
“I’ve spoken to (BIIF executive director) Lyle (Crozier) and he said we’d have to talk to the HHSAA and get the league sanctioned, and we’d have to buy insurance. It’ll cost us $700, but if we can get it started, it might make it easier for the other schools who want to play eight-man football next year.”
She said the Ka’u football players are thrilled with the idea.
“They’re excited to be the first eight-man team here and want to play,” Namohala said. “We’re trying to figure everything out now, and get this thing going for our students. Then hopefully we can get up to three BIIF teams to participate in an eight-man league next year.”
Namohala said the Trojans football program is working on fund raising for the Molokai trip.
“If you know anyone who wants to donate, please have them call me,” she said.
For more information, call Namohala at 928-2012.
