Big, big changes are afoot for football season this fall now that COVID-19 has disrupted yet another season.
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Oahu Interscholastic Association — partners in a regular-season alliance the last few seasons — will not be playing interleague games this fall because of a severely shortened schedule caused by the health crisis.
Everything looked like it would be a go for a full slate of interleague games until an Aug. 4 announcement by the DOE that public schools would not be able to begin football and other fall sports until Sept. 24 to give time for all student-athletes to get vaccinated.
That announcement came two days before what was supposed to be the first week of official football games.
An ‘Iolani football game from a few seasons ago. (Image credit: Iolani.edu.)
ILH Adds Second Varsity Teams At Saint Louis And Kamehameha
The ILH will have a new look. The league voted on a revised schedule Monday that includes second varsity teams at both Saint Louis and Kamehameha.
Those two new teams (Saint Louis II and Kamehameha II, from schools that typically have close to 100 eligible players) will play in Division I/II along with Pac-Five (previously the league’s only D-II team) and two D-I squads — ‘Iolani and Damien.
The Open Division will still be made up of four-time reigning state champion Saint Louis, Punahou and Kamehameha.
The new schedule, with the ILH starting league games Aug. 27, follows at the end of this article.
“This is about participation,” ILH football coordinator and ‘Iolani coach Wendell Look said. “These kids have been practicing and putting in time and they deserve some reward for their hard work.”
Those second Saint Louis and Kamehameha teams will not be eligible for the state tournament, which is expected to finish up Jan. 9.
It is unclear if PAC-5, previously unable to qualify for the D-II state tournament, will have a shot at states this year. There is an HHSAA rule that any league with only one team in a division is not eligible to have a representative at states. That may change, since now there are three teams in ILH D-II. Bedrock Sports Hawaii will clear up that question as soon as possible. According to Natalie Iwamoto of the HHSAA, no answer is available yet.
Interestingly, many games will be held at Aloha Stadium, the place where no University of Hawaii football games will be held this season for the first time since it opened in 1975.
Saint Louis, the only team in the state with a nonleague matchup, plays this Friday at 4 p.m. Hawaii time at Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. The Gaels are ranked No. 12 in the nation by MaxPreps. The Crusaders are No. 30.
OIA Is In The Process of Whittling Its Schedule
The OIA, which loses about nine weekends of games because of the COVID-19 safety issue, is hoping to start official games Oct. 15, according to league football coordinator Harold Tanaka.
That start date comes after three weeks of practice that starts Sept. 24.
Tanaka is in the process of finalizing the OIA revised schedule and is not sure exactly how many regular-season games each team will get before the playoffs.
The Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Maui Interscholastic League and Kauai Interscholastic Federation revised schedules are expected to be out soon.
It should be noted that all Hawaii football and other sports schedules are subject to change due to the pandemic.
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ALSO AT BedrockSportsHawaii.com: Maui Mourns The Loss Of Sportswriter, Broadcaster, Coach Fred Guzman
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2021 ILH Regular-Season Football Schedule
WEEK 1
FRIDAY, AUG. 27
Open
>> Kamehameha vs. Punahou, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division I/II
>> Damien at ‘Iolani, 3:15 p.m.
>> Pac-Five vs. Saint Louis II, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
WEEK 2
FRIDAY, SEPT. 3
Open
>> Saint Louis vs. Punahou, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division I/II
>> PAC-5 at ‘Iolani, 3:15 p.m.
>> Damien vs. Kamehameha II, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
WEEK 3
FRIDAY, SEPT. 10
Open
>> Saint Louis vs. Kamehameha, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division I/II
>> ‘Iolani vs. Kamehameha II, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 11
Division I/II
>> Damien vs. PAC-5, at Saint Louis School field, 10 a.m.
WEEK 4
FRIDAY, SEPT. 17
Division I/II
>> Damien vs. Saint Louis II, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
>> ‘Iolani vs. Pac-Five, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 18
Open
>> Kamehameha at Punahou, 3 p.m.
WEEK 5
FRIDAY, SEPT. 24
Open
>> Kamehameha vs. Saint Louis, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division I/II
>> Damien at ‘Iolani, 3:15 p.m.
>> Kamehameha II vs. Pac-Five, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
WEEK 6
FRIDAY, OCT. 1
Open
>> Punahou vs. Saint Louis, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division I/II
>> Saint Louis II at ‘Iolani, 3:15 p.m.
>> Pac-Five vs. Damien, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
WEEK 7
FRIDAY, OCT. 8
Division I/II
>> Kamehameha II at Saint Louis II, 3:15 p.m.
WEEK 8
FRIDAY, OCT. 15
Open
>> asdf
Division I/II
>> Kamehameha II at Saint Louis II, 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 16
Open
>> Seed 2 vs. Seed 2, time and site TBA
Division I
Championship game
>> Seed 1 vs. Seed 2, time and site TBA
WEEK 9
FRIDAY, asdf
Open
>> asdf
Division I/II
>> asdf
SATURDAY, OCT. 21
Championship game
Open
>> Winner Seed 2/3 vs. Seed 1, time and site TBA
