Okay, I was waiting for this to fall. Now the real story. I will not name the kid that this happened to but this is what really happened.
The kid involved moved into the area from Tonga. He was put into the ninth grade but never attended because his parents caught the mistake and had the school put him into the correct grade (8th). The boy then attended school never playing any sports for the school. Meanwhile the principle of the school changed twice (meaning the third principle in 5 years). He dicided he wanted to play his senior year and so he tried out and made the team as a reserve. The coach and the AD requested a check on the players for eligibilty and this boy came up clean since all his transcripts said he did not attend ninth grade.
The issue was brought up about two weeks before the championship game and the coach and principle again investigated the boy's transcripts and believed he was still eligible to play. The principle sent here findings in to the OIA board and nothing was said or done about the boy. FF two weeks and the day before the championship game a ruling is suddenly made by a small quorum (quorem head principle and some other public school principles) to disqualify Kahuku. A full quorem (all public HS school principles on Oahu) was then convined and another vote taken. Kahuku lost with only 3 votes to not disqualify. No student or administrator (except the principle herself) was allowed to testify or present evidence. The three captains of the team on their own went to the meeting but were not allowed in.
The interesting thing about this is that it just so happens that the current head of the quorem of principles is the principle of Mililani HS. And the school that Kahuku was to face that night in the championship game was... (wait for it)... Mililani.
Also note that the only district in Hawaii to go red on election night was... wait for it Kahuku.
Kahuku got hosed period. They did nothing wrong but the OIA came down on them like a ton of bricks. And these kids work out year round to be ready to go and this is the reward that they merit. As for the appeal, it was denied because it would be too hard for the HHSAA tournament to make changes to allow Kahuku to play.
"The injunction had been sought in a lawsuit filed Monday by three Kahuku players and their parents.
Sakamoto said Tuesday afternoon that he couldn't conclude the lawsuit would eventually prevail, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
The Oahu Interscholastic Association decided last week that Kahuku had used an ineligible player this season. The ruling canceled the OIA championship game between Kahuku and Mililani and left the Red Raiders out of the state playoffs, which begin Friday.
Kahuku Principal Donna Lindsey told Sakamoto during a four-hour hearing that the ineligible player, a senior, had been ruled ineligible because he had been promoted to ninth grade erroneously.
"I think that because it was an error and it was made by adults, I don't think the students should suffer and be penalized," she said.
Sakamoto acknowledged that "terrible, irreparable harm" was being done to team members because they can't play in the postseason, adding his was a "hard decision."
He denied it only because he couldn't tell if Kahuku would win the suit or not. Just hope this never happens to your kid.
And now you know the real story.
BTW The School and the communities have rallied around these kids to help them with this. As the team sat in the bleachers during a meeting - the whole school including teachers all came out and sat in the bleachers with them which then led to an impromptu school assembly where the principle, some teachers and coaches, and some players spoke. A real healing session for those young boys who gave so much to a sport they love.
Another very interesting story that has come out is that in every interview the person being interviewed has corrected the reporter when the reported stated something to the effect of it being hard because football was the number one priority on the North Shore. Every single person corrected them by saying that football came after family, God, church, and school. Hmmm. Sound familiar?
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