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“It’s tough to finish like that, but we stayed together.”
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Kahuku players take news with poise
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Kahuku football players aren’t happy with a ruling that ends their season, but they take the judge’s decision with the pride and poise of champions
Their season is officially over, but the Kahuku Red Raiders love football and their teammates too much to stop cold turkey.
They were back on the field for an informal practice yesterday afternoon, a few hours after Judge Karl Sakamoto’s ruling denied an injunction that could have sent Kahuku into the state tournament despite disqualification by the Oahu Interscholastic Association hours before the league’s Division I championship game. Sakamoto’s ruling, widely expected to favor the OIA, closed a 4 1/2 -hour hearing.
The downtown courthouse was home to a final battle that ended the trials and tribulations of a dominant, top-ranked team. Until five days ago, there was no way to stop Kahuku, a team that won all 10 of its games going into the OIA Red final. However, the Red Raiders had no defense for an unexpected, off-field Goliath: a clerical error regarding the eligibility of a fifth-year senior.
Players who made the trek from the North Shore to town were visibly disappointed by the ruling.
None, however, was shocked.
In the recent history of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, forfeiture of games due to participation of ineligible players had never been successfully reversed. This time, in a court of law, a judge was bound by that law, agreeing with a league that leaned heavily on its bylaws.
The Red Raiders pinned their hopes on attorney Bella Au Belatti. Quarterback Evan Moe was one of the co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the OIA, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and the Department of Education superintendent.
“Bella did a good job. She fought all the way and never gave up. She resembles our community,” Moe said. “It was a matter of us going in there and keep on fighting. It’s all good. Our community never gave up and we never gave up.”
Reggie Torres runs one of the tightest ships in the islands as a football, wrestling and judo coach going back to 1985, but another ruling against the Red Raiders left him saddened and a bit angry.
He noted the initial sorrow of his players when they were told about the OIA’s rules and sanctions meeting on Thursday night. The team got a boost of hope the next morning when principal Donna Lindsey returned to town for an appeal meeting with OIA principals — an appeal that was shot down by all but three administrators. One of the principals who voted to repeal the initial ouster of Kahuku was OIA president Meredith Maeda.
“I was happy about that. He voted in support of us,” Torres said. “But I was surprised we didn’t have more support.”
Besides Maeda and Lindsey, only Anuenue’s Charles Naumu voted in support of Kahuku’s appeal.
News of the disqualification on Friday was the worst-case scenario, Torres said, but when parents and players hired attorney Eric Seitz over the weekend, optimism returned. Seitz, away on the mainland this week for previous obligations, handed the case over to Au Belatti, one of his assistants.
Dozens of Red Raiders were in the courthouse yesterday, dressed in white long-sleeved shirts and ties. Some wore lavalava with their shirts and ties, their Sunday best. They held back their tears as best they could.
“It’s tough to finish like that, but we stayed together. The community stayed together strong. We thank our community for all their support,” nose guard Mark Sauvao said of the faithful fans in red shirts who packed the courthouse and lined the corridor outside — roughly 100 supporters in all.
As Sakamoto began to reveal his decision, at least one Red Raider felt hopeful.
“For a second, I thought he was going to change his mind, but I had a feeling he was going back to the original, and that ended up happening,” senior safety Tigi Hill said. “You can’t do anything about it. The seniors, we’ll try our best for the college scouts. Hopefully, they’ll see how we worked hard. We really wanted it this year.”
Senior tight end Shairone Thompson, another all-state candidate, was choked up with emotion, but kept a brave face.
“We just have to move on. At least we can say we tried and we never gave up,” he said. “It was worth it because we proved that together, we came out strong. I just wanted to play one more game. Just one more game. Not just let adults give the verdict on us.”
For the HHSAA, the denial of the injunction means there will be no delay of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships, which starts with games Friday.
“No matter what happened, I was going to be torn either way,” HHSAA executive director Christopher Chun said. “It’s not that I’m happy that we’re excluding Kahuku. It’s a relief that I can proceed with the tournament. Obviously, I’m not happy, but it’s a relief.”
“Now we gotta finish high school and hopefully go into college,” Moe added. “I’m kind of sad right now, (but) the football team embraced me and my family, so I’m happy.”
With that, the Red Raiders began the long drive back to campus. Not surprisingly, Moe and his teammates planned to have another unofficial practice on the field.
Since Friday, the Red Raiders have been football nomads of sorts, pent up and ready to play more elite-level football, but barred from competition until next season.
“We’ll be back next year,” cornerback Kawehena Johnson promised. “We’ll be back.”
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