Should Iolani move up to D1 football?

[HS Football Fanatic]

Anyone who supports Iolani's presence in D2 can't provide a smart answer as to why they should remain a D2 team. This is a bigger injustice than Punahou or Mililani "monopolizing" the talent in the ILH and OIA because Iolani is the only team that's got it both ways. They recruit the most out of anybody in the state and feast on lesser competition. Somebody here suggested that they make a deal: stop recruiting and stay in D2 or move up and keep recruiting. I think that's a fair deal and would like to hear soleu's and HS FB Fanatic's opinion on this. Chances are, they'll agree with me.

what we need is more people like you and the other fans from lahainaluna and other d2 schools getting on here and making a fuss about it on blogs/forums/social media etc...

u ever notice that my salty balls about "high school recruiting" and "puns recruiting" posts seem to get into the newspaper and media? not saying im the reason but if more people talk and create a buzz then media will listen i think?

so far this football season i noticed
- oc16 website and commercials used to be way mililani and leilehua biased, now i seen a kahuku player being shown this year (thanks oc16dave)
- paul honda comes on here and what do u kno, he been writing about recruiting and transfers alot this past season in the star advertiser.

u d2 people need to keep the conversation or complaints going about what u think is wrong in your division back it up with facts/stories etc....and the media will pickup on it and maybe that will put pressure on iolani.

my 2cents

Honda knows there are people who want Iolani out of D2, tries to post reasons for them to stay, but can't post anything smart in defense of his opinion. HS FB Fanatic is much better at assessing things than Mr. Honda. And don't try to debate with SA users in the comments section about Iolani FB. It'll be easier to argue with a wall.

First of all, I should reveal that I do not care for Iolani; there's only one school that I care for even less. Therefore, when Iolani won last night, it really ruined my day (or should I say, night), honest. Having said that, I also believe that Iolani should be in D1. Look at what they did to Lahainaluna last night. Having said that, if Iolani insists on staying in D2, I would suggest that we not give a rip. OK, so Iolani won the state D2 football title. But then we all add, in unison: "But that's D2!" If you ask me, being in D2 smacks of having a kind of inferior status. Personally, I think there shouldn't be D2 at all. If your alma mater is a small school enrollment-wise (like Iolani or Waialua, for example), how depressing to think that it's being relegated to D2 because of that. From time to time, even small-enrollment schools can beat large-enrollment schools in football and other sports. We know that on occasion, Iolani had beaten the ILH "Big 3" in football. And, Waialua had a very good football team back in the early-'80s, playing toe-to-toe with the big schools in the OIA. To me, the key is: If your school has its own vars football, basketball, and baseball team, it should be in D1 for all sports, including football. For the small private schools that don't have their own vars football, basketball, and baseball teams, that's what Pac-5 is for. D2 should be gotten rid of, so that all the schools now in D2 can go head-to-head with all schools in their respective leagues, and compete on the same field. That way, all schools can proudly wear the D1 "badge." If a small school doesn't have enough players for a particular game, then forfeit the game. McKinley, for example, is not a "small" school, yet it forfeited its football game with Mililani this year because it (McKinley) simply didn't have enough players that week (academic probation, injuries). McKinley did that, and any school can. If a small school's football team has so few players during any given week that playing a game becomes a health-and-safety issue, that school can "press the forfeit button."

[Getreal$]

I totally disagree with your assessment, there is a place for D2 and for that matter, 8-man football. Inferior?? Well lets see.........Mana Silva, D2, Colton Wong, D2, Teo Neisman, D2, Max Unger, D2...and non of them won a D2 championship. Mamiya played on a D2 team before he decided to challenge himself at the D1 level. Would he be an inferior player if he stayed?

I believe the topic is on Iolani going to D1 after winning 8 D2 championships, not about putting down all the other schools that compete and play in that division. I can tell you that there are a number of D2 teams statewide that can hold their own against most D1 teams. When you talk about the top tier D1 teams in the OIA and ILH, thats different. Other leagues in the states have multiple divisions , 5A, 4A.....etc. This is for the kids and most importantly, education first!

[huki-lau-lau]

yup, Kaiser won the D2 title lastyear and jumped into D1 faster then a race horse! this year they beat the #3 D1 powerhouse kahuku.

kaisers got some big bolos, gotta respect that! is iolani not as brave?

but then again didnt iolani donate uniforms to us back in the 50's and that is also why we share the same mascot name, so idont konw, maybe i shouldnt comment about iolani.

[huki-lau-lau]

what we need is more people like you and the other fans from lahainaluna and other d2 schools getting on here and making a fuss about it on blogs/forums/social media etc...
....u d2 people need to keep the conversation or complaints going about what u think is wrong in your division back it up with facts/stories etc....and the media will pickup on it and maybe that will put pressure on iolani.

my 2cents

i think the other reason why kahuku is succesful at keeping the conversations going through out the years is because we go generations deep, sons/fathers/grandfathers all played football so every generation the same old futs are cheering and complaining to the world. its the same story and same people every year no miss.

what i notice about town schools, they only get one son that plays, the parent may complain about reffing or coaching or other competition while their son is playing but after the son graduate the family moves on to a different phase in life and forgets about highschool football, their complaints go with them and dissapear.

*ooops! did i indirectly say that kahuku people no mo life and all dey do is complain about football for generations?....stopid keyboard is on auto type.

[huki-lau-lau]

what we need is more people like you and the other fans from lahainaluna and other d2 schools getting on here and making a fuss about it on blogs/forums/social media etc...
....u d2 people need to keep the conversation or complaints going about what u think is wrong in your division back it up with facts/stories etc....and the media will pickup on it and maybe that will put pressure on iolani.

my 2cents

i think the other reason why kahuku is succesful at keeping the conversations going through out the years is because we go generations deep, sons/fathers/grandfathers all played football so every generation the same old futs are cheering and complaining to the world. its the same story and same people every year no miss.

what i notice about town schools, they only get one son that plays, the parent may complain about reffing or coaching or other competition while their son is playing but after the son graduate the family moves on to a different phase in life and forgets about highschool football, their complaints go with them and dissapear.

*ooops! did i indirectly say that kahuku people no mo life and all dey do is complain about football for generations?....stopid keyboard is on auto type.

is this the first time in history of sportshawaii that a poster with no life has quoted himself 2 times?

[huki-lau-lau]

kay not going quote myself again, but i have a new thought.

is it true ILH rules classify their D1 and D2 by enrollment? so iolanis small enrolment classify them D2 and they cant move up to D1 football even if they wanted to?

if true, why is their basketball playing in D1, also why are they playing other D1 schools like pun and stlouiss football in regular season?
in oia we no go by enrolment we go by strength which is more fair.

also if ILH like stick to their guns and keep iolani in D2 because of their enrolment then they should not cry about not having two d1 ILH teams in the state tourney.

[HS Football Fanatic]

I totally disagree with your assessment, there is a place for D2 and for that matter, 8-man football. Inferior?? Well lets see.........Mana Silva, D2, Colton Wong, D2, Teo Neisman, D2, Max Unger, D2...and non of them won a D2 championship. Mamiya played on a D2 team before he decided to challenge himself at the D1 level. Would he be an inferior player if he stayed?

I believe the topic is on Iolani going to D1 after winning 8 D2 championships, not about putting down all the other schools that compete and play in that division. I can tell you that there are a number of D2 teams statewide that can hold their own against most D1 teams. When you talk about the top tier D1 teams in the OIA and ILH, thats different. Other leagues in the states have multiple divisions , 5A, 4A.....etc. This is for the kids and most importantly, education first!

I don't know where you got the impression that I was trying to "put down" D2 schools. Au contraire: I'm pushing to have their status raised by having them in D1. No one said that D2 didn't have good players; obviously, any school can have at least one or two (or more) good players. Just as obviously, the top D2 teams can probably beat the weakest D1 teams. No one is denying that, and that wasn't my point besides. If you re-read my post, you will--or should--see that I'm about all schools being in D1, so that no player or student needs to feel that he or she is playing for or attending a school that simply doesn't have what it takes to compete in the upper tier. That would naturally engender a subtle sense of inferiority (especially with teens), and we're talking about high school sports. Finally, who cares what other states do. Hawaii ought to do what Hawaii thinks is best or right.

[Getreal$]

Inferior and better to forfeit?? Yes, that really elevates their status. and in case you didn't know, in basketball, D2 schools like Kona and KS-Hawaii and many other schools play DI ball.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Inferior and better to forfeit?? Yes, that really elevates their status. and in case you didn't know, in basketball, D2 schools like Kona and KS-Hawaii and many other schools play DI ball.

Yes, better to forfeit. Heck, some teams in D2 are strong enough that weaker D2 teams might end-up forfeiting anyway. And yes, of course I know that some D2 football schools are in D1 for basketball. I'm sure all the guys on this forum know that. But I maintain that as long as a school is in D2 for football, there is undeniably a sense of inferiority. I don't see how there can't be. I mean, duh, why aren't you in D1, then? That doesn't do much for that school's school spirit or that school's alumni's pride.

[FatherofCody&Casey]

Fact is, Iolani winning ruined a lot of people's days. Nobody likes seeing egotistical, cowardly cheaters win at anything. I believe D2 should stay but be for teams that haven't got the advantage of having a decent enrollment, spectacular facilities, and the ability to recruit as well as anybody. Iolani recruits more than any other team in the state. Nobody does anything to stop that or make them play D1. That's enfuriating, letting them be the only team to have it both ways. The reason this topic is a dead horse is because almost eveyrone here thinks Iolani should play D1. Anyone who disagrees with people like me, soleu, HS Football Fanatic, and the thousands of other members who hate seeing these egotistical, cowardly cheaters have it both ways never gives us a compelling reason. Iolani is not a small team by any means, has got as many boys per grade as St. Louis (whom they used to steal players from as well), does not lack depth like Paul Honda would have you believe, and will dwarf the other ILH D2 teams for years to come. If you like egotistical teams that blow away competition they've got no business facing and also like blowouts, by all means let Iolani remain a D2 team.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Fact is, Iolani winning ruined a lot of people's days. Nobody likes seeing egotistical, cowardly cheaters win at anything. I believe D2 should stay but be for teams that haven't got the advantage of having a decent enrollment, spectacular facilities, and the ability to recruit as well as anybody. Iolani recruits more than any other team in the state. Nobody does anything to stop that or make them play D1. That's enfuriating, letting them be the only team to have it both ways. The reason this topic is a dead horse is because almost eveyrone here thinks Iolani should play D1. Anyone who disagrees with people like me, soleu, HS Football Fanatic, and the thousands of other members who hate seeing these egotistical, cowardly cheaters have it both ways never gives us a compelling reason. Iolani is not a small team by any means, has got as many boys per grade as St. Louis (whom they used to steal players from as well), does not lack depth like Paul Honda would have you believe, and will dwarf the other ILH D2 teams for years to come. If you like egotistical teams that blow away competition they've got no business facing and also like blowouts, by all means let Iolani remain a D2 team.

Yeah, I just don't care for Iolani. But take a school like Damien. I don't mind Damien at all, and I would assume that Damien doesn't have all the advantages you mentioned that Iolani has. Yet, Damien had a very good football team in '88. That year they finished #3 in the state, and of course, this was before the D1 / D2 classification system began. Assuming that Kahuku ends-up being ranked #3 on Tuesday, then Damien was ranked just as high in '88 as Kahuku will be on Tuesday. Imagine that. So, I don't think even Damien needs D2. That's why I think D2 should go.

[Leftfieldcoachlikeu]

It is NEVER better to forfeit. You're not thinking about the big picture. On the big island, a school didn't have their homecoming game after preparing long and hard for it. A forfeit kills both programs. I believe a school will get fined a lot of money if they forfeit because of the consequences of all that planning and money lost.

Iolani is a very smart school. They don't have a bridge program like Punahou. Their students still have to qualify academically. It would be very dumb of them to move up to D1 when only -1 ILH team goes to state. They are within the rules and their right to stay D1. Get mad at the rules not a team that follows them.

You can compete at D1 if you need 15 people on your team at a small school. You can't compete if you need those same 15 kids plus 50 more.

[gridiron22]

You can compete at D1 if you need 15 people on your team at a small school. You can't compete if you need those same 15 kids plus 50 more.

Iolani has 50 kids on their football roster, im pretty sure you only need 22 in order to play the game, 44 to have second string for each position.

All the outer island teams that are in D1 average between 50-60 on their roster. Numbers should not be an excuse for Iolani.

[Leftfieldcoachlikeu]

You can compete at D1 if you need 15 people on your team at a small school. You can't compete if you need those same 15 kids plus 50 more.

Iolani has 50 kids on their football roster, im pretty sure you only need 22 in order to play the game, 44 to have second string for each position.

All the outer island teams that are in D1 average between 50-60 on their roster. Numbers should not be an excuse for Iolani.

And if those outer island teams had to compete with Punahou, Kam, and St. L for one playoff spot, they would stupid to not go to D2.

[Getreal$]

Just to be perfectly clear on where I stand. I too agree wholeheartedly that Iolani should go to D1 after winning all those titles, but I just don't agree that all schools should compete at the D1 level for football. Take Honokaa for instance, once a powerhouse football team that competed and won championships against the likes of Hilo High back in the 70's. A thriving plantation community back then with the enrollment to do it. Not today as they struggle to make a 11 man team and considered 8 man football. Kohala and Ka'u other examples of plantation communities with struggling enrollments because families can't afford to live 2 1/2 hour drive one way to work, thus moving to Kona or Hilo. Add on academic issues and fielding a competitive team year in and out can be difficult. Non of these teams are Iolani! We all have family members competing at different levels on different Islands. Cheer them on at whatever level they compete in. It's the adults that make the decisions not the kids. They compete at whatever level their school puts them in. When I played there was no such thing as D1 or D2 for football, but there was a small schools basketball tournament. Difference was for football, outside of our own Island and maybe a preseason game, we didn't compete against Oahu. D2 allows an outer island team once and a great while to compete and maybe just maybe have a chance to play a decent D2 Oahu team and win, like KS-Hawaii did this year.