Open/D-I Top Ten 2021

[unpaid]

This weeks picks for a win,

St.Louis over Punahou *Canceled.
Iolani over PAC-Five
Damien over Kamehameha II

Last week 2-0 on picks. One game was canceled.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@gopunahou: Well, I don't really count anything before high school; I hope I'm not being rash. For one thing, I guess I don't have patience for anything prior to high school. As a guy in his 60s, sometimes I feel ridiculous focusing on high schools, let alone middle schools. I do believe, however, that a person's high school alma mater defines him. I hope that doesn't sound silly coming from a guy my age, but when you're in high school, you're just a step or two shy of adulthood; some seniors turn 18 before they graduate. Therefore, you're old enough in high school that your experiences there kind of stay with you. What's more, I think high school kids are just old enough that as an adult--even an older adult--one feels that he can relate to them at some basic level. Like, I think it would be silly of me to cling to my middle school; but my high school means a lot more. I mean, here in Hawaii, no one asks (in pidgin), "Eh, what middle school you wen grad?" It's always high school.
I said all that, to say that I don't think it matters too much that Maafala was at St Louis School for a semester of middle school. Even if he was at the high school, I don't think one semester matters a whole lot, really.

While someone may have fond memories of their high school years, their loyalties may also change if they move/and have kids who attend a different school. Or even just from meeting new people in their community.

If your child goes to a different school than you attended, either because you moved since you were in high school, or if you’re sending them to a private school outside the district you’re currently living in, you’d cheer for that school instead. Let’s say I have kids in the future and send them to Mililani. If they are playing for one of Mililani’s sports teams, are in the band, or even a student club, I’d support Mililani High. Even if Mililani is playing against Aiea (maybe not in football, but in other sports).

So while an individual can only graduate from one high school, there are reasons for them to cheer for another school, even if that school is playing against their old alma mater.

@ChadFukuoka: Well, even if you move, have kids, etc, you will always be an Aiea alumnus, right? That's a simple fact borne of history. Having said that, there's no law that says you can't support other schools. Do what you will.

[HS Football Fanatic]

This weeks picks for a win,

St.Louis over Punahou
Iolani over PAC-Five
Damien over Kamehameha II

Last week 2-0 on picks. One game was canceled.

@unpaid: I don't know how strong Kamehameha II is, but, I found out that Iolani's O-line isn't that big, yet they were pushing Damien's D-line around. Unless Damien's D-line is also small, I don't know what happened. I guess I'm kind of making a stink about it because I don't really care for Iolani School, and it frustrates me that Damien School got blown-out by them. I've been following high school football for over 40 years, and Damien's D-line rarely gets pushed-around by Iolani's O-line. To me, that it happened this past weekend, sucks. I hope Kamehameha II's D-line is big enough that they can tell Iolani's O-line, "You ain't pushing us around, and in fact, we intend to put you on your butts more than a few times. We intend to blow you off the line as often as not."

[unpaid]

It’s my understanding that the ILH is not having a JV season this year,just varsity and intermediate. St.Louis and Kamehameha got permission to field a second team that would give their freshmen and sophomores who could not make varsity a chance to play ILH D-I and D-II teams and have a season.

Iolani and Damien will have teams that include a number of seasoned upperclassmen that should do well against the freshmen and sophomores that they will face against STL II and KSK II.

There could be a benefit for PAC-Five because STLII and KamII are slotted in ILH D-II. PAC-Five might have case for getting into the D-II state championship field this year because there are more than the minimum two teams needed for PAC-Five to qualify for the playoffs.

Iolani has a small but good OL. Here’s the thing. The Raider backs didn’t just go wide and outrun Damien’s D,they were pounding away for 7-8 yards a pop behind the LG,C,and RG straight up the gut of the Damien DL and LB’s as well.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@unpaid:
I think this is a sucky situation for St Louis and Kamehameha. OK, with no JV play, freshmen and sophs at those two schools get to play, but they're playing against the vars players of Iolani School. What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong, is that you essentially have a JV team playing a vars team. Given that fact, Iolani will probably roll Kamehameha II. The best that Iolani School has, is not playing the best that Kamehameha Schools has. The only way to rectify that outrage, is for Iolani School to play Kamehameha Schools' Open team; each school fielding its best vars team. But, that's not going to happen.

I still think Damien alumni must be pissed. Iolani takes a smallish O-line, and they and the backs run the ball down Damien's throat. I suspect Damien alumni have a word or two to say to Damien's D-line. The only way the outcome makes sense is if Damien's D-line is also small, which is rarely the case. Damien School usually has a decent-sized D-line. Perhaps not humongous, but of decent size.

[ChadFukuoka]

@unpaid:
I think this is a sucky situation for St Louis and Kamehameha. OK, with no JV play, freshmen and sophs at those two schools get to play, but they're playing against the vars players of Iolani School. What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong, is that you essentially have a JV team playing a vars team. Given that fact, Iolani will probably roll Kamehameha II. The best that Iolani School has, is not playing the best that Kamehameha Schools has. The only way to rectify that outrage, is for Iolani School to play Kamehameha Schools' Open team; each school fielding its best vars team. But, that's not going to happen.

I still think Damien alumni must be pissed. Iolani takes a smallish O-line, and they and the backs run the ball down Damien's throat. I suspect Damien alumni have a word or two to say to Damien's D-line. The only way the outcome makes sense is if Damien's D-line is also small, which is rarely the case. Damien School usually has a decent-sized D-line. Perhaps not humongous, but of decent size.

I wonder if the retirement of Damien’s coach Eddie Klaneski has anything to do with that. I don’t know what defensive schemes Damien is running, but if they are trying to install something new, that could explain their lack of rhythm.

Or it could just be something else, lack of experience, just having smaller players this year, etc.

[gopunahou]

@unpaid:
I think this is a sucky situation for St Louis and Kamehameha. OK, with no JV play, freshmen and sophs at those two schools get to play, but they're playing against the vars players of Iolani School. What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong, is that you essentially have a JV team playing a vars team. Given that fact, Iolani will probably roll Kamehameha II. The best that Iolani School has, is not playing the best that Kamehameha Schools has. The only way to rectify that outrage, is for Iolani School to play Kamehameha Schools' Open team; each school fielding its best vars team. But, that's not going to happen.

I still think Damien alumni must be pissed. Iolani takes a smallish O-line, and they and the backs run the ball down Damien's throat. I suspect Damien alumni have a word or two to say to Damien's D-line. The only way the outcome makes sense is if Damien's D-line is also small, which is rarely the case. Damien School usually has a decent-sized D-line. Perhaps not humongous, but of decent size.

Iolani hasn’t always had a small o-line. There were two players who wound up playing at major universities that blocked for Joe Igber. I can guarantee that those that criticized Iolani’s presence in D2 (including myself to an extent) did so because they remembered Iolani’s successful teams in the 90s. Iolani’s record against us and Kamehameha was pretty identical—8-11-1 against KSK and 9-11 against us.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@unpaid:
I think this is a sucky situation for St Louis and Kamehameha. OK, with no JV play, freshmen and sophs at those two schools get to play, but they're playing against the vars players of Iolani School. What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong, is that you essentially have a JV team playing a vars team. Given that fact, Iolani will probably roll Kamehameha II. The best that Iolani School has, is not playing the best that Kamehameha Schools has. The only way to rectify that outrage, is for Iolani School to play Kamehameha Schools' Open team; each school fielding its best vars team. But, that's not going to happen.

I still think Damien alumni must be pissed. Iolani takes a smallish O-line, and they and the backs run the ball down Damien's throat. I suspect Damien alumni have a word or two to say to Damien's D-line. The only way the outcome makes sense is if Damien's D-line is also small, which is rarely the case. Damien School usually has a decent-sized D-line. Perhaps not humongous, but of decent size.

I wonder if the retirement of Damien’s coach Eddie Klaneski has anything to do with that. I don’t know what defensive schemes Damien is running, but if they are trying to install something new, that could explain their lack of rhythm.

Or it could just be something else, lack of experience, just having smaller players this year, etc.

@ChadFukuoka: Well, there were all those dismissals from the Damien Athletic Department a year or two ago, and that kind of thing can simply kill staff morale at a high school. Plus, Klaneski is a Damien alumnus.
I don't think a smallish O-line can run the ball down a D-line's throat just because that D-line is "out of rhythm." It would appear that the D-line would have to be small, but it's not often that Damien has a small D-line. If you're a D-line coach, and you're up against a smallish O-line, I suspect defensive schemes are not the problem, unless your D-line is smallish, too. Can anyone out there advise: Is Damien's O-line small? I think that is the key.

[HS Football Fanatic]

@unpaid:
I think this is a sucky situation for St Louis and Kamehameha. OK, with no JV play, freshmen and sophs at those two schools get to play, but they're playing against the vars players of Iolani School. What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong, is that you essentially have a JV team playing a vars team. Given that fact, Iolani will probably roll Kamehameha II. The best that Iolani School has, is not playing the best that Kamehameha Schools has. The only way to rectify that outrage, is for Iolani School to play Kamehameha Schools' Open team; each school fielding its best vars team. But, that's not going to happen.

I still think Damien alumni must be pissed. Iolani takes a smallish O-line, and they and the backs run the ball down Damien's throat. I suspect Damien alumni have a word or two to say to Damien's D-line. The only way the outcome makes sense is if Damien's D-line is also small, which is rarely the case. Damien School usually has a decent-sized D-line. Perhaps not humongous, but of decent size.

Iolani hasn’t always had a small o-line. There were two players who wound up playing at major universities that blocked for Joe Igber. I can guarantee that those that criticized Iolani’s presence in D2 (including myself to an extent) did so because they remembered Iolani’s successful teams in the 90s. Iolani’s record against us and Kamehameha was pretty identical—8-11-1 against KSK and 9-11 against us.

@gopunahou: Well, any school might have a big O-line once in a while, and that's certainly the case with Iolani School. I mean, perhaps they had a decent O-line back in Igber's time, but look at how long ago that was: Over 20 years ago, right? And sure enough, Iolani's O-line is smallish this year. So, how did they manage to push-around Damien's defensive front-seven this past weekend? Again, is Damien's D-line also small? When was the last time Damien had a small D-line? They usually have fairly-decent size there.

[HS Football Fanatic]

This weeks picks for a win,

St.Louis over Punahou
Iolani over PAC-Five
Damien over Kamehameha II

Last week 2-0 on picks. One game was canceled.

The St Louis v Punahou game has been postponed; that sucks. I wanted to see Punahou School lose. (Sorry, gopunahou.)

[gopunahou]

This weeks picks for a win,

St.Louis over Punahou
Iolani over PAC-Five
Damien over Kamehameha II

Last week 2-0 on picks. One game was canceled.

The St Louis v Punahou game has been postponed; that sucks. I wanted to see Punahou School lose. (Sorry, gopunahou.)

On the plus side, it gives us time to rest up after last week’s intense battle with Kamehameha. It also gives me a chance to watch The Golden Child, Lethal Weapon 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Die Hard with a Vengeance without worrying about the game.

[OldManJenkins]

Kam II blew out P5 in pre-season scrimmage. So those Frsh and Soph got to beat up on some Seniors. Don't know that Damien will do any better than the Pac.

Damien got it's revenge on Iolani the next day via the intermediate game, something like 48-6 LOL

[HS Football Fanatic]

This weeks picks for a win,

St.Louis over Punahou
Iolani over PAC-Five
Damien over Kamehameha II

Last week 2-0 on picks. One game was canceled.

The St Louis v Punahou game has been postponed; that sucks. I wanted to see Punahou School lose. (Sorry, gopunahou.)

On the plus side, it gives us time to rest up after last week’s intense battle with Kamehameha. It also gives me a chance to watch The Golden Child, Lethal Weapon 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Die Hard with a Vengeance without worrying about the game.

@gopunahou: Thank-you for being gracious, as usual, about my dislike of your alma mater. It looks like St Louis School's strong suit this year is O; especially their O-line. Therefore, I think Punahou School's biggest challenge will be, having its D-line get penetration. Assuming the Saints still prefer to throw the ball, then it's all about the Puns' defensive front-seven getting penetration through the Saints' thick O-line. Seeing as Kamehameha Schools scored 4 TDs against Punahou School this past weekend, I'm thinking St Louis School might score at least 5 TDs against the Puns. So the question is: Can the Puns score more than 35 points against the Saints? Of course, I for one am hoping not.

[HS Football Fanatic]

Kam II blew out P5 in pre-season scrimmage. So those Frsh and Soph got to beat up on some Seniors. Don't know that Damien will do any better than the Pac.

Damien got it's revenge on Iolani the next day via the intermediate game, something like 48-6 LOL

@OldManJenkins: If Kamehameha II blew-out Pac-5, that's bad news for Pac-5 in the sense that they were blown-out by what is basically a JV team; I have to believe Pac-5's coaching staff is very concerned about that. I mean, that sucks. Damien might have a chance against Pac-5. Iolani's O-line apparently pushed Damien's D-line all over the field this past weekend. But, if Kamehameha II's D-line (which is essentially a JV line) was able to contain Pac-5's O-line, you'd think Damien's D-line could do the same.

Damien alumni must have enjoyed hearing about that intermediate game. Of course, you can't compare an intermediate win with a vars win, but something is better than nothing. Also, it's very rare for Damien to blow-out any school in football at any level, so the score must have been very satisfying for Damien alumni.

[ChadFukuoka]

It’s my understanding that the ILH is not having a JV season this year,just varsity and intermediate. St.Louis and Kamehameha got permission to field a second team that would give their freshmen and sophomores who could not make varsity a chance to play ILH D-I and D-II teams and have a season.

Iolani and Damien will have teams that include a number of seasoned upperclassmen that should do well against the freshmen and sophomores that they will face against STL II and KSK II.

There could be a benefit for PAC-Five because STLII and KamII are slotted in ILH D-II. PAC-Five might have case for getting into the D-II state championship field this year because there are more than the minimum two teams needed for PAC-Five to qualify for the playoffs.

Iolani has a small but good OL. Here’s the thing. The Raider backs didn’t just go wide and outrun Damien’s D,they were pounding away for 7-8 yards a pop behind the LG,C,and RG straight up the gut of the Damien DL and LB’s as well.

Would PAC-5 automatically get in by default? Since St Louis and Kamehameha’s 2 teams are essentially reserve or JV teams. If so, they could go winless and be the only team eligible by default.

I believe the rule for having at least two teams in a league to qualify for a state berth was referring to varsity or first teams, not reserve teams?