ADs send tourney proposal to final vote for 2 sports

It’s not a done deal, but the neighbor islands are getting closer to tasty high school hoops and volleyball treats.

A proposal to open the state girls basketball and state boys volleyball tournaments on the neighbor islands — as well as on Oahu — was passed in committee and awaits a final vote by athletic directors today.

The proposal, submitted by Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Chris Chun, was met with much discussion on Friday.

By Saturday, the suggestion was amended. Instead of applying to all 12-team state tournaments, ‘Iolani athletic director Carl Schroers had the proposal adjusted to affect only girls basketball and boys volleyball.

It would be easy to be skeptical about passage of a proposal that would involve teams from the Oahu Interscholastic Association traveling off-island, but Chun is optimistic.

"Even some people in the OIA are for it," he said. "I think Maui is for it. Konawaena (girls basketball) would draw well. So will Lahainaluna. (Kamehameha-Hawaii) would draw well for volleyball, too."

On Friday, in a straw vote, committee members voted against the proposal 21-17.

But the momentum turned, and the committee, officially known as Group 4, voted in favor 21-15. That puts the proposal on the general assembly floor this morning at the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference. Leagues typically vote in blocks, but with Schroers’ interest, the ILH would appear to be in favor of the change.

Currently, the girls basketball state tournament is played strictly on Oahu.

"I was pleasantly surprised. People are welcoming innovative ideas," Chun said on Saturday afternoon, adding that the notion of creating quadrants, or pods, on other islands, is not new.

"(Former HHSAA and OIA executive director) Dwight Toyama put this into my ear a few years ago. It’s equitable for the neighbor islands," Chun added. "Getting a seeded berth would mean something for the neighbor island champions."

If the proposal passes today, it would move on to the HHSAA executive board for vote on Monday.

As part of the amendment, if any team has to travel twice to play in the tournament — which would be held on separate weekends with a "final four" on Oahu — it would receive a subsidy of $2,000 or more.

In addition, if an opening-round game for the MIL or BIIF quadrant pits an ILH and OIA team, the contest would be held on Oahu. The winner would then fly to the next destination — a maneuver that would save precious dollars.

"It’s outside-the-box thinking, but it’s good to generate interest across the state," Hawaii Baptist athletic director Deren Oshiro said.