A nation of Red Raider fans is turning to a legal eagle.

Attorney Eric Seitz, on behalf of Kahuku High School football team supporters, will file a suit on Monday morning against the Oahu Interscholastic Association, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and DOE state superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.

Seitz made the announcement during a press conference outside his office downtown this afternoon as a polite, enthused crowd of about 300 red-clad supporters looked on. Among them were dozens of members of the Kahuku football team, which was ruled ineligible to play by the OIA on Friday after the school “self-reported” the possibility of a fifth-year senior on its roster.

"Adults made mistakes and kids are being required to pay for it, and that is simply an outrageous situation,” Seitz said.

An injunction, he added, could open dialogue between the parties and lead to the possibility of permitting Kahuku to play in the state tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on Friday. Seitz noted that the actual wording leaves room for the OIA to change its ruling since action “may” be taken and isn’t mandatory.

A best-case scenario for Kahuku, he added, might include delaying the state tournament since the season was moved up by a week this year.

HHSAA executive director Christopher Chun declined comment, for the most part.

We’re obligated to accept the teams that the OIA names or provides,” he said of the three Division I teams that qualified for the HHSAA’s state tourney. “I am interested to see what basis (Seitz) has to name the HHSAA as a defendant since it wasn’t our ruling." 

Kahuku was 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 at the time. The OIA ruling was made just hours before the Red Raiders were to play Mililani for the Red title.