ILH installs D-III for volleyball

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu has officially embraced Division III for girls volleyball season.

The four D-III programs in the sport are Hawaiian Mission, Island Pacific, Lanakila Baptist and Lutheran. The league was early to adopt a classification for smaller programs as far back as the 1970s, but going to D-III this fall is a first.

“We put it through our classification-type committee,” Lutheran athletic director Deems Utsumi said. “A lot of the criteria is based on enrollment.”

One requirement for schools that want to move up or down in the ILH’s format is a two- to three-year stay.

“In the past, it was willy-nilly, some teams moving up or down just to win,” Utsumi noted.

Lutheran’s girls volleyball team has eight players at the varsity level, with no JV or intermediate teams.

“So this Division III is a blessing,” he said.

Utsumi added that D-III will be used in the ILH for basketball, as well.

Outgoing Kamehameha-Hawaii athletic director Bob Wagner has long been among the proponents for Division III at the state level.

Anuenue’s Kaleo up to 718 yards

Coach Kealoha Wengler’s Na Koa of Anuenue football program is in its fourth year of using the double-wing offense, and the results continue to stagger.

Senior fullback Kainalu Kaleo has rumbled for 718 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers included 336 yards and three scores against Nanakuli, and 256 yards and three more 6-pointers against Waialua.

Na Koa (2-1) are 2-0 in the OIA White, with a battle against Kalani coming this week. Wengler said the Falcons, with astute coaching minds that include the iconic Cal Lee, will be ready after a bye week.

“We scrimmaged them and they shut us down,” Wengler said. “They know what we’re going to do before we do it.”

The win over Waialua didn’t require a single pass attempt. With defenses paying more attention to Kaleo up the middle, the end-around has opened up for Anuenue Tui, who had 162 yards on 19 carries against the Bulldogs.

With 27 players, Anuenue has one of its largest rosters, but Wengler is focused on details.

“We’ve got a lot of sloppy play, a lot of penalties,” he said. “I’m not happy.”