There was no ceremony, applause or symbolic handshake.
But a few short months ago, Oahu high school athletics administrators reached a deal that by most accounts was highly improbable.
Common belief for nearly 50 years was that the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Interscholastic League of Honolulu would never combine for a full regular-season football schedule — despite clamoring to do just that.
Now that it has happened and fans will get what they wanted, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser examines just how it came about in today’s Sports section. It turns out, of course, that the feat required plenty of behind-the-scenes elbow grease, open-mindedness and sincere communication and cooperation.
“I never thought it would happen in my lifetime and it’s getting pretty close. I’m a young 65,” Punahou athletic director Kale Ane said whimsically. Before going on to play in the NFL, Ane suited up for the Buffanblu before and after five ILH public schools — Farrington, Kaimuki, Kalani, McKinley and Roosevelt — angrily left the league in 1970 to join the other public schools in the Rural Oahu Interscholastic Association.
Starting Aug. 10, the OIA-ILH football alliance — a two-year pilot plan — will be a reality on football fields from Hawaii Kai to Waianae and all points in between.
It may be too early to judge whether it is the ultimate deal, but things look that way for now with significant support from coaches and administrators. The Star-Advertiser surveyed 42 people — including Oahu’s 29 football head coaches and others close to the football scene — and got 21 positive responses about the new OIA-ILH alliance.
Jim Leahey, the award-winning broadcaster who recently retired after five decades of calling University of Hawaii sporting events, remembers attending numerous pre-1970 high school football clashes, including Thanksgiving Day doubleheaders at Honolulu Stadium that routinely attracted crowds of 25,000. He believes there could be a return to those special days when high school football had top billing.
“UH took a back seat and would play games Saturday nights after the high schools played that day and Friday night games,” Leahey said. “If it rained, UH was on a really muddy field by that time. Nobody paid attention to them.
“High school football has a chance to return to prominence. UH hasn’t had a winning season in seven years. UH (has a hard time) recruiting top Division I athletes. High school football was No. 1 back then and it has a chance to be No. 1 again.”
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