Hawaii: One State, One Class

Hawaii high school football is not without its warts. The biggest is its lack of classifications. Because the state’s best teams are among the nation’s best, no classification leads to lots of lopsided scores. Two years ago, St. Louis beat Damien 84-0, and Damien president Greg O’Donnell said the Monarchs would forfeit rather than play the Crusaders the next season. A compromise was worked out where Damien would play St. Louis only once each season rather than twice. But the question remains. Why is Hawaii the only statewhere there is no high school football classification? Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya has tried unsuccessfully to create a two-tiered state tournament so that smaller schools and schools with less football tradition would have a chance for a championship. Also, it was hoped that the St. Louis-Damien situation would create a