The OIA Open Division football playoff scenario is down to a three-team race for the final spot.
No. 3 Mililani (7-2, 5-0), No. 4 Campbell (6-3, 3-1) and No. 5 Kahuku (5-3, 2-2) have already clinched three of the four OIA Open Division playoff berths. Kapolei (3-6, 1-3), Waianae (1-7, 1-3), and Farrington (2-8 1-4) all still have a chance at joining them in the postseason.
The Hurricanes’ task is difficult — a trip to the North Shore to face the Red Raiders. However, it’s somewhat of a clean-cut proposition. Win the game and Kapolei is in. Lose and things get a lot murkier for coach Darren Hernandez‘s team.
The Governors, whose regular season is done, need the most help. In order for Farrington to make the postseason, it needs Campbell to beat Waianae and Kahuku to beat Kapolei on Friday. But even that is not enough. Under that situation, Kapolei, Farrington and Waianae would all be 1-4 and, due to the fact that each of those teams would be 1-1 in head-to-head-to-head play, that last berth would be decided by a coin flip.
“Right now, we’re just playing the waiting game,” Governors coach Daniel Sanchez said Monday.
Waianae’s road to the playoffs is a tricky one, too. The Seariders would get in with a win at home over Campbell and a Kahuku win over Kapolei. They could also get under the coin-flip possibility shown above.
“We’re worried about ourselves and the task at hand,” Waianae coach Walter Young said Monday. “We’ve got to go out and play a good game, execute on offense, play solid defense, and make sure special teams is strong. Campbell has a lot of talent. The players understand the task at hand and that they have to go out and win. You can only control what you can control.”
Kapolei’s Hernandez is not looking back at missed opportunities earlier this season, including a stinging 13-0 loss at Farrington.
“You make your bed and you’ve gotta lie in it,” he said. “That is what it is. It’s a challenge and we’ve got to rise up to the challenge and play our best game of the year to have any hope of beating Kahuku. It’s tough, tough, tough to beat them at home. They’ve already lost once at home this year and they’re not exactly looking to lose a second time at home.”
Below is a look at the way the final standings would end up under the four possible outcomes of Friday’s two final regular-season games:
——————————–
If Campbell beats Waianae, and Kahuku beats Kapolei, then:
c-Mililani … 5-0
x-Campbell … 4-1
x-Kahuku … 3-2
z-Kapolei … 1-4
z-Waianae … 1-4
z-Farrington … 1-4
c-clinched regular-season title
x-clinched playoff spot
z-coin flip for the fourth quarterfinal spot
——————————–
If Campbell beats Waianae, and Kapolei beats Kahuku, then:
c-Mililani … 5-0
x-Campbell … 4-1
w-Kapolei … 2-3
x-Kahuku … 2-3
Waianae … 1-4
Farrington … 1-4
c-clinched regular-season title
x-clinched playoff spot
w-clinched third seed in playoff spot
——————————–
If Waianae beats Campbell, and Kapolei beats Kahuku, then:
c-Mililani … 5-0
x-Campbell … 3-2
w-Kapolei … 2-3
x-Kahuku … 2-3
Waianae … 2-3
Farrington … 1-4
c-clinched regular-season title
x-clinched playoff spot
w-clinched third seed in playoff spot
Note: In this situation, Kapolei would get in for having beaten both Kahuku and Waianae, and Kahuku would get in for having beaten Waianae.
——————————–
If Waianae beats Campbell, and Kahuku beats Kapolei, then:
c-Mililani … 5-0
x-Campbell … 3-2
x-Kahuku … 3-2
w-Waianae … 2-3
Farrington … 1-4
Kapolei … 1-4
c-clinched regular-season title
x-clinched playoff spot
w-would clinch final playoff spot
If you want to see the State Championship, you need to go to the ILH championship game. Thats when the two best team in the state (#1 and #2) plays.
The best teams are not in the state tournament. Shame on Hawaii. The high school football setup is bogus. Not even the best teams. If it was my way this is the state tournament top 6 which includes:
Mililani
Kahuku
Campbell
Saint Louis
Kamehameha
Punahou
now this is a state tournament. Punahou Spanked Mililani, and campbell and they cant go to states?
MAKE ASS on hawaii high school football format.
why not just go back to prep bowl, outter island teams are no longer involved in this league?
Please stop adding Kamehameha into this… They aren’t a close 3rd best team in anything except the ILH Open Division 🙂
Hey ILH who’s on here the article is about the OIA
playoffs, not the State tourney.
the 4 will play for the OIA title first..
atbat
The Truth is right and so is Kamehameha #1. STL and Punahou definitely belong in the State tourney, not 3 average OIA teams. Campbell got cracks keeia from Punahou and so did Mililani. Shame Shame on the HHSAA and the OIA rigged season.
Wah, Wah, Wah:
All you ILH cry babies talking about it’s UNFAIR for STL or Punahou not making it to states;
While NOBODY is saying CRAP about ILH can recruit and OIA CANNOT??
Talk about UNFAIR?????
If the OIA has to deal with ILH recruiting the best athletes from around the state then the ILH can deal with having only ONE team in states.
“Life’s NOT fair”
Recruiting lol, thats the excuse every year. Remember these are private schools, recruiting or not thats just the way it is as well as in the mainland. if you look at alot of the saint louis kids, alot of them are family generations. Also, campbell had many transfers from kapolei and other schools so is that recruiting? Yes. Kahuku, they get kids from Utah, Samoa, etc. They the biggest recruiters lol. Using family and relatives to move kids into Kahuku. The actual real state championship will probably be saint louis vs Punahou in the ILH Championship. Lets be real here guys. ILH is getting the shitty end of the deal. I wish had 2 ILH Teams in Tourny since the get go, garanttee 75% of the time it would be 2 ILH schools meeting up for state championship, and then again, the OIA cry babies would come out and pout. Hawaii High School Football Tournament , shame (make ass) , makes no sense. Best teams are not in it, and its proven.
@Geek
Like you said “Let’s be REAL here guys”
If STL had to play St John Bosco, Mater Dei & Gorman all you ILH guys would complain that they recruit from all over the mainland just like they did when Bosco & Gorman kicked STL A** in the past. How about “You be REAL”
??? Lol! Two words – geographic exemption, OiA OIA equivalent for ILH recruiting…the real question is why all the ILH hate…u need a hug…OIA schools have their community to choose from, if parents want a better situation, they make that decision…if The OIA doesn’t like it – get better; better curriculum, better facilities, better coaches, etc…nothing stopping u trying to improve…
Let’s talk facts ??? Watch next year mililani is losing gabriel at quarterback you think for a second rod york and staff is shopping around for a quarterback for next and the OIA rule anybody can go to any school and play and kahuku is a joke because every samoan is related that’s a joke so in breeding is 100 percent like I said three major excuses is by the crying OIA is recruiting the refs is juicing and not forget the coaches
lets be real also , remember when long beach poly came down, a public school, and they kicked kahukus ass 55-0 and de la salle played saint louis. De la salle won 31-21 close game to a #1 rank team lol so yes lets me real brotha. and when bosco came down, that was coach cals first year in rebuild mode, bring bosco down now, saint louis can play with those teams, not saying they will win, but certainly it would be a game.
And one last thing, when Saint Louis loses, you dont see blaming the refs, or excuses. they take the lost without complaining. People gotta remember that Saint Louis is the school that set the bar and standards for high school football in hawaii. Being nationally known. They created the competition to a higher standard for other schools. Footbal was getting boring in hawaii already at that time. Other schools started copying by throwing the ball. Kahuku? they got recognized nationally why? Because they beat Saint Louis. So you should give saint louis a little more props for that. If every school was to go head up with kahuku, kahuku would smash everybody including saint louis and punahou because of size and strength of kahuku. But what makes Saint Louis more unique is that they out smart and out coach you along with the punahous.
@Geek…Your right about the coaching part,but that’s about it..Kahuku doesn’t need to recruit anyone who is from this Great community knows this..they have enough talent in this community to compete with the best..Most of the REAL coaches know this..And beating St.Louis didn’t put us on the map, it was us beating Banning High out of California ,that did it..And last thing, Football never got boring, at least not in our community….Just saying, from a guy who’s Born,Raised and played 4th generation deep….GO BIG RED…
@Hammer (aka Nails)
You claimed you’re a coach/strength coach and then you hint that Kahuku is a joke & every Samoan is related by 100% in breeding? Maybe you should STOP lifting weights and start lifting books to educate yourself!! “Nailed again”
@wake up (aka Go sleep)
Never said Bosco & Gorman had anything to do with state tournament jack a**, I’m talking about STL playing top teams that also recruit & kicked STL A** “PERIOD “
@ geek 🤓
Definitely not a football Geek!!
Long Beach Poly Head Coach Antonio Pierce (former NY Giant) “RECRUITS”😂
The Schools will always have recognition when winning the State championship no matter what, but most of the kids don’t make it to college or even gets an offer. BI know a lot of talented kids now men that went to private schools that ended up just working construction. To me it’s not about what the schools get from the kids but what the kids get out of the schools. It’s up to the kids on how serious they are in class to move on. Public schools been having way more kids with offers than Private schools. Kapolei been sending kids to colleges regardless their losing seasons, at the other hand Mililani not even a hand full and St. Louis. As a parent I would like a Coach to help my kids to go College not just worry about winning a state Championship for his record or the School. In the meanwhile us parents gotta be on it also but a little direction would be nice. Don’t just trust the process, check whose helping with the process.
@Clueless StL Parent
1: geographic exemption is not equivalent to recruiting! OIA schools only have very few spots for it while ILH has Unlimited recruiting.
2: I don’t hate the ILH, I just hate STL alumni that get Cocky & brag about championships & blowing out OIA schools when they all out recruit the best athletes from around the state & Should win!
3: Financial status directs a parents decision on education! if their on welfare how are they going to send their kid to Punahou or Iolani?
4: The state is Broke, that’s why Hawaii’s teachers are the lowest paid in the country; how can they afford to upgrade facilities, curriculum and hire 20 coaches like the ILH?
5: GET A CLUE & do your research !!!!
Banning High, never heard of them, so they must not be important lol. and by the way, i was part of that crusader dynasty and played and contributed. that dynasty will never be repeated in my life time or my kids life time. I have nothing against kahuku, but when you got arrogant fans for which probably most of them didnt play and was eating popcorn in the stands commenting on these threads. It ruins it for the kids and the community.
Kahuku High school football. Since the turn of the century, 11 State Finals appearances. 8 State championships. Public high school. Last place in field and facility conditions. Would be eligible in D2 by the student body size.
Since the only bashers are wah wah brah hood 😈
The proof is in the pudding Punahou and St Louis deserves automatic births in the State Tournament including Mililani, leaving Punahou or St.Louis out of states is hurtful for the kids they know they are better then teams they beat during the regular season , and thus are victims of an adult ran strange format.
Aint know different then NCAA National Championship , a board ran by alumni of Universities who put thier alumni in. It will never be fair all the way across the board ,and these young student athletes trying to live their dreams live a nightmare on paper on the high school level as well as the college level.