Saint Louis will not have the services of standout linebacker Jordan Loveni Iosefa on Friday against Mililani in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
The Crusaders entered the week expecting to have Iosefa back after he was suspended late in the ILH regular season. He was ejected in a second-round matchup with Punahou, then sat out the championship game against the same Punahou team. Saint Louis won that game to take the ILH title and qualify for the state tourney.
But Saint Louis found out that the ILH had mandated a two-game suspension of Iosefa, not just one game. HHSAA executive director Chris Chun confirmed the information on Thursday afternoon.
“We enforce the ILH rule, too,” Chun said. “To be eligible for the state tournament, you have to follow all the eligibility rules and be eligible for league play, too. We’re just abiding by the ILH rule.”
Saint Louis, the ILH champion, will play OIA runner-up and defending state champ Mililani at 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium. Loveni, a rangy 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker, teams with fellow ‘backer Isaac Slade-Matautia to give the Crusaders one of the toughest and most athletic front sevens in the state. But that won’t happen. Iosefa, a commit to USC, will be on the sideline.
Saint Louis coach Cal Lee was not happy with the league. Saint Louis had hoped that Iosefa would be eligible to play after sitting out one game.
“According to (Georges) Gilbert, he is suspended for two games. This is a rule none of the ILH coaches knew about,” Lee texted on Thursday afternoon.
Most ejections carry a one-game penalty.
“Big loss for them. Guy has a full ride to USC — linebacker ‘U’ — I think thats says how good he is,” Mililani coach Rod York said. “I don’t agree with the two-game suspension. The game is a physically and mentally demanding game. As much as parents, coaches and others tell our kids to control their emotions and actions, we dont get to practice for those situations.
“Jordan like all others made a mistake. He was suspended one game. Believe me, that’s sufficient in my opinion to get the message across. A two-game suspension is ridiculous because in today’s world these kids are training year round for these type of games. Because our young kids put their heart into football, emotions fly high and you cant similate game speed and the emotions that go with it.”
“…none of the ILH coaches knew about…”????? LOL! He’s killing me. Good example there coach.
GO BIG RED, YOU WILL BE GO BIG BLUE OR GO BIG GOLD AFTER KAHUKU LOSES TO EITHER SAINT LOUIS OR MILILANI ON THE 20TH OF NOVEMBER, WEATHER IT’S TUA OR MILTON KAHUKU WILL GO DOWN. AND I WILL TREAT YOU LUNCH AT LEILIE’S BAR AND GRILL AT TURTLE BAY, IF THAT HAPPENS, DON’T WORRY I WILL BRING MY BODY GUARDS SO YOU DON’T BEAT ME UP FOR THE LOST. CHEEEUUU
At least Coach Lee had the integrity to say his quote on the record unlike GoBigRed who hides behind his fictitious name.
Also I hope Kahuku wins. Why you may ask? If you take that away, then 88/GoBigRed/GoodStory/Elmer/SideshowBob/Sandusky/Etc would have nothing to live for. Other than being banned from watching children practice on the field and blogging on here, and Kahuku football, what else does this person have.
People, we need to show some empathy to this Sandusky Clone.
#tiredofwinning
Hey, I see Mr. Chang let you use the computer today.
St Louis, the most penalized team in the state. No discipline. Instead of a two game suspension for the player, both head coach and player serve a one game suspension.
Congratulations to St Louis alumni Vavae for teaching Kahuku players about academics and how to WIN. Great job Principal for not hiring clueless people to coach those great kids.
You still crying for attention? Move forward friend.
It’s just funny everytime Jordan lays some one out he gets call for targetting. It look to me like a good clean hit but then again I’m not an 80 year Grandpa trying to call a game either. ILH have to do a better job with these damn officials.
Iosefa is the QB of that defense and a major key. Yet the media is not going to make an excuse for that like how they were a big cry baby that Milton didnt play against Kahuku.
Mililani is a one man team and Kahuku proved that but all of a sudden against #22 ranked Hilo Mililani now has a ton of weapons. Hahahaha, St. Louis will win.
@Realistic. Says the girl with 20+ names. Kettle… Pot… Like I said, da KEIKI table is at the back of the room…that’s the only level where you’re #stillwinning. Zzzzzzzzzzzz… Shoo fly. LOL
@ilh. Heard your song about Kahuku losing all season. And your predictions = goose egg so far (like Mililanis offense vs our defense). Keep singing fat lady…for da uddah squads.
@Lee. Santiago feels your pain. Had to sit out two games early in the season for “targeting” and ALL replays showed clean hit. Terrible reffing all around this year. It is what it is.
Tomahawk chopping AAAAALLLLL DAY!!!
GO BIG RED
@88 – Nah your mom did. Please tell her thanks!
@GoBigRed – What are you going to do with the $29 you saved? Maybe buy an online friend at desperate.com? Tomahawk chop? Are you guys even Native Americans out there? Talk about being politically incorrect and being too ignorant to even see that, hahahaah!
#stillwinning #everytimeyoureplyIwin
Too bad for the Kid and the team. Two game suspension is extreme.
I will say this, there is no place in High school sports for violence outside of the rules.
People can say what they want but tape never lies.
damn..big loss for stl…wanted to see both teams go at it at full strength so no excuses
Welcome to the kids club! Where adults learn how to talk to each other! Hue hue..
On a serious note; kahuku and St. Louis have the hardest hitters and judging by all the late hits they received this season I’m surprised that there isn’t more suspensions. Leadin with your head will lead to CTE sadly. Poor kids will learn the hard way.
This is a slap in the face to this hard working player who sacrificed a lot of time and effort getting ready for this game as well as the entire season. The executive directory is either a not a person of integrity or a biased OIA brownnoser. Do you know, Mr. Chris chun that these games are for the entertainment of the public who will shell out money to watch the best thats being offered and now you’ve taken a good part of that off the table. And dont be bringing in those same officials that refed that kaimuki radford game or that kahuku waianae which i think these officials wanted to get air time as much as they could so they called a penalty on almost every other play.
This is ridiculous. They didn’t even tell the team and coach that he was suspended for 2 games and not 1?! What kind of kids club are they running over there? Let’s not even get into why this is a referee judgement spot call. Oh well another juicing from the refs against STL. What a surprise. If you really think STL is #1 in penalties by their own doing then you haven’t been watching Hawaii High School football very long