BIIF football is still in limbo with the HHSAA extending the no-contact period for all workouts and practices through Sept. 13.
That means coaches can’t instruct players or they would face a suspension for part or the entire season.
“We’d love to start, but we can’t,” Waiakea coach Neil Azevedo said. “The kids’ health is the most important thing. They’re working out on their own. We’re keeping in touch. We want to make sure everybody is good and healthy.”
Football has been benched until 2021 at the earliest, along with girls volleyball.
“We’re hoping to start in January,” Azevedo said. “The most important thing is education. That’s the No. 1 thing. We want them to go back to school.”
The second week of public school starts this week with virtual learning.
Azevedo knows of the rising cases – there were 15 more reported Saturday in Hawaii County, bringing the total number of active cases to 52 – and worries about the kupuna catching the coronavirus.
“It’s like a wildfire. We have to be cautious and cover up,” he said. “The biggest thing is the numbers. They keep climbing. It’s getting scarier. That’s something you don’t want to bring home, especially to the elders.”
He anticipates a roster of 50 players and figures to have a young team after last season’s 0-10 finish.
Meanwhile across town, Hilo is still looking like a favorite for an eighth consecutive BIIF Division I title.
“So far, we’re doing good but waiting for guidance on where we’re at,” said coach Laveitiga Suiaunoa, who was hired to replace Kaeo Drummondo. “Everything is on hold. We’ve been trying to do our best to meet with staff. While school is just starting, most everything is on hold.”
Last season, the Vikings defeated Iolani 20-17 to win their second state title in three years. If not for the pandemic, the Vikings would be on the field.
“If this were last year, right about now, we’d be ready to play our first preseason game,” Suiaunoa said. “We’d be putting things together. We’d be putting our packages together.
“As of right now, there’s not much we can do. Right now, the kids are working out on their own and doing activities on their own.”
Drummondo has been hired as Hilo’s athletic director, so he and his former defensive coordinator still shoot the breeze.
“We talk almost every day,” Suiaunoa said. “It’s more on managing the program, having talks with the other coaches and building relationships.
“Ryan Taniguchi is our strength and conditioning coach, so we’re talking about what we’ll do once we return to the field.”
On Saturday, Hawaii’s total tally of coronavirus cases climbed to 6,356 after 284 new cases were reported. The news is always everywhere, something on the mind of Hilo’s new coach.
“The concern is always the safety of the athletes,” he said. “If one kid gets it, it affects much more and makes for greater numbers.
“I hope the numbers trickle down. Then we’ll be able to have football again.”