The Mid-Pacific Owls will not participate in football, cheerleading and wrestling this fall due to the risk of COVID-19.
The news, reported by Hawaii Prep World on Monday, was a surprise to some officials and coaches. MPI’s football players and wrestlers are part of Pac-Five. Another Pac-Five member was not expecting such an early announcement.
“I had heard they were thinking about it, but nothing official until I read the article,” Maryknoll Athletic Director Ben Valle said.
Maryknoll hasn’t decided whether to follow MPI’s path.
“Maryknoll, like many schools, understands these are challenging times. Things can change very quickly. We have been using the CDC and DOH guidelines to safe reopening. The league (ILH) has provided leadership and guidance for member schools. We are committed to providing our students and families the safest return possible. If there’s football this year, we would love to see our students on the field.”
Some key players on the Pac-Five team that went 6-3 last season in the OIA-ILH Division II schedule are from Maryknoll. They include quarterback Chase Hedani.
Football and wrestling were among sports classified as most risky by the National Federation of High Schools. Those are not among the lower-risk sports in "Phase I" guidelines.
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