After a near 11-month hiatus, “BIIF” competition is back, at least for certain private schools.
Hawaii Prep and Kamehameha are the primary participants and hosts of a schedule unveiled Wednesday involving four high school sports: basketball (girls and boys), soccer (girls and boys), cross-country and swimming.
Christian Liberty — which plays at HPA in a girls basketball game at 6 p.m. Friday to start things off — St. Joseph and club teams from Kealakehe and Konawaena also will participate in a modified winter season that runs through March 6.
“All of our student-athletes from the schools involved are excited to get back out there,” HPA athletic director Stephen Perry said in a release. “They have all worked hard to have this opportunity.”
No spectators will be allowed, Perry said, though HPA and Kamehameha will stream contests online when possible.
The first soccer matches are Saturday between Kealakehe club teams and Ka Makani in Waimea.
Because of ongoing concerns regarding the pandemic, the HHSAA canceled nine state tournaments in January, denying the HPA girls and boys from an opportunity to defend their titles. Ka Makani boys and girls each will play four games this winter.
On Jan. 7, the BIIF canceled all fall and winter sports, but a decision has not been announced yet involving spring sports — baseball, softball, boys volleyball, water polo, golf, judo, tennis and track and field —which are all tentatively scheduled to begin March 1.
While the BIIF’s public schools must wait for the Department of Education to allow extra-curricular activities to resume, the private schools are ready to move forward.
Kamehameha and Hawaii Prep are set to meet twice in boys basketball, and Ka Makani are scheduled to play two games against a club team from Konawaena. The Warriors and HPA are the most recent BIIF boys basketball champions. In girls basketball, HPA and Kamehameha and the Canefire will play each other twice, and Kamehameha and HPA will meet in a pair of soccer doubleheaders.
After a “virtual” swimming time trial Saturday, meets will be held on the following three Saturdays, and two cross-country meets are on tap, one at Kamehameha and the other at HPA.
