Hawaii high school football has never been better.

Unfortunately, it has also never been worse.

And the first sentence is a big part of why the second is also true.

The individual talent — which has always been excellent — continues to improve. As does the coaching. This senior class of football players is considered among the state’s best by college recruiters; some say it will be the finest crop ever.

What’s wrong with that, you ask?

Nothing, except that most of the top-notch players gravitate to a few schools. When these schools play each other — like Saturday’s game between No. 2 Mililani and No. 3 Saint Louis — there’s a high level of play and often a competitive contest (in this case, the Trojans were clearly better, winning 63-47, but Saint Louis did trail by only two points midway through the third quarter).

But when one of the powerhouses matches up with a have-not, that’s when you get problems.

Mismatches. In numbers of players as well as skill level.

Just one week into the season and there have already been three forfeits — two decided before the game by a school pulling out, one when a coach wisely threw in the towel during the first half. Trailing 35-0 and down to 24 healthy, available players after several injuries in less than 20 minutes of game time, Waipahu requested a cease-fire against Farrington.

Yes, football is always a physical, dangerous sport by its nature. Anyone who plays knows it is risky. But wide variances in size, skill and experience lead not only to blowouts on the scoreboard but more injuries.

But that’s why a classification system that makes sense is all the more important. If the schools are going to continue to sanction an activity that puts students at a higher risk of injury than military basic training, isn’t there a responsibility to lessen that risk where possible?

This is not a new problem here, where there are only two classifications of football (and sometimes teams from the two classes are scheduled to play each other). It reached a level last season where it became obvious that mismatches were causing forfeits.

After last season it was suggested by many — again — that the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Interscholastic League of Honolulu merge for football. This way perennial powers like Kamehameha, Saint Louis and Punahou can play appropriate competition during the regular season — teams like Kahuku, Mililani, Farrington.

The two-division model is not working, and a third level of classification for football is needed. This can only be done effectively with an OIA-ILH merger.

But the public and private school leagues can’t seem to get it done. The funny thing about it is one of the biggest OIA complaints, recruiting by the ILH, is now commonplace among the OIA powers.

We should also remember that forfeits don’t just mean one fewer game for the players. They also result in wasted hours of planning and inconveniencing of officials, pep squads, families … in some cases entire communities.

This problem should have been addressed after last season. Instead it’s a continuing public safety issue, and for another season the onus is unfairly on individual schools being forced to forfeit games.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads.