Monday’s letter announcing the closure of Saint Francis’ middle and high schools this summer caught many in the athletic department off guard.
“When I heard about it, I was in shock,” boys volleyball coach Dandi Holder said. “One of my assistant coaches called me and said, ‘What’s going on?’ I called our AD (Chad Konishi) and he said it’s true. We’ve got one last season and we’ll give it all we’ve got.”
Holder guided the Saints’ boys volleyball team to the state championship last spring in Division II and was voted Honolulu Star-Advertiser coach of the year.
The Saints won three state championships last year (also in basketball and softball) and were one of the favorites to win the Division II state football title this year. Saint Francis was 9-0 when the school decided to forfeit all games played in the OIA-ILH football alliance for the use of an ineligible player.
Junior offensive lineman Fa’aope Laloulu, who is one of the state’s top-rated college prospects in the class of 2020, had to endure that in November and now this on the first day of classes following winter break.
“We’re all taking it hard. We were hoping to come back and finish out our dream,” Laloulu said.
A 6-foot-7, 340-pound left tackle, Laloulu has offers from Arizona, BYU, Hawaii, Oregon, San Diego State and Southern California. Under normal situations a player must sit out a year of athletics if he transfers from one private school to another private school.
Current students who have played during the winter season or have a sport coming up in the spring aren’t allowed to transfer to another school and play this season because Saint Francis still offers the sport to play.
Because there won’t be any sports offered next academic year due to the school closing down, players
in all sports will be allowed to
transfer and play right away in the 2019-20 school year.
“I should find out where I’ll go
by the end of the school year,” said Laloulu, whose home district is
Kalihi, with Farrington the high school.
The Saints had two underclassmen — Laloulu and running back Jonan Aina-Chaves — make the Star-Advertiser All-State first team this season.
Those decisions will come. For now the Saints are already starting to miss their home.
“I’ll miss the atmosphere and the academic support we get here,” Laloulu said. “They made sure we were up to par academically. We have teachers who are here early in the morning or late after school for us.”
