Why the Short Season?

Community Contributed

By Ke`van Dudoit

Mahalo to all those that came out to support the Molokai Lady Farmers basketball team two weeks ago, in their only two home games of the season. Why was this the only home game you ask? It’s because this year, the MIL Division II league only has three teams.

St. Anthony and Hana dropped out at the end of last year’s season, leaving the league with Molokai, Lanai and Seabury Hall. Now that there are only three teams, the HHSAA will only award the MIL DII League one state berth instead of two because of the number of teams in the league. Each team travels once, to play two games, and stay home to host two games. Our away games this year were Lanai, and we hosted Seabury Hall.

Thanks to King Kekaulike High School’s Athletic Director, Kurtis Saiki, we were able to get some Division I games scheduled – however, we have to travel to play the Division I schools. We already played Kamehameha Maui, Maui High and King Kekaulike. This week we are headed back to Maui for the 2011 MIL Division II Girls Basketball Tournament at Kamehameha Maui. We have the No. 1 seed and will play in the championship game against either Lanai or Seabury Hall at 6 p.m. One win and we are MIL champs for the fourth consecutive year, as well as making the state berth for the 2011 HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championship Tournament on Oahu. Molokai has finished in the top four at the state tournament for the past three years: finishing fourth place in 2008, winning the state championship in 2009 and runner-ups in 2010.

If we win the MIL Championship, we are scheduled to return to Maui on Jan. 28 to face the MIL Division I runner-ups. We then play in the most highly anticipated game in the league – a matchup with the Defending Division I State Champions, Lahainaluna, on Jan. 29. This matchup pits two legitimate basketball programs up against each other for the first time since 2003. This game will be played the weekend before the State Championship Tournament. If Molokai wins the MIL D-II Championship, we will compete at the State Championships Feb.1-4 at the Blaisdell Arena on Oahu.

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