HS: Winter state, region rankings, Feb. 13

by Sheldon Shealer

February 13, 2017

In one of high school sports' oddities, a rain postponement in Hawaii proved to be a bit more challenging than the usual rescheduling.

On team needed to confirm a return plane flight before the Hawaii state assoication could announce the make-up schedule for the boys state state finals, which are slated to take place today [Monday, Feb. 13].

That's right -- a flight.

Teams in Hawaii, and those visiting or coming from Juneau, Alaska, travel by plane as the only way to reach neighboring islands, or in Juneau's case there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of the state.

The Hawaii finals are played at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on the island of Oahu, which is home for Division I finalists Kaiser and Punahou, along with Division 2 [St. Louis hi-m]. However, [Hawaii Prep hi-m] is on the "Big Island," about a 2 1/2-hour flight with stops.

Around the mainland this week, Florida boys and girls played down to the state finals with a strong showing from North Florida and the Bradenton-area schools. In Arizona, Gilbert (Ariz.) boys and Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) won the large-school state titles.

The current state No. 1s for boys are Gilbert (Gilbert, Ariz.), Godinez (Anaheim, Calif.), Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), St. Paul's (Covington, La.), Northwest Rankin (Flowood, Miss.) and Alief Elsik (Houston, Texas). On the girls side, the state No. 1s are [Xavier Prep az-w] (Phoenix, Ariz.), Carondelet (Concord, Calif.), St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.), Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii), St. Scholastica (Covington, La.), Oxford (Miss.) and Coppell (Texas).