A lot of people wonder how we schedule our high school sports. Here’s a little more insight. Today’s topic “Senior Nights and Proms.”

I’ll start off by saying for Radford fans, we almost had the red-hot Lady Rams on TV last week. It was submitted to us as a TV game by the OIA. But…just over a week before its date, we were asked if it was ok to put in another match.

Why?

Because that was the senior night celebration for Radford and since we needed the game at Mililani (for transmission purposes) it would mean changing the party.

We said “no problem” of course.

And that’s how it’s done. We work with our partners in making matches and changing them as need be. OC16 will never say “our way or forget it.” That’s just not how we do it.

We do have certain needs and considerations that we dialogue with the leagues about and they do what they can. So it’s a two-way street of helping each other out.

Each school and its administration is unique in how they approach the TV factor. Some go the extra, extra mile because they feel it showcases their student-athletes and school in a positive way. Kahuku for one is willing and ready to hop on a long bus ride to our broadcast locations away from their northshore campus - even if it means giving up home court for a neutral site. Principal Lisa Delong and AD Joe Whitford - thanks again from OC16.

On the ILH front…

It’s been a pleasure dealing with all of these schools. From the big schools to the smaller members, it’s great fun establishing this new TV endeavor with them. Kamehameha’s entire staff and admin went beyond the call in working the logistics of doing the first football game from their beautiful stadium - see Kamehameha vs Pac-5 in our sports library www.oc16.tv - to see how that looked. We hope to be back there again.

Punahou and St. Louis have also generously opened their gyms to our cameras, crews, and games.

As for proms… The OIA TV softball schedule has undergone four revisions already…lol… The OIA had to rework their submitted TV games to make sure the students could enjoy their proms on our requested broadcast nights.

Can you imagine the NFL, MLB, or NBA having to deal with these elements in scheduling?

But then again that’s why high school sports are so much fun. They are unique and special. Even if proms can overrule balls and strikes. That’s the way it should be, high school is a special experience. We at OC16 just hope to add to the good times.

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Prep TV - This Week

OIA Boys Basketball
Doubleheader @ Mililani High School Gym
Friday - February 1
Game-1 Kahuku/Kalaheo 6pm
Game-2 Mililani/Leilehua 7:30pm-ish

In my last blog got a comment from Homey about OC16 doing local sports in HD.

The answer is that HD requires new equipment - and if you go full, full, full HD from Camera to graphics to production truck - you’re talking millions of dollars.

But I will say *cue cryptic voice* that HD local sports is very much in the thoughts of OC16. I mean, let’s face it, sports looks awesome in HD! I get giddy thinking of football games at Aloha Stadium showing up on island TV’s in the splendor of HD.

Stay tuned on OC16 HD… *Cue cryptic music*

What’s your thoughts on local HD sports?

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Your local prep sports menu for Friday is OIA girls basketball. We are serving up an Eastern double-dish of Farrington/Roosevelt at 6pm with Kahuku/Moanalua at 7:30pm.

It will be interesting to see the new-look Lady Roughriders without Iwa Rodrigues.

OC16 Sports begins its basketball coverage tonight with an OIA Girls Doubleheader.

Game one tonight is Aiea vs Nanakuli at 6pm from Mililani Gym. Mililani and Leilehua follows.

Looking to Friday - we head to town for the East. Farrington vs Roosevelt is the 6pm game with Kahuku/Moanalua following at 7:30pm.

The boys get air time next week…smile.

And we have ILH games coming up in February.

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Kudos to the OIA girl’s soccer champions from this weekend. Roosevelt lit it up to take the White Division while Pearl City edged rival (my alma matter) Mililani for the Red Championship. Sidenote - Coach Frank Baumholtz is also Docter Baumholtz DDS and he’s my dentist. My teeth thank him for his work.

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Sorry we won’t have the OIA boy’s tournament finals this week. We have other events booked. It’s not slight to them but we only have so many night to squeeze in so many sports and leagues. The girl’s championships fit well because the date was open and we try to balance out getting the girls on TV as much as the boys. Football gets a lot of games and we try to even the number over the year.

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Check out the new sports page on www.oc16.tv - it now has a blog as well as polls and trivia. Let me know what you think of it.