Students from Kohala High School will not get the chance to play football after all this fall.

Nearly two weeks after Athletic Director Laurie Koustik initially announced that the Cowboys would be unable to field a team for the upcoming Big Island Interscholastic Federation season, a last-ditch effort to allow those displaced players to play for Honokaa fell short at a meeting of league principals Wednesday.

Citing the proximity of the upcoming prep football season, BIIF president Shawn Suzuki told Big Island Now's Josh Pacheco that official league procudures did not allow the body of administration to vote on the proposal.

“Basically, when we declare for sports, we have to do so before the end of the prior school year,” Suzuki was quoted as saying. “You have to declare for next year before the end of last year so that over the summer and with HIADA (Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association) and what not, schedules can be made. We have to do that prior to May/June, and this is August.”

The verdict had a potential impact on Kau as well. The Trojans notified the BIIF last week that they also would not be able to field a team this year, but had hoped to join the Keaau team if Kohala players were allowed to suit up for Honokaa. However, neither situation will be allowed and the league with go on with eight teams - four in Division I and four in Division II. 

A revised BIIF league schedule, which features a single round-robin regular season followed by a four-team playoff in each division, was released Thursday afternoon.