Polls are, as I have always said, nothing more than whipped cream. No nutritional value, but nice to the taste buds. I will, though, take this time to disagree with our Honolulu Star-Bulletin Top 10 panel.

Star-Bulletin: Football Top 10

According to our panel (15 voters this week), Saint Louis is No. 1. I agree. In fact, I'm OK with Punahou at No. 2, Kahuku at No. 3 and Mililani fourth. But Baldwin at No. 5?

I think Baldwin is a 5 spot if and when all-state wide receiver Chase Nakamura returns. Until then, what have the Bears done to prove worthy of the 5 spot? Wins over a young, rebuilding Kamehameha-Hawaii team and a rebuilding Maui squad don't say anything new to me. A 23-point loss to San Clemente (Calif.) says something, though Nakamura didn't play.

That's why I have Baldwin at No. 10 on my ballot, not for lack of potential, but for lack of quality wins. They get their shot at a quality win when they face Lahainaluna on Oct. 19.

Our panelists also have Leilehua behind Baldwin, which is amusing. Leilehua has beaten quality teams like Kailua and Waianae on the road. The Mules also led Punahou before losing, and also came close to beating Mililani on the road. Leilehua is battle-tested, one of the top defensive units in the state.

The panel also has Baldwin and Waianae ahead of Kalaheo. Think what you like about Kalaheo, but the Mustangs have the resume that is worthy of more than a No. 9 ranking in the Top 10. They've beaten Iolani on the road, nearly upset Kahuku on the road, and have won their other three games decisively.

Why is the panel so loathe to rank Kalaheo as high as sixth (which is where they are on my ballot)? Good question. My guess is that seeing is believing, and since the Kalaheo-Kahuku game wasn't on TV, and since most townies won't drive to Kahuku even if the best game of the night is there, people really haven't given Kalaheo its due.

I also disagree about Kapolei and Iolani. Kapolei lost to a very good Mililani squad and got bumped out of the Top 10 by the voters. I still have Kapolei at No. 8 on my ballot. They were 3-0 before the Mililani game.

Iolani isn't in the Top 10, but the Raiders have been on my ballot for most of the season so far. How can Iolani lose by 3 points to Kalaheo, 3 points at Waianae, and then rout a good Damien team and still not be ranked? Again, Iolani isn't on TV, and there are some panelists who won't vote for a Division II team unless hell freezes over. It's a shame, really. I've seen Iolani twice, and they are humming like a Formula 1 engine right now.

I have the Raiders ranked behind Waianae and Kalaheo, which is logical. I also have Iolani ranked ahead of Baldwin and Kamehameha right now. Iolani is playing very good football and that's what I vote on: current performance.

Maybe I should be more like some panelists and rely on history and tradition rather than current performance. That would explain why Baldwin, Kamehameha and even Lahainaluna (No. 10 in the Top 10) are currently overrrated, in my opinion. But I won't cave in. I know what I've seen in 11 games (something like that) so far this season.

I like Lahainaluna. I think they'll be in the Division II state title game. But until they beat a quality team, I can't push them up my ballot when there are other teams that have beaten ranked teams. Same with Kamehameha. Great potential, but it'll take time for the Warriors to get in sync. New coach, new system, new terminology ... this stuff needs time to sink in no matter what school we talk about.

The voters can have their cake. The whipped cream is good enough for me.

Previous Article: Pupule's Top 10 ballot (Sept 16)
Next Article: BIIF and Division II