Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 15

1 RAINBOWS ELIMINATED, C-3 WAIflNE KEEP HOPES ALIVE, C-3 MUSASHIMARU, AKEBONO IN FINAL, C-4 vt -J V' SB-' 1) (jsj) "'l Section Sports Watch By Bill Kwon AAA UH's new-ticket plan a tier-jerker Honolulu Star-Bulletin Saturday, May 22, 1999 Sports Desk: 525-8600 E-mail: sports1starbulletin.com iPiEiifelEl had Eioiiii in llmW late-seassn piiri ANY a tier has to fall, but it's all in the game. I don't know, but I think the Uni The ex-general manager and president made decisions for the team that are now making sense did, but I did what was in the best interest of the organization," the deposed architect oC the Knicks said. "I still feel very good about it, and now it's starting to come around and people are starting to see why I made the decisions I did." Grunfeld has been watching from afar as the team he built has started to thrive in the playoffs. Led by controversial new acquisitions Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby, the Knicks have a 2-0 lead over Atlanta in the best-of-7 second round. The series resumes tomorrow afternoon with Game 3.

Game 4 is Monday night It has been more than a month since Grunfeld was reassigned to special consultant, a move made by Madison Square Garden president Dave Checketts while the team was floundering with a .500 record and in danger of missing the playoffs. The demotion of Grunfeld has remained a hot topic of debate in New York for the past month as the team has begun to click on a consistent basis. A victory over the Hawks would put New York into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1994. Sprewell, acquired by Grunfeld prior to the season for John Starks, Terry Cummings and Chris Mills, has scored 31 points in each of the first two games against the Hawks and is New York's leading scorer in the postseason. "I feel a lot of pride in the way things are coming around," said Grunfeld.

"I knew it was going to take a little longer than normal for this team to come together, but finally it is coming together." Associated Press Today's games Jarz'at Trail Blazers; 9 (NBC. live) Spurs Lakers, ,11:50 a.m. (NBC, live) i I Tcmarrow's gamas' i 1 76ers at Pacers; 6:30 a jn. (NBC, live) Hawks at Knicks, 9 a.m. (NBC, live) Spurs at Lakers, 11.30 a.m.

(NBC, live) Yesterday's result Indiana 97, Philadelphia 86 Pacers lead series, 3-0 Complete coverage C-3 NEW YORK One month aRer he was removed as president and general manager of the New York Knicks, Ernie Grunfeld sounds like a man who feels vindicated. "A lot of people criticized what I Mol i i iii wk 'I i versity of Hawaii athletic department is sending a wrong message out there by not only raising ticket prices for Rainbow football but by adopting "tier" levels. Four tiers to be exact Tier I will cost $21 for sideline seats, $19 for end zones and $14 foryouths, seniors and UH students. The only Tier-I game this fall is the season opener against Southern California. Tier II tickets will be $3 less across the board.

This season, Washington State and Navy! -don't ask me why, the more than mediocre Middies- have been designated for that second level. Tier III includes all Western Athletic Conference games for $17, $15 and $10. Tier rv will be all other games at last year's prices when Rainbow fans paid $16, $14 and $9 to see the home team lose eight straight games at Aloha Stadium. Presumably, we're talking Eastern Illinois and Boise State here this season. Hey, why stop there? Go for a Tier V.

If the football 'Bows lose any Tier IV game, UH should cheerfully refund the money. Right away, you can see why a tier-level plan is as full of holes as the Rainbow defense was last year. For one thing, there's no way that Navy is a Tier II opponent The Middies were 3-8 last year, with one of the losses an embarrassing 49-7 wipeout to Air Force. Washington State? Well, OK. It's a Pac-10 team after all.

But the lonely tier-drop concept really sends a wrong message to the other WAC teams on the schedule. In effect, UH is saying, "You're Tier III, guys." Tome, it's just a euphemistic way of telling the WAC it's third rate. Of course, the real sad message that's sent out, though, is that if UH football opponents ever came up with a tier plan of their own, the Rainbows would probably be classified as a Tier IV team. At least, until they win a game. I can't help but shed some lonely tear drops for UH's new tier system of ticket pricing.

Speaking of Rainbow football, one of the reasons for the downfall can be summarized in two words Duce Staley. Staley became the Philadelphia Eagles' franchise running back by signing a six-year, $16.3 million contract with the NFL team yesterday. Five years ago, Staley was recruited by UH offensive coordinator Paul Johnson and he had his heart set to play for the Rainbows. But he wasn't academically qualified to enter school not at Hawaii anyway. So he went on to star for South Carolina instead and finally wound up playing at Aloha Stadium in the Hooters Hula Bowl.

Just another reminder of what might have been for the Rainbows. Welcome back, Jack It was good to see Jack Nick-laus back in action again. He played his first competitive round of golf since hip-replacement surgery four months ago, shooting a creditable 2-over-par 74 in the first round of the PGA Senior Tour's Bell Atlantic Classic yesterday. And he did it his way, disdaining the use of a golf cart even tough it is allowed on the Senior Tour. He walked every step of the round on the hilliest course that the seniors play on the tour.

The only exception was riding with a tour official to a portable john in order that his threesome didn't fall behind of the group ahead of them. Nicklaus' decision to walk, not ride, is in keeping with the rules of golf. And it's a refreshing counterpoint to those trying to ride their way into the U.S. Open. 7 By George F.

Lee, star-Bulletin The Molokai Farmers celebrate their state baseball tournament chantpionship game victory over Mid-Pacific Institute at Rainbow Stadium last The Farmers' baseball team harvests the school's first state championship in any sport land team to win the state baseball title, joining Baldwin, Hilo and Maui on the elite list Alcon had hit an inside-the-park home run before, but never a grand slam. He also had never run faster than when he scooted around the bases after his hit rolled all the way to the warning track in left to give Molokai a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Rawlins, the winning pitcher in Thursday's semifinal victory over Hilo, had never hit a ball farther than the 1-0 fastball from Mid-Pac reliever Bryan Lee. It cleared the left-center wall at around 385 Kekahi Rawlins into history last night Youth won over experience as No. 2 seed Molokai downed top-seeded Mid-Pacific, 6-2, for the title of the 41st Wally Yon-amine Foundation Hawaii High School Athletic Association Baseball Championship in front of 2,531 at Rainbow Stadium "My feeling is the cheering's going to go on forever," said Ken Nakayama, the Farmers' coach of some 25 years.

"This is the first time for the island of Molokai. This is for the whole island. All of Molokai is family." Molokai became the fourth neighbor is feet with room to spare to push Molokai's lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth. "I thought it was going to stay in the ballpark," said Rawlins. "But when I was rounding second, there was a lot of noise.

I looked up at the fence and it was gone." Lester was only 5 months old the first and only time the Farmers reached the semifinals in 1984. He had never pitched a complete game. In fact, he had never even started. Yet the hero of Wednesday's 10-inning quarterfinal victory over Iolani was ready please see FARMERS, C-6 By Cindy Lus Star-Bulletin ''lias the cheering stopped? Not yet. Not for a while.

'It took 1 hour and 50 minutes for Molokai to win its first state high school championship. Sixty years after the school was founded, the bridge across the Kaiwi Channel was finally crossed. The Farmers rode the arm of freshman pitcher Ikaika Lester and the bats of sophomore Kelii Alcon and freshman ULUW, JII, M. JL I II Funs play Kamehameha for title The state girls' basketball championship game will have a familiar look to it Waiakea's Sheila Azevedo splits Kamehameha's Tai Soo, left, and Raelen Self for a basket during the girls' state semifinals. Kamehameha advanced to tonights title game against Vunaljou.

By Denms Ooa, Star-Bulletin Estee Okumura scored six of her 15 points during Punahou's third-quarter run to help hand the Mustangs (13-1) their first loss of the year. Tai Soo had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Kealani Kimball added 14 points in Kamehameha's win over Waiakea (16-1). Punahou (15-2) and Kamehameha (13-1) split their ILH season series, each winning close games on the other's home court But this one will be on neutral ground, and with both PLEVSE SKE ILH, C-6 lu and the state is. Punahou outscored top-seed Kala-heo, 9-2, in the final three minutes of the third quarter to blow open a tight game last night and advance to the title game of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls' State Basketball Tournament Kamehameha used an 8-0 third-quarter run to dispatch Waiakea, 47-38, and join the Buffanblu in another all-ILH final at the St an Sheriff center at 8 p.m. tonight The state champion has come from the ILH the past 12 years.

By Jerry Campany Special to the Star-Bulletin Now that the regular season, the league tournament and the state tournament preliminaries are over, it's time to find out who the best team in the Interscholastic League of Honolu Bill Kwon has been writing about sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1959. 3 rr.