With their senior football season hanging by a thin rope that seems to have strands breaking loose every week, Kalani High's Matt Shishido and Kameron Noyama and about a dozen teammates still put on the pads and strapped on the helmets to practice in Tuesday's warm afternoon sun.

Even with — for the third time this season — their game being forfeited this weekend.

"Love of the game," said Shishido, when asked why he bothers to practice every day even with no game to look forward to. "I'm a senior, it's my last year, and there's only one more month in the season, so I want to make the most of it."

But now that final month looks to be more and more in jeopardy.

The latest grade checks came out Monday, and six of Kalani's 25 varsity players were declared academically ineligible. With two other players out with injuries, that left only 17 players eligible and healthy for Saturday's scheduled game against 'Aiea.

Kalani head coach Greg Taguchi did not feel the team would be safe with that number, so — for the third time in four weeks — he announced Tuesday that the Falcons would forfeit.

The situation does not look good for next week's game at Campbell, either, because those same six players on academic probation cannot be reinstated until Oct. 6 at the earliest — three days after the Falcons are scheduled to play the Sabers.

Kalani has about 40 players on the JV team, but Taguchi has been reluctant to promote young players prematurely if they are not prepared for varsity competition.

Also, once a player is promoted from JV to varsity, he is not eligible to return to the JV even if the varsity situation were to change.

"We'll meet with some JV parents later this week and see what they say," Taguchi said. "But it's not a good situation."

ANNUAL CHALLENGE

Kalani has battled the problem of low football turnout for several years.

But Taguchi, a 1986 Kalani graduate who has been coaching the Falcons off and on since 1994, said he cannot remember the situation being this dire.

In fact, no other team on O'ahu has had to forfeit an upcoming game more than once in a season in at least the past 10 years, according to Advertiser records.

Shishido, who started playing football as a freshman on the JV, said Kalani's lack of victories over the years has hurt the program's image and made it less attractive to prospective players on campus.

The Falcons have won only once in their past 43 games, dating to the 2003 season.

"(Other kids) see the losing tradition and they don't want to be part of a losing team," Shishido said. "It's hard to turn around people who don't believe in (the program)."

Kalani faces other challenges, including its location in a district where a large percentage of the teenagers attend private school.

Noyama, who played at a Seattle school as a freshman, said students at Kalani like football, "just not as much" as kids on other campuses.

LOOKING AHEAD

While Shishido and Noyama are trying to salvage what is left of their senior season, junior receiver/quarterback Gavin Okada is hopeful for a full season in 2009.

"I want to keep going, because I still have next year to play for," said Okada. "Even if we don't have a game, I can still practice and try to get better. I never thought, 'What's the point of coming to practice?' "

Taguchi said it is that kind of spirit like that has him believing in keeping football alive at Kalani.

"We're trying to make the best of the situation we're in, but even if only one child came out for practice, I would want to coach him to the best of my ability," Taguchi said. "We don't have a game this week, but they're still here, they still practice, they still run the sprints. For me as a coach, we just need more students like that."

Taguchi said he hopes the core group of varsity players still practicing will serve as an example to the JV players and inspire them to give the same effort once they reach the varsity.

"They're showing dedication and selflessness," Taguchi said. "They have a love of the game, but it's also about life lessons, testing your character.

"I'm proud of them."