HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Nanakuli's Beaver decides to retire
The old-school brigade is slowly stepping away.
Nanakuli football coach Al Beaver is the latest of the sages to step down.
"I've decided to retire," Beaver said yesterday.
He coached the Golden Hawks for six years, earning White Conference coach of the year honors in 2002.
"We accepted his resignation with regret," Nanakuli athletic director Hugh Taufaasau said. "He's done a lot for the program during his time here."
Beaver will focus his football interests on his twice-a-year clinic at Hosei University in Japan. He has high hopes for the future of Nanakuli's program, which has struggled in the more powerful Red Conference of the Oahu Interscholastic Association in recent years.
"I kind of made up my mind after the Damien game," Beaver said of an early-season, nonconference matchup.
His disciplined approach netted mixed results.
"We've been trying to build scholar-athletes," he said. "And it's been frustrating."
He has reason to hope, though.
"The next guy will have to be somebody special. It might be good if they find a younger guy. That's been the case at places like Radford, so I'm sure they'll find someone," Beaver said, referring to coach Fred Salanoa, who took over the Rams program at age 24.