HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Siuaki Livai offers his advice to next coach
The community should support whoever is named to lead Kahuku
Siuaki Livai is no longer the football coach at Kahuku, but that doesn't mean he won't face questions from fans and media alike.
One question was simple, but not easy to answer: What advice would you give to the next coach?
"That's a hard question," Livai said, pausing for a few seconds. "I think that we should support whoever he is. Sometimes you don't know who has a thick skin until they dive into it."
After 10 years of guiding a nationally recognized football program, Livai certainly won't be forgotten, thick skin and all.
Reaction to his resignation was widespread.
"It surprised me," veteran Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "All the championships they won, if there's a time to get out, it's a good time to go. To me, it's not easy to win championships like he did. It gets harder every year. To maintain what they had was tough."
Say recalled a time when Livai was just starting out, shortly after Doug Semones had departed for UH.
"I remember his first year, he didn't win many games. It was a rough start, but he slowly built the program up. He took it past what Semones did," Say said. "He went out on his own terms as a winner, which is what every coach wants to do."
Roosevelt coach Les Parilla was one of the few to upset Kahuku in recent years.
"I thought he had it made there, but if he's going to get out, more power to him, as long as he's got something to do," Parilla said. "I don't think people realize the amount of work that's involved, and he put a lot of work into that program. It doesn't really matter if you win, the community won't all be happy. Siuaki and I had our differences, but I think he was there for the kids, and I commend him for that."
On the radar: Rainbow Wahine assistant basketball coach Pat Charity made the rounds to scout Big Island talent recently.
Charity took in games at a Hilo tournament, keeping watch on Honokaa junior Keisha Kanekoa and Hilo's superb freshman, Vicky Tagalicod. Honokaa coach Daphne Honma confirmed that Hawaii is highly interested in Kanekoa, one of the state's top guards.
Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Leilani Galdones has already signed with Hawaii.
Clague up to 15: Punahou coach Bob Clague has led the Buffanblu to all 15 of their boys soccer state titles.
Prior to this year's championship, Punahou won it all in 1976, '77, '82, '83, '85, '86, '89, '90, '91, '92, '94, '95, '96 and '98.
Clague is the Star-Bulletin's coach of the year.
For the record: They're busy, but not quite as much as originally thought.
The top-ranked Iolani girls basketball team has a big showdown with No. 3 Kamehameha on Friday, but does not have a game on Saturday. A schedule listing in Monday's Top 10 poll incorrectly listed Iolani with a game on Saturday against Sacred Hearts.
Not true. The two schools will meet on Tuesday at the Lancers' gym.
Tip-off for that contest is 6 p.m.