Good times, good memories ease Tengan’s resignation

Much of the prep football world is still abuzz over Delbert Tengan's resignation from Saint Louis as football and basketball coach.

Tengan, however, is already moving on despite 25 years as a trainer, assistant coach and head coach with the Crusaders. He acknowledged, though, that it won't be easy.

"I'm gonna miss the kids, working with them every day. The preparation and the game day with the kids. I'll still have interaction with them teaching them in P.E., but that's a totally different interaction," he said. "I'll miss working with my coaching staff. They were tremendous and had great relationships with the kids."

Tengan also enjoyed friendly rivalries with his counterparts in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

"I'll miss the camaraderie with the other coaches. Doc (Mugiishi of Iolani) was the dean of basketball in the ILH; everyone else came in after him," Tengan said. "I'll miss the great coaching relationships and friendships in football as well. Kale Ane (of Punahou), Wendell Look (of Iolani), Kanani Souza, Coach (Don) Botelho. The colleagues and the people I've met through this vehicle of coaching, it's great people."

He has not ruled out the possibility of coaching in the future, but has already assumed that the coming year will be one without his two beloved sports.

"I can't thank Saint Louis enough for the opportunity they gave me. I never imagined being head coach at Saint Louis, let alone coach of football and basketball," he said, recalling his entry to varsity coaching when then-athletic director Peter Estomago hired him in 1983.

Red Raiders are Kona bound

Football powerhouse Kahuku will travel to the Big Island for a nonconference game at Kealakehe on Aug. 30, according to the recently updated Big Island Interscholastic Federation schedule.

Kealakehe, the defending BIIF champion, lost to Waianae in the opening round of the Division I state tourney last year. Kahuku is coming off a season that ended with a loss to Kapolei in the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs.

Status quo

The BIIF will continue to play a divisional schedule in football and basketball, but possible changes to soccer and volleyball will sit for another year.

Konawaena athletic director Lyle Crozier said league athletic directors decided to continue the football and basketball format, which separates Division I and II teams for regular-season games.

That was a slight setback for Konawaena, a D-II football program. The league's D-I teams, like Waiakea and Kealakehe, travel well and bring fans to fields across the island.

That gave Crozier the impetus to consider moving the Wildcats to D-I in football, but they decided to stay in D-II. Konawaena has an enrollment of 620.

"We'll play Kamehameha-Hawaii and HPA twice," he said, noting a more robust junior varsity schedule. Last year's JV team was short on games because D-II teams Ka'u and HPA don't field teams at that level.

"We'll play Kamehameha's JV five times. On the bye dates, we'll play Honokaa's JV twice."

The varsity 'Cats will play D-I Kealakehe again. Last year's exhibition game at Yates Field was a big boost for Konawaena at the gate. This time, Konawaena will play at the Waveriders' field and share in the revenue.

BIIF soccer and volleyball teams will continue with an integrated schedule of D-I and D-II teams, Crozier added. "We have only four teams in D-I and 11 in D-II," he noted. "That would've been too hard. The D-I teams would've had to play each other three or four times."