Press Box
Tournament could be
Smith’s final runWINNERS who coach great players always fall victim to the doubters, especially in basketball. Could Auerbach have lit the cigars without Russell? Would Jackson sans Jordan make zen a big zero?
Locally, Jim Alegre suffered the stigma. Cynics said Gentleman Jim didn't bring four state championships to Radford High School with his coaching skill, but, rather, due to geography; Hickam Air Force Base and Pearl Harbor fall within the Rams district.
The bitter and the jealous could also point at Pete Smith and whisper he enjoyed success only because of the overwhelming talent of his players. They wouldn't be 100 percent right, not by a Zane Cabral long shot. But they could quietly say it behind their hands, and there would be some nods of agreement.
Kalaheo High School does indeed have three state basketball championships in three different decades, largely because of the Mustangs' consistently superior athletes. Smith's son, Alika, was among them. He went on to become one of the finest locally produced college players in Hawaii roundball history.
But the constant since 1984 -- except for a one-year hitch in 1989 when he was Chaminade's head coach -- is Pete Smith, 49, the gruff-looking but generally soft-spoken rock of the Mustangs. He is the reason Kalaheo has won 14 Oahu Interscholastic Association championships and appeared in eight state tournament finals. He is Mr. Consistency.
This week's state tournament could be the final run for Smith, whose third-seeded Mustangs open against the winner of today's Waiakea-Kamehameha game. Kalaheo athletic director Lee Cashman will likely retire after this school year, with Smith the rubber-stamp successor.
"If the AD job opens up, I'll definitely apply. There's been some talk," said Smith, not one to assume anything.
There's been quite a bit of talk of that nature -- also about Alika, now an assistant at Hawaii-Hilo, stepping right in to replace his pop (who wouldn't be allowed to continue as a coach if he becomes AD). Current Kalaheo girls coach Chico Furtado would also be a candidate, Pete Smith said.
The really tasty part about this is Smith gets a chance to go out as a great coach, not just a coach of great players.
"My dad's had a lot of great players over the years," Alika said. "The Gomes brothers, Duane Bradley, Julian Sensley, Ryan Hogue, Skyler Wilson, D.C. Daniels, Ikaika Alama-Francis."
And the list doesn't go on.
The 2003 Mustangs have already shown they are one of those whole-greater-than-the-sum-of-the-parts teams we all love ... or should love.
"This is probably the best job he's ever done. They're short on talent and they're young," said Alika.
Actually, what Pete Smith has done for nearly 20 years is pretty amazing. It's a shame he won't be allowed to coach because he's good enough to be an AD.
"When they put that rule in, it cost us a lot of great coaches," Smith said.
We've been down this road before, with Alegre, Harry Mitsui, Eddie Maruyama, Dana Dias, Jon Garcia, Glenn Nitta, and others. The public schools gained by their ascent to AD-dom, but also sacrificed something immeasurable by losing them as coaches.
Dave Reardon, who covered sports in Hawaii from 1977 to 1998,
moved to the the Gainesville Sun, then returned to
the Star-Bulletin in Jan. 2000.
E-mail Dave: dreardon@starbulletin.com