Onosai hopes New Pac-Five head coach Joe Onosai isn't putting too much stock into reports that Wolfpack football won't be around much longer.
Pac-Five stays alive
The new coach sets an
early goal -- winning
the ILH's Division IIBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.com"I really believe we can get community support to help continue the program," the 37-year-old Onosai said yesterday. "We have resources within the Pac-Five family to be able to find some facilities."
Mid-Pacific Institute, one of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu schools that make up the multi-school Pac-Five athletic program, hopes to field its own varsity football team within a year or two. If that happens, Pac-Five football would either dissolve, continue without MPI players or send its athletes to play for Mid-Pacific.
"I really don't believe we're looking at Pac-Five's last season," Onosai said. "I will put my whole heart into helping the legacy continue."
Onosai played for the Wolfpack's Prep Bowl championship team in 1982 and was an assistant under his predecessor, Don Botelho.
It was an extra special Easter yesterday for Onosai, who is an associate pastor at Word of Life Christian Center.
"I got pastor Art Sepulveda's blessing (to take the head coach job), so it's official!" he said. "Getting the support of my pastor is important to me.
"He sees this as an opportunity for me to be a role model to the kids as well as making more contact with the community."
The Wolfpack went 2-5 in the ILH each of the past two seasons.
Onosai has already set a goal of winning the ILH's Division II.
"I'm not focused on just winning, though," he said. "I'm more focused on doing the things that it takes to bring commitment to the program and getting kids committed to one another."
Onosai said he was inspired to seek the head coach job when he attended the state basketball tournament and saw Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona on the bench as a Saint Louis assistant.
"I admired the fact that somebody who holds such a high office can continue to coach in the community and work with young people," Onosai said. "It made me think of how much more I can connect with the community as a head coach than I can as an assistant."
Onosai isn't planning on too much of a departure from the philosophy Botelho has had at Pac-Five since 1974.
"I learned a lot from him, he's a living legend" Onosai said. "I'm basically a product of him and I'll try to give back to what he's done and try and see if we can turn this program around. I believe we can turn it around this year."
Hawaii School Web Sites