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Arceneaux stuck
in Pago PagoThe new Saint Louis head coach
can't attend his first practice
The Arceneaux Era at Saint Louis officially began yesterday ... sort of.
Anthony Arceneaux, the Crusader football team's new receivers coach, was on the field for the team's first practice under the new coaching regime. But his brother, head coach Darnell Arceneaux, remained stranded in American Samoa.
Darnell Arceneaux is among those stuck in Pago Pago after Hawaiian Airlines suspended service to the island when debris on the airport runway damaged two of its planes.
"Hopefully, he gets here by Friday, that's the plan," Anthony Arceneaux said. "It's not a guarantee that's going to happen, but that's what we're hoping for."
Arceneaux flew to American Samoa on June 23 -- just hours after being named the new coach of the defending state champion Crusaders -- to conduct clinics sponsored by Hawaii Sports Network. But the condition of the runway at Pago Pago International has delayed his return.
His path back to Hawaii figures to be an arduous one. His brother said he'll have to take a boat to a neighboring island in order to catch a plane to Fiji. From there, he'll fly to Los Angeles before finally returning home.
In his absence, offensive coordinator Vince Passas ran yesterday's practice along with new assistants Anthony Arceneaux and Eddie Klaneski.
The Crusaders didn't have a spring practice and hadn't worked out as a team while the administration searched for a new coach. They open play in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu summer pass league against Pac-Five today.
"(Arceneaux) just really wished he could be out here and he was just thankful he had guys here to help him out and get things going," Passas said.
Arceneaux replaces Delbert Tengan, who stepped down after leading Saint Louis to the state title in his lone season as head coach, and has filled a few spots on his coaching staff with more to come upon his return.
Arceneaux asked Passas to remain on the staff shortly after being hired. Passas played at Saint Louis and has been a member of the coaching staff since 1983.
Arceneaux, who is also a quarterback for the Hawaiian Islanders arenafootball2 team, has tapped two Islanders teammates to join his staff in Klaneski and Anthony Arceneaux.
"They bring a lot of energy to the program and a lot of ideas," Passas said. "They're the kind of guys who look forward to practice every day. They've been around some good coaches, so they're here to share their experiences with the young men."
Klaneski, a former All-Western Athletic Conference defensive back at UH, worked with the defense yesterday, but refrained from implementing schemes until Arceneaux names a defensive coordinator.
"Right now we have to keep everything simple," Klaneski said. "I can't throw too many things in there because I don't know if I'm going to be the DC. I don't know who's going to be the DC."
Todd Los Banos also broke in a new title yesterday, taking over as Saint Louis athletic director. He stepped in for Cal Lee after Lee accepted an assistant coaching job at UH and said he was happiest about finally having the players back on the field.
"It's good to see them right where they're at right now, with somebody talking to them and making them feel like a team," Los Banos said.