HAROLD SILVA / 1923-2003‘Lombardi of Kahuku’
started dynasty
The coach responsible for putting Kahuku High School on its successful football path will be missed by his former players.
Harold Silva died Aug. 18 on Maui at age 80.
"He was the Vince Lombardi of Kahuku," said Junior Ah You, a former Red Raiders standout who went on to star in the Canadian Football League. "He's the guy who started it all."
Ah You was younger than high school age the first time he saw Silva coaching at Kahuku, but he was struck by Silva's "demeanor and decorum."
"He was strict at times and some players at first thought he was being mean, but he wasn't that at all," Ah You said. "Even guys he was hard on all learned to respect him."
After coaching at Iolani, Silva came to Kahuku for the 1956 season and the Red Raiders immediately won the Rural Oahu Interscholastic Association championship after placing last the year before.
"I was a freshman in 1955 and we went over to play Kauai High," said Ronald Akiyama, a four-year player who Silva switched from fullback to quarterback in 1956. "They only weighed about 140 pounds and we had a bunch of guys about 180 and 200, but they ran circles around us.
"Harold Silva changed that. He told us we had to be smart to play football, not just big and strong."
Kahuku finished second in the league in 1957 and '58, but regained the title in '59.
Louis Santiago was a part of both championship teams, and he also has fond memories of his former coach.
"He started the dynasty," Santiago said. "If it weren't for him, Kahuku might still be down.
"The last time I saw him was a few years ago at the school's 100th anniversary. They honored him at halftime and we all made sure we went up and said hello. He taught me a lot and he changed my life."
Santiago will always remember Silva's five D's -- discipline, dedication, determination, drive and desire.
"I told my children about those same things he taught me," said Santiago, who had three boys go on to play for the Red Raiders.
Santiago said Silva was like another father to many of the players and would drive them in his '57 Thunderbird to scout other games.
Eni Faleomavaega, a congressman from American Samoa, remembers playing for Silva.
"He was one of the best coaches they ever had at Kahuku," Faleomavaega said. "He was rough and tough, but that's the spirit of Kahuku and they don't expect anything less. I'd like to give my deepest condolences to his family."
Silva coached many other people who went on to be successful in their careers, including Leo Reed, a retired policeman, and Frank Kalama Jr., a retired principal.
"Coach Silva had an impact and an influence on my life. He also had a big impact on many phenomenal people," said Ah You, who played for the Montreal Alouettes and was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame. "The list goes on and on."
Silva grew up in Waianae, served in Europe during World War II and played tackle for the University of Hawaii, graduating in 1950.
He was also a teacher and track coach at Kahuku and left there in 1966 to teach and serve as athletic director at McKinley, where he stayed until 1975. Before retiring in 1980, he also served as a counselor at McKinley, Niu Valley Intermediate and Kaimuki Intermediate.
In the mid-'70s, Silva moved to the Big Island with his wife, Betty, and lived there until she died in 2000. He resided on Maui with his son Hal's family at the time of his death.
Services are Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at Diamond Head Mortuary.
