Timpview brings
youth to Hawaii

The Utah champion lost four
players to BYU last year

On paper, Timpview and Punahou have some interesting similarities.

Both teams use run-and-shoot offenses and sent players to Division I football programs this year.

After that, the differences are clear. Timpview, the Utah 4A football state champion, lost its coach, Chad VanOrden. The longtime mentor retired after his team went 12-1 last year, finishing the season with a 42-0 title-game win over Lone Peak.

First-year head coach Louis Wong has stepped in, and he's looking forward to Timpview's battle with Punahou when the HHSAA Foundation Football Classic kicks off on September 10.

"We lost four players to BYU, so when you look at it, we're in a rebuilding year," said Wong, a 1981 graduate of Castle. "But we're coming to win. For some of us, we're coming home, but our kids are excited and want to win."

Saint Louis will play Utah's 5A champ, Davis, to complete the doubleheader at Aloha Stadium.

In Utah, football is abuzz thanks to an all-star game played last week. Wong and his staff were busy, coaching the 4A all-stars to a 7-3 win over the 5A squad, coached by Davis' staff. Cold weather and winter sports make it more reasonable for the all-star game to be played in early summer.

The HHSAA Foundation Football Classic marks Timpview's first trip to the islands since losing to Kamehameha 26-21 four years ago.

Wong, who played football at BYU, recalls that night vividly. Timpview suited up 40 to 45 players. Kamehameha had 100 players back then.

"The local kids are beefier than our kids. We saw them warming up. I looked in the eyes of our guys and I told them, you better get that look out of your eyes soon," said Wong, who was an assistant coach. "We were down 21-0 right off the bat, but we came back to make it close."

Wong has been on staff at Timpview for seven years since leaving the University of Utah, where he coached for two seasons. He doesn't plan any changes to the program, which won three state crowns under VanOrden.

One of his concerns is inexperience. Timpview will have 19 new starters.

On the other hand, the Thunderbirds will have played three regional games before coming to Hawaii. Defense is a cornerstone; Wong expects his three best players to line up on both sides of the ball.

Kahuku DE draws UH's interest: A lot of schools have sent letters to Kahuku defensive end B.J. Beatty, but Hawaii certainly made an impression on the senior recently.

Beatty attended the Speed and Quickness clinic held at UH recently. There, defensive backs coach Rich Miano let the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder know that the Warriors are serious about their interest.

"It was more of an informal thing," said Beatty's father, former Kahuku defensive coordinator Byron Beatty. "Rich said they want him and they have a scholarship for him. He said to B.J., just because you're not getting any mail from us doesn't mean we don't want you."

Beatty has received letters from Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Colorado, BYU, UNLV and Arizona State, among others. Recruiters are not permitted to call athletes until September 1.

Beatty is busy at Education First's Gameplan program, which is held at the BYU-Hawaii campus. "They take SAT prep classes through the week. They go to classes in the morning and train in the afternoon," his father said. "The kids dorm and live the life of a student-athlete at BYU-Hawaii."

Lady Falcons get former Warrior: John Ahuna considers himself a coach and teacher at heart.

The former Kamehameha and Graceland College (Iowa) player was named head coach of Kalani's girls volleyball team on Monday. Ahuna, 56, coached at Kailua for one season (1976), but has done the bulk of his club-level coaching in Missouri.

Since his coaching stint at Kailua, he hasn't coached volleyball. Instead, he is a former certified financial planner, school teacher and minister.

One of his current ventures is Resurrection Carpet Cleaning Specialists.

Ahuna graduated from Kamehameha in 1967, playing under Neil Eldredge. He played club volleyball for Pete Velasco at Lokahi. The long hiatus since his previous coaching stint is no problem, Ahuna said.

"The principles will be the same. You just have to massage toward the personnel that you have," he said.