Two former athletes have come back to their high school alma mater in hopes of giving favored Punahou a spirited challenge in the boys judo state tournament this week.

“;We have a young, inexperienced squad this year, not nearly as talented as in previous years,”; Moanalua head coach Brandon Maki said. “;But they are all fighters and will be ready for this weekend. Punahou is strong and the defending champ, but we want to go out there and make a challenge, not make it so easy for them.”;

Moanalua is building on its second-place finish in last year's state tourney, when Na Menehune finished just seven points behind Punahou. In this year's Oahu Interscholastic Association individual championships, Moanalua produced five finalists and three champions and later beat Roosevelt 57-40 in the OIA team event.

Co-head coach Scott Pak understands Moanalua has a younger squad but credits the athletes' resiliency and ability to learn and adapt in the short judo season.

“;They've gotten better after each match, focusing on what is working for them and addressing the areas where they had problems,”; Pak said. “;Everyone has come together quickly, and that's hard in such a short time.”;

That spirit of ohana isn't coincidental. Both Maki and Pak competed in judo and wrestling for Moanalua in their prep days, and both share an affinity for and dedication to their school

“;It's definitely an honor to come back to this school and coach,”; Maki said. “;I coached at Kamehameha for a little, and when the chance to come back opened up, I went for it.”;

That dedication to school is a theme that runs deep at Moanalua. Wrestling coach Eddy Gudoy, an alumnus himself, can be seen at many judo events, camera in hand just like any other fan. Of course, a good amount of the judoka also wrestled for him in the winter, not to mention that he also coached Maki and Pak in their prep days.

“;It's been great watching both of them come back,”; Gudoy said. “;They both know what it takes to win championships and they're passing it on to the kids. We all work together; it's kind of a family.”;

A good deal of Maki and Pak's success as coaches stems from their individual knowledge of each athlete, not just “;forcing one or two throws onto everybody and keep drilling it.”; They, along with a cadre of volunteer coaches, find what's comfortable for each player and work within that framework.

“;They know our strengths and weaknesses pretty well,”; three-time state champion Brady LaFortune said. “;What works for me might not work for another, so they give us different techniques to use according to our style and ability. Both of them have trained and competed all over, here in Hawaii, the mainland and Japan. They take that knowledge from all their experience and pass it along to us.”;

Maki and Pak, both judo black belts, never competed against one another at the prep level, but both share the distinction of being undefeated during their high school careers. Maki tried some college and ended up joining the National Guard, first as a mental health specialist and presently serving as a medic. He has deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, the latter assignment causing him to miss last year's season and state tourney, leaving Pak to coach solo.

“;That was tough; I really wanted to be there,”; Maki said. “;I had to wait for the results to reach Kuwait. Scott did a good job on his own, but it's always better to have two of us because we can give everyone more attention. I guess things happen for a reason.”;

Both work with rival judo clubs, Maki with Salt Lake and Pak with Shobukan. But the rivalry hasn't gotten in the way of a winning partnership.

One common theme that both coaches stress is hard work and training. They know when to be strict and when to lighten things up a bit.

“;State championships are won at practices, not the tournament,”; Maki said. “;You can't control the outcome of a match in a tournament, but you can give it your best. All those hours you spent training are the difference.”;