Kapele’s plan kept opponents guessing

The record of wins and losses doesn’t do justice for John Kapele.

As a high school football coach for several public schools on Oahu, he was mostly known for his six years as the head man at Castle, from 1977 to 1982.

But his most impressive work was arguably leading Kalani to three wins in 1990, the most for the Falcons between 1981 and 1995.

He motivated players with creativity and intellect, building them into teams and teaching them values that went beyond football.

He was a character with character.

“Coach Kapele was very humble. He was a strong family man,” said Alvis Satele, who played for him at Castle. “Those traits spoke loud to me. He played a large part of who I am today.”

Memorial services were held last weekend for Kapele, who died in June at age 79.

Kapele played in 32 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and six for the Philadelphia Eagles as a 6-foot, 240-pound lineman, mostly on defense, from 1960 to 1962. He is believed to be the first Polynesian from Brigham Young University to play in the NFL. But if any of his players or assistant coaches heard about his time in the pros it wasn’t from him.

“Coach Kapele never spoke about it,” said Mark Kane, who was Kapele’s offensive coordinator. “He was never one to toot his own horn.”

But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t entertaining — and innovative.

“John Kapele was as colorful a high school football coach as there ever was,” said Paul Carvalho, who covered his teams as a Star-Bulletin sportswriter. “An interview with John was like talking to Yogi Berra, only about football.

“He once told me that after practices he would have his team walk around the field bare-footed, because he wanted them to restore the electrons they had lost to their bodies,” Carvalho added. “He also devised a defensive line tactic he called the slip and slide, whereby the defensive lineman allowed the offensive lineman to push him wherever he wanted. His theory was the offensive lineman would lead the defensive lineman to the point of attack.”

Star-Advertiser deputy sports editor Curtis Murayama also covered Kapele’s teams.

“(Fellow Advertiser reporter) Dennis Anderson told me a story about Kapele devising the perfect defense that was so good that he had everything defended and still had a player left,” Murayama said.

Satele was a talented player with speed and size who went on to star at the University of Hawaii. Aui Fitisemanu was another prototype Division I college prospect who played at UH. Defenses with them as centerpieces had a chance to be very good. But most of Kapele’s players were undersized and relied on grit, fundamentals and teamwork.

His overall record at Castle was 32-28, with the defense turning in a remarkable 11 shutouts. The Knights went 7-3 in 1978, with three shutouts. The 6-4 record of 1979 featured three more blankings, including a 22-0 win over Windward District rival Kahuku.

“He was a defensive mastermind whose teams were always stingy,” said Kane, who later became Castle’s head coach. “His offenses were also solid, as he would recognize offenses he had trouble stopping, and convert that into offenses that gave others the same problems. An enduring lesson was how to break complex tasks into component parts.”

The Knights under Kapele were the first team in Hawaii to do a version of the Maori war dance, the haka, twenty years before UH, Kane said.

“It was promptly banned by the Oahu Interscholastic Association as too provocative. Castle players also showed up wearing ski masks inside their helmets, again a ploy to throw opponents off their game,” Kane said. “Coach Kapele was a master of the psychological edge.”

As unconventional as some of them were, Kapele’s theories came from an inquisitive and educated mind and love for his players.

“Who’s to say ‘No?’ The man had a Ph.D. from BYU,” Carvalho said. “Mostly he was a big, gentle family man who loved his kids and his players, and they were devoted to him.”

Kapele was also a physical education teacher at King Intermediate, Castle, Campbell and Kalani for 30 years.

He is survived by sons John Kamana Kapele, Jr., Naeole Kapele and Kai’ana Kapele; daughters Mahina Kapele-Worthy and Auli’ilani Kapele Rosa; 10 grandchildren; and a sister, Piilani (Domingo) Nazara. His wife Cordellia “Aunty Pua” Kapele, died just a few weeks before him, in May.

“Like his physical stature, he was bigger than life,” Kane said. “He was a great personality and coach, a beautiful big-hearted Hawaiian bear of a man who loved his family, his church and football.”