Eleven years into his life as Kapolei’s wrestling coach, Sean Salter hasn’t lost his verve.
He hasn’t lost his vision for what the sport can be at the prep level. Preaching the values of hard work, sacrifice and fun, his Hurricanes boys responded by winning the OIA dual-meet championship — the program’s first — on Saturday.
Unbeaten Kapolei (12-0) topped another West powerhouse, Campbell, 37-22. A week earlier, the Hurricanes won by a much closer 29-24 score. There wasn’t a special emphasis during title week, though.
"We emphasize that it’s the same every week. We go out there and see what they give us and we’ll do anything we can. We’re not a grinding team," Salter said. "We’ve got some youth who came to the team with talent. Usually, it takes three or four years to develop."
One of those young winners is sophomore Noah Punahou Mahelona. The two-sport athlete has endured far too much for one year. He was a reserve offensive lineman on a good varsity squad when the Hurricanes visited Kahuku for an early-season game last fall.
His father, John, died that night cheering on the ‘Canes from the bleachers at Carleton Weimer Field. The Kapolei ohana put its collective arms around Punahou, and he’s found ways to stay afloat — and thrive — despite the loss of his biggest fan. He grins when he talks about his dad, just six months since the tragedy.
"I hear from him," Mahelona said. "When I’m sleeping, I hear him in my dreams, telling me, ‘You should’ve done better! Keep pushing.’ My friends, they keep me going, along with my family."
Salter looks out for all his wrestlers, but Mahelona has grown up quickly.
"He’s very mature for his age. He’s gone through a lot. What he’s got is a very good structure around him," the coach said.
Mahelona said his mother, Candace, is faring well, too. She’s the boys volleyball coach at Kapolei, though Mahelona concedes that’s not his best sport.
His pin during Saturday’s meet was a turnaround. He was in a struggle against a shorter, but stout Campbell foe, spending much of the first period flat and face down.
"I heard coach yell, ‘Stop lying down!’ I could hear my parents yelling the same thing," Mahelona said. "My mind-set changed right there."
In the second period, he caught his foe in a vulnerable stance for the first time. That’s all Mahelona needed to catch the Saber off-balance. Mahelona put him on his back, turned his shoulder and soon enough pinned him.
The general vibe of the Hurricanes is feisty, yet fun. Senior Kekoa Marumoto feeds off the noise and support of his teammates, including the team’s twin brothers, Jayson and Andre Pagurayan, another two elite Hurricane wrestlers.
"Shout out to the twins. I can always hearing them yelling, ‘1-2-3,’ Marumoto said.
Marumoto, normally competing in the 161-pound division, moved up to 170 for Saturday’s meet to help his team get more points. He pinned his opponent with a near-side cradle, he said.
"You don’t think about it. Mastering it? I’m a scrambler, I live in the moment. I heard my coach yell for it," Marumoto said.
Wrestling up in 170 was also a precautionary move by Salter; a week earlier, Marumoto suffered a partial tear of an ACL during a match against Campbell’s 161-pounder.
"Kekoa didn’t get on the (practice) mat all week. We tried to save him for this.
It was to take the pressure off his knee," Salter said.
There was no way Marumoto was going to sit the dual championships.
"This is our school’s first OIA title (in duals)," said Marumoto, who also plays football.
"We’re a young school and we have this championship now," Mahelona said.
Salter has no plans to change his approach, not when a championship has validated everything he believes in.
"It’s a lot of fun. Our parents are amazing. They’re so supportive. I’m sitting in the bleachers with them and they’re having more fun than our kids," he said. "I tell the kids, ‘If you’re not entertaining me, you’re not going to be wrestling.’ "
