For Hawaii sports fans around my age, the name Al "Eki" Espinda is mostly associated with Farrington football.

But with Espinda’s death last week at age 78, his classmate Paul Wysgard reminds us that Espinda was also an outstanding all-around athlete.

"He had a tremendous year in 1953," Wysgard said. "He won the (Interscholastic League of Honolulu) batting title and played catcher on an all-star baseball team that went to Japan. In the fall he was the star end on the first Punahou team to win the league championship in 29 years. Then he was captain of the basketball team in ’54."

Wysgard, the center on the football team, still has the faded newspaper clipping and vivid memories of the football victory over Saint Louis at Honolulu Stadium.

"Big crowd, 27,000 at the Termite Palace," he said.

After graduating in 1954 (other teammates included Harry Pacarro and Al Harrington), Espinda played football at Purdue. Eventually he ended up coaching in Kalihi, leading the Govs from 1967 to 1981.

Randy Cadiente, who recently retired from the Star-Advertiser, started at quarterback in 1967 and 1968, with Espinda as his coach.

"There were two sides to him," recalled Cadiente, who later covered his former coach as a sportswriter. "To the public he was a very quiet guy. But he also had a passion in that he wanted us to do well, and he knew how to get his point across."

There were no ILH or OIA championships during his tenure, but Espinda produced consistent winners; he ranks 15th all-time in career high school football coaching victories in Hawaii, going 113-52-5.

"Eki, he was good for that team," said retired Star-Bulletin sportswriter Jim Easterwood. "He had to follow Tom Kiyosaki, who was a legend and a different type of disciplinarian. The kids seemed to like Eki and he could get them up for a game."

Espinda joins Skippa Diaz and Cal Chai as Hawaii high school football coaching legends who have died recently. Diaz, who succeeded Espinda at Farrington, was a widely popular figure who transcended sports.

Chai was more low-profile, but hugely successful on the field. His teams won three of the first four Prep Bowls, and his 186-58-5 ledger in a head coaching career that spanned four decades put him third all-time in wins statewide behind only Cal Lee and Larry Ginoza.

When Farrington and Kamehameha played every year before the leagues split, both teams were talented. But the Warriors also enjoyed overwhelming depth and usually prevailed.

"I think (Chai) was a smart guy, an intelligent coach who had his teams well prepared," said Easterwood, who covered the ILH during Chai’s best years. "From the ’60s to the early ’80s was an exciting time in Hawaii high school football," Easterwood said. "Back when Farrington was playing Kamehameha and Saint Louis when it really counted, 25,000 fans for those tripleheaders. Al Michaels doing play-by-play with Chuck Halter and Chuck Leahey."

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.