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In an alternate universe, a different version of Wendell Look is planning a party.
When, not if, the team he has coached for decades wins tonight, it will be victory No. 200 in this parallel universe. The alternate Coach Look has already made plans for the celebration in a hall on campus.
The real Wendell Look? Nobody in the Raiders circle really wants to bring up No. 200. Not when the opponent, Kailua, will be at home to defend its territory at Alex Kane Stadium. Not when Look himself is loath to think or speak of personal numbers or accolades. Any distraction that would affect the team is not welcome.
Look’s win-loss record is 199-133-3. He didn’t want to know.
“I don’t care,” he said. “Like (Punahou coach) Kale Ane once said, we’ve been around too long. He’s right. It’s not the norm anymore. Kale, Cal (Lee of Saint Louis) and I have been lucky to be placed in good places with good support and resources.”
Kailua comes into the game hungry and well aware of Look’s record. The Surfriders (1-3, 1-2 OIA D-I) picked up their first win last week against Radford. Since a nonconference loss to No. 3 Punahou to open the year, they have permitted just 10.7 points per game, including a narrow 19-18 loss to unbeaten Moanalua. That’s the difference between 2-1 and 1-2 in league play for Coach Joe Wong’s squad.
“Coach Look is never about himself. He’s about beating the next opponent. He’s about beating us,” Wong said. “He has been a well-respected coach since I was in high school. He knows as well as I do, it’s going to be a dogfight (tonight).”
Kailua has relied on a rock-solid defense. Linemen Tevita Tongotea (6-foot-2, 265 pounds, junior), Blazen Lono-Wong (6-4, 225, So.) and Elijah Laufili (6-2, 225, Jr.) have combined for 12 sacks.
“You can’t block them one-on-one,” Wong said. “If you look at the takeaways we have, it’s crazy.”
The secondary has benefited from the torrential pass rush. Safeties Kala‘i Cardin-Kiaha and Elijah Pittman, and cornerbacks Jayden Kamakele and Keoni Williams have combined for 10 interceptions already.
Kailua’s 26 points in the win over Radford was its season high. The Surfriders have former Saint Louis junior varsity player Cameron Friel at quarterback. The tall, nimble slinger has accounted for 583 yards and four TDs from scrimmage. Brian-Allen Kamanu and Lahaina Kane have combined for 166 yards on 56 carries at running back. Friel’s top targets include Koali‘i Kohatsu (13 catches, 128 yards, one TD), Samson Rasay (10, 82), Kamryn Kahoonei (five, 101, two) and Raynen Ho-Mook (nine, 71, one).
A regular-season-opening 21-20 road loss to Moanalua sharpened the Raiders’ focus. Following wins over Aiea and Kaimuki, they had a bye last week. The path to an ILH title and state-tournament berth is far from simple. Waipahu awaits next week, and Damien after that. In all, three of the Raiders’ final five foes have been ranked in the Star-Advertiser Top 10.
True to form, they are relying on depth. Sam Faumuina has gotten some playing time at quarterback to spell Jonah Chong. Brody Bantolina (45 carries, 312 yards, five touchdowns) and Brock Hedani (41, 197, three) have split the load at running back.
With Carter Kamana out with a hand injury, Wailoa Manuel (16 receptions, 202 yards, one TD), Cole Ichikawa (10, 135, two), Noah Gaudi (seven, 69, one) and Ryan Sunada (six, 45) have increased their outputs.
‘Iolani won last year’s matchup at Kailua, 33-12.
“(Two-hundred wins) is the farthest thing from my mind. Kailua is our focus and has been these past two weeks. This is a very physical and athletic Kailua team,” Look said.
Look has been in the trenches as an ‘Iolani defensive lineman, then as a position coach. One former player remembers Look as a defensive coordinator in the late 1980s. Rod York went on to play at Hawaii and is now in his 10th season as head coach at Mililani. The progressive approach of Look and his staff is something York also has with the Trojans.
“Coach Look takes his coaches to learn from colleges. For example, the offensive staff went to Missouri and defensive staff went to Oregon State several years ago. Last year, they all went to Texas in the offseason,” York said. “He helped ‘Iolani hire a strength coordinator for their athletic program for all sports. He and (trainer Charley) Gima helped provide ‘Iolani with top-of-the-line care with the ARP wave machine and get game ready. New technology that helps kids heal faster. ‘Iolani wins with 170-pound linemen on both sides. These are all things that Coach Look has done to help make ‘Iolani a winning program that other schools do not do.”
Kale Ane became Punahou’s head coach 21 seasons ago, not long after Look took the helm at ‘Iolani.
“There’s nobody better than Wendell doing what he’s done all these years. That number of wins is super impressive, but it’s a very small part of why he coaches, and what makes him feel proud,” Ane said. “You enjoy being around people, watching kids grow up. When they get older and they come back and understand and grasp what you were saying.”
Kamehameha coach Abu Ma‘afala was a player when the Warriors and Raiders met regularly on the field. Now in his fourth season as head coach, Ma‘afala sees a combination of values in Look.
“Coach walks his talk when it comes to the One Team concept. It’s not about him, or a player, or a coach. You see that in his staff, who are still loyal and still around after all these years,” Ma‘afala said. “He’s a humble guy who is there for the kids. I’m excited to see him go for No. 200.”
‘Iolani Raiders (3-1, 1-1 ILH D-I) vs. Kailua Surfriders (1-3, 1-2 OIA D-I)
Tonight, 7:30, Alex Kane Stadium
>> Series history: Tied 1-1
>> Memorable meeting: Until the OIA-ILH football alliance brought the two teams together to play last season, the only previous game was in 1966, when defending Rural League champion Kailua, under coach Alex Kane, won on a 29-yard TD pass from Lance Carreira to Henry Kamia with 15 seconds left. Rich Puhl rushed for 133 yards on 15 carries for the Surfriders.
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