As stated a few main posts earlier, it can be hard nowdays to find long-term high school coaches, people who stay long enough to really make a mark on the program and even the community.

But it looks to me like Mililani got itself a pretty good baseball hire in Mark Hirayama.

Despite never having been a high school head coach, Hirayama is a familiar figure to almost everybody in local high school baseball. He’s been involved just about continuously ever since he graduated from UH in 1990, as an assistant for 10 years at Punahou with Pal Eldredge and then at Mililani under Glenn Nitta and then the past four seasons at Kamehameha under Vern Ramie.

So he definitely knows the territory.

And Hirayama especially knows Mililani, since he lives there and has a son who plays in the town’s youth program.

“I had a feeling he would get the job, because it’s a good fit,” Ramie said Monday. “He did a little bit of everything for us, so it’s a big loss, but I’m happy he’ll be getting this opportunity.”

I was surprised to learn there were only four applicants for the job, because Mililani has to be one of the most attractive programs to take over. The school has outstanding facilities, and the baseball field and amenities rival that of any private school.

The community’s youth program is very deep and strong, with a lot of talent feeding into the high school even after some migrate to the ILH.

They have strong community and administrative support, with Nitta — now the athletic director — having built the program from scratch in the 1970s.

The potential is enormous, with much of the groundwork already laid to build a powerhouse.

Should be very interesting to see what Hirayama can do with his first head coaching opportunity …

In softball, probably even more so than baseball, a good pitcher can take you a long way. Just look at how far Amber Waracka took Kamehameha in the state tournament with three lights-out performances.

A softball pitcher, unlike her baseball counterpart, can often start and finish two, three or even four games in one week.

And when you have a pitcher like that who can start as a freshman, man, you’re set for four years.

That’s what Mililani and Moanalua had in Makani Duhaylonsod and Sarah Robinson, respectively. Somebody reliable you could send out time and again, confident that they will hold the other team down to one, two or maybe three runs. A lot of times, it was zero.

But now, both Duhaylonsod and Robinson have graduated. Talk about big shoes to fill.

Obviously, pitchers like these don’t come around too often, so it will be interesting to see who emerges next season. Kamehameha is one of the few programs to not really skip a beat in the pitcher’s circle since 2002. After Advertiser State Player of the Year Leo Sing Chow graduated, Brandi Peiler and Kate Robinson combined to fill the void, and then Noe Esperas kept it going until 2007, when Waracka took over as the ace.

Kailua won an OIA championship in 2006, the year after four-year starter Courtney Kessell graduated, and Krista Dumandan and Ashley Hopfe did a relatively good job helping fill that void. But certainly, the Surfriders program is still trying to recapture the dominance of the Kessell era.

Pearl City, the 2006 state champ, still has not recovered since losing a senior class led by pitchers/third basemen Marina Gusman-Brown and Corrie Nishikida. And last year’s state champ, Baldwin, is still rebuilding after graduating four-year ace Nicole Alconcel.

Duhaylonsod and Robinson both burst onto the scene as freshmen in the 2005 state tournament, and have been fixtures in their respective programs ever since. Duhaylonsod helped the Trojans win the state title in ‘05, and Robinson helped Moanalua emerge as a state contender.

As time went on, both got steadily better not just as pitchers but also as hitters, to the point where each became one of the league’s most dangerous sluggers.

Waracka also leaves a big void at Kamehameha, so with no real dominant pitcher on the horizon, it should be a very interesting 2009 softball season.

There are many reasons to celebrate our nation’s birthday, and one of them is the prominence of high school sports in our country.

Whenever I listen to (and sing?) the Star-Spangled Banner at any high school football game, or a state championship basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball or baseball game, I always get chicken skin and feel grateful to live in a country where high school sports is such a lively tradition.

I haven’t lived in other countries so I honestly don’t know how they treat high school sports, but I cannot imagine it being as big a deal in many places as it is here in America.

Here in the USA, tens of thousands of schools offer dozens of sports and teams for our youth to participate in. Yes, the doors of college scholarships become open for selected few, but for everyone there is the opportunity to become part of a team and represent your school in front of family and friends.

We might complain about the state of some facilities, but I’m sure it beats the sandlots and lack of organized leagues for high school athletes in most other countries.

At these games and sporting events, and even on forums like this blog, we can cheer on and support whoever we want, within reason. Sometimes, people abuse this freedom of speech and use it for negative and ill-intended purposes, but that is one of the aspects of freedom.

As mentioned in the previous post, in this country high school sports unites and solidifies communities, it helps develop strong citizens.

And definitely, it creates treasured moments and lifetime memories, for the athletes and also the fans.

Prep sports has been such a big part of my life — since I was a little kid — I cannot imagine growing up and living someplace where it doesn’t exist or is not considered an important part of the school experience.

Thank God for high school sports.

And God bless America.

A week ago (June 25), got to attend yet another big high school-related gathering (fifth one in 17 days), this one a fund-raiser for Wai‘anae High School in honor of former coach and athletic director Larry Ginoza.

Hard to believe it’s been 24 years since Ginoza’s final season as Wai‘anae’s coach, but his contributions to not just the school but also the entire Leeward Coast community are still relevant and fresh in many people’s minds.

I’m guessing there were about 500 people at the Ala Moana Hotel banquet room that Wednesday night, at $100 a head. The money raised will help fund a project to upgrade Wai‘anae’s athletic complex, which will be named after Ginoza.

Plans include replacing the current weight room with a full-scale fitness center that can be used by the community. Right now there is no fitness center — no 24-Hour, Gold’s, Spa — on the entire Leeward Coast. Long-term plans also include installing Field-Turf and an all-weather track.

It is fitting, then, that the complex will be named after Ginoza, who helped make athletics — especially football — such a big part of Wai‘anae. It gave the community an identity, a rallying point, something positive to take pride in.

But most importantly, it gave the youth something worthwhile and meaningful to participate in, something they could learn valuable life lessons from. And for Ginoza, it was all about lessons. Discipline. Respect. Humility. Teamwork.

And oh, yeah, the Seariders won a lot of games, too. One hundred eighty-nine of them, against only 40 losses with eight ties in 20 seasons. Ten OIA championships, four Prep Bowl titles, eight OIA West crowns.

But Wednesday night, most of the speakers didn’t talk too much about the winning. It was mostly about the big picture.

Gov. Lingle spoke. So did Mayor Hannemann. Senate president Colleen Hanabusa. State Rep. Karen Awana. Former assistant and successor Harry Mitsui. Former Prep Bowl quarterback Victor Humalon.

They all gave testimony about what Ginoza did for Wai‘anae, the community, as well as Wai‘anae, the school and football team.

Actually, Ginoza was one of several coaching giants in that glorious era of OIA football, along with Masa Yonamine (Waipahu), John Velasco (Radford), Hugh Yoshida (Leilehua), Joe Kahahawai/Alex Kane (Kailua). These guys built football programs that not just won, but became the pride of their respective communities.

We’ve got some guys trying to do that now, but it’s tougher with so many competing interests (other sports, hundred-channel TV, video games, etc.).

But the need is still there. Kids today need direction, need something worthwhile and meaningful to participate in, something they could learn valuable life lessons from. They need to learn lessons about discipline, respect, humility, teamwork.

Communities still need a sense of pride and unity.

Coach Ginoza helped build character, helped build pride, helped build a community.

We need more guys like him.

This was the eighth Advertiser All-State baseball team I’ve put together, and somehow it seems like the choices get tougher every year. I swear in those first few years, things seem to fall into place easier and the positions were more likely to sort themselves out.

We always set a goal to select 12 players for the first team: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, C, P, P, DH, Util.

We almost never end up with 12, usually adding an extra player or two when the voting is tied or virtually tied at certain positions. Remember last year, when we went with three catchers?

Well, this year’s trouble spots were at first base, shortstop, catcher (again), pitcher and DH/Utility. Even Coach of the Year almost became a three-way tossup.

Here’s a basic rundown, by position:

• First base — ‘Iolani’s Reyn Nagamine was the first team pick as a freshman and sophomore, and was first-team ILH this season, with Torigoe second team. Their stats were similar. But the All-State consideration includes postseason play, and ‘Iolani was bounced early from the ILH tournament. Torigoe helped MPI advance to the state quarterfinals, and in two championship bracket games, he went 4 for 9 with 2 RBIs, and he drew respect from the state’s top two teams.

• Shortstop — Pi‘ikea Kitamura (Kamehameha) was the ILH first team pick, Danny Higa second. But see above regarding postseason. Plus, Higa was a veteran leader for the Saints, providing intangibles all the way to the state title game. Jordan Tom (Castle) had huge numbers in the OIA but seemed relatively quiet late in the postseason.

• Catcher — Aaron Fujiki was ILH Player of the Year, Kolten Wong BIIF Player of the Year. Fujiki’s defense was outstanding and he hit well; Wong is a pure hitter who also plays solid defense. Went with both. Zach Kometani (Punahou) was outstanding to watch, but his offensive numbers did not quite match up to Fujiki and Wong’s. Might be the best second-team All-State catcher in a while.

• Pitcher — Josh Saio was an overwhelming choice, but the second spot was up for grabs. MPI’s Matt McDaniel was first team ILH and had good numbers, but he was injured in the ILH tournament and did not pitch at all in the state tournament. Bryson Nakamura made OIA West first team as a pitcher, but seemed just as valuable as a hitter and left fielder. Jordan Buster was lights out in the DII state championship game, and proved his legit talent vs. top O‘ahu DI teams in the preseason. Seemed as good as any pitcher we saw all year.

• DH/Utility — Moses Samia was a constant threat to go deep; Scotty Talaesea just plain smashed the ball almost every time he made contact. Who would you want to pitch to? Neither. So both belong on the first team. Nakamura didn’t make it as a pitcher, but deserved a spot somewhere as the go-to pitcher and hitter for the OIA champs. Fits in well as the utility pick.

• Coach of the Year — Bottom line, Kadooka got it done. May not have been pretty at times, but the man and his staff got it done, again. They did it the hard way, finishing with eight straight wins, the eight most important wins. Fraticelli didn’t have it easy, either, but again did what it took to get Saint Louis playing its best baseball in many many years. Going from 4-12 to 20-5 in one year is some feat that deserves recognition. Hank Ibia (Kaua‘i) did another masterful job with a team that probably could have competed in the DI state tourney. Unfortunately, the Red Raiders’ regular and postseason schedule simply cannot compare to the gauntlet Punahou and Saint Louis had to go through en route to the DI state championship game. So everything else being equal, we went with the DI guys.

So there you have it. As in any All-State selections, I’m sure there will be debates and people upset about certain choices. Sorry, unfortunately we cannot please everybody.

But at the very least, please know that a lot of thought, a lot of phone calls, a lot of looking at numbers, a lot of different considerations and a lot of tough decisions went into the final product.

Personally, I think it’s a team we can not just be comfortable with, but also be proud of.

Guys like Delbert Tengan and Bill Villa are very hard to find, which is why I think the ILH suffered two big losses on Friday.

It reminds me of that dark day back in September 1993, when Bobby McGee’s shut down and Michael Jordan retired (the first time), both abruptly and without advance notice. Double whammy.

First, Chaminade announced the hiring of Villa as Silverswords athletic director. This is good news for Chaminade, because they are getting a good, humble man who always seems to be in control of any situation. He’s not afraid to speak up, but does so with calm reason.

Here’s all you really need to know about what it’s like to be the AD at Mid-Pacific: Punahou has four people at the top of it athletic department, Kamehameha three, ‘Iolani two. MPI has one. And it’s not like MPI is a tiny school. It has boys and girls teams, about 80 of them, at varsity, JV and intermediate levels.

They have a gym, pool, football field, baseball field and softball field to manage and maintain.

And Villa made it all look easy, although it most certainly wasn’t.

I think he is more than qualified and prepared to make the “jump” to Chaminade AD.

Shortly after the Silverswords’ announced their hire, Saint Louis announced Tengan had resigned as football and basketball coach.

Rumors had been swirling for the past couple weeks about Tengan being replaced by Ulima Afoa for the football job, but not as much talk had been generated about the basketball position.

Tengan said he had the option of staying on at both positions, but obviously something did not feel right about staying on, and it probably is no coincidence that his decision comes on the heels of recent events. He applied and was a finalist for the Saint Louis AD job, which went to longtime college and Kamehameha-Hawai‘i football coach Afoa.

Publicly, we may never learn exactly what transpired behind closed doors, but what happened, happened.

It’s time to move on.

Which brings us back to two big losses. No matter what some people think of Tengan, the man served Saint Louis’ athletic department for roughly 25 years. As a trainer, assistant coach, defensive coordinator and finally, head coach, for both football and basketball.

And at one of the most high-profile schools in Hawai‘i, if not the West Coast.

All you need to know about the standards and expectations at Saint Louis are this: Tengan was 48-11 in five football seasons, with one state championship and three ILH titles.

Most coaches in Hawai‘i would love to have that kind of resume, but there are those in Crusader Nation who believe that record just doesn’t cut it.

Tough crowd, indeed.

But Cal Lee, who knows something about Saint Louis, said Tengan’s departure leaves “big shoes to fill.”

I think the same could be said for the ILH in general, with the loss of Tengan and Villa on the same day. ‘Iolani boys basketball coach Mark Mugiishi called Tengan “one of the statesmen of the ILH,” and I think the same could be said for Villa.

While it’s a big loss for Saint Louis, MPI and ILH, in a way I am also happy for both men that they can start fresh with a new chapter in their lives, as Tengan said.

Knowing both of them, they will continue to contribute to Hawai‘i for many years to come.

Very sad to hear the news about former Pearl City baseball coach Mel Seki, who passed away Sunday.

I have come across probably hundreds of coaches in my 20 years of reporting (including college), and what I will remember about Mel Seki is how he always showed humility and class in victory and dignity and grace in defeat. I believe this is one of the best examples a coach can set for his players, so it’s a quality I admired about him from the first time we met in 1993 until his final game in 2007, the state championship loss to Punahou.

A lot of coaches talk about this quality, how winning and losing are secondary to other lessons learned. But Coach Seki showed it by his actions. I interviewed him many times, after both big victories and tough losses, and he was always the same: always made the time, always helped me track down players or stats, always was willing to talk about key plays good or bad, always gave the opponent their due respect.

Another thing I admired about Mel Seki was his longevity, sticking around for 15 seasons. We all should know by now how much time and commitment being a head coach requires, and the temptation to step down after a few years must be great.

But obviously Coach Seki loved the game and loved working with kids, even after a long career as a full-time educator. He could have enjoyed his retirement years just relaxing and doing things for himself, but instead dedicated at least four months out of the year — every year — to kids at Pearl City High School.

I was happy for him to finally retire from coaching last year, hoping he could enjoy more time with his family. I certainly did not expect that time to be so short.

It’s a sad day for the Hawai‘i baseball community, but hopefully others will follow Coach Seki’s example and carry on his legacy of service to our keiki.

It was service marked by humility, class, dignity and grace.

Aloha, Coach, and mahalo for all you did for Pearl City and Hawai‘i.

Ever get that feeling of deja vu? Of history repeating itself?

The names and details have changed, but what is unfolding at Saint Louis School right now seems hauntingly familiar to the bizarre turn of events exactly five years ago upon Kalaepohaku’s rugged slope.

Anyone remember? Here’s a refresher for those who don’t:

1. The football coaching job was open, since Delbert Tengan had stepped down in April.

2. A list of 12 coaching candidates was pared down, and former Crusaders quarterback John Hao was approached about the job but turned it down. Next, an offer was made to former Waiakea coach Tim Lino, a school principal in Kona.

3. Cal Lee accepted an assistant coach job at the University of Hawai‘i around June 20, stepping down as Saint Louis athletic director effective June 30.

4. Todd Los Banos, who had stepped down as wrestling coach in March, was named athletic director effective July 1.

5. Lino, after several rounds of negotiations with school president Father Allen DeLong, turned down the football coach offer after DeLong was unable to offer an adequate full-time faculty position.

6. Hours later, 25-year-old Darnell Arceneaux — whose name never really surfaced as a candidate since he was not one of the 12 original applicants — was hired as head football coach.

I don’t know exactly how this athletic director hiring will shake out or what the aftermath will be, but as usual it’s pretty darn interesting right now. As leading candidate Ulima Afoa stated in today’s article, “What makes Saint Louis unique is it’s such a high-profile school.”

He’s right.

I don’t know if there is another school out there in Hawai‘i where there is so much buzz any time a football coach or athletic director job is open, except for maybe Kahuku. That’s saying something, considering Saint Louis has the nation’s mythical No. 1 athletic program barely a mile away.

Rumors have swirled for the past two weeks, and probably will continue to until the hiring is officially announced, whomever it turns out to be.

The thing I would recommend right now from the public is just to wait and let the events unfold, before trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

The players involved have changed — instead of Lee, DeLong, Hao, Lino, Los Banos and Arceneaux, now we have principal Russell Valente, Afoa, Tengan. But it’s still anyone’s guess to see what will happen next.

Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that Saint Louis can be full of surprises.

Just like the old days, got fired up after watching the NBA Finals Tuesday night and had the urge to shoot baskets somewhere.

I watched the game at my parents’ house, so naturally the first option was Alewa Park, where I grew up shooting along with our backyard hoop. At 6:45 p.m., the court was already crowded.

I figured everywhere else nearby — Lanakila, Pu‘unui, Kawananakoa — probably also would be crowded by now, too, and I just wanted to shoot, not play, so ended up driving all the way to a small park at the top of Alewa Heights. It’s only one basket with a halfcourt there, so thought maybe it would be empty.

Nope.

But it’s a good sign, I guess, that basketball fever has not faded among our youth. Everywhere I drive, the parks seem crowded with pickup games or at least a bunch of kids shooting baskets.

I haven’t played pickup ball at a public park in several years, so I might be out of the loop as to where the best games are.

So I thought I’d put it out there on this blog, for all the kids in high school or just graduated: Where are the best games these days?

In our days (high school and after), for us it was (in order of our frequency):

1. UH outdoor courts (behind swimming pool) — On Sundays in the late 1980s/early 90s, this was the happening place in town. Four courts, all in pretty good shape. Games running constantly from around 2 p.m. till almost dark, around 6 or 7. Good mix of high school players, former high school players, cagey veterans. Last time I checked, the courts had grass growing through the cracks and half the baskets didn’t even have rims.

Too bad; looked like a graveyard of glorious games of the past.

2. UH Gyms I and II/Klum Gym — It was supposed to be limited to UH students with IDs, but I started playing there in the ninth grade and didn’t stop till maybe a year or two out of college. Always could find games there on Sunday afternoons, and from 6 p.m. till 9 or 10 on weeknights. Even former UH player Reggie Cross would play in Gym II on Sundays, in the offseason while he was still playing for UH.

Lots of active and former UH football players would show up, too.

3. Wilson Park (Waialae) — The main draw back then was 8-foot baskets, where we could pretend to be Dr. J or Michael Jordan or Dominique Wilkins. But there were some pretty good games on the 10-foot rims there, too, with several active or recent high school players from various areas showing up. The upper court had the nice surface, I recall.

4. Crane Park (Kapahulu) — Competition here could be good, again with some high school players showing up. I recall two courts, so there was more opportunity and shorter waits.

5. Kapaolono Park (Kaimuki) — Two courts, pretty good games, lots of high school guys. Could get windy sometimes, making an inside game more reliable than outside jumpers.

6. Aina Haina Playground — Kinda same as Kapaolono, but can get even windier. Unlike other courts, no real place to sit in between games, I recall.

7. Kanewai Park — Underrated, I thought. Pretty good games on two courts, not too windy if I remember.

8. Kaimuki District Park — Only played there a few times, but I liked it.

Now, you might notice that all of these courts happen to be in a three-or-four-mile radius, around the UH/Kaimuki/Waialae area.

The thing is, I lived in the Kalihi part of town but always seemed to migrate toward that side, and I know others came from outside the area, too.

I’ve played pickup ball at other places, like Alewa and Pu‘unui obviously but also Kawanankoa, Kailua Rec Gym, Stevenson. Never on the West side or Central O‘ahu.

So, all you high school ballers and recent grads, help an old brother out, here.

Give me your lists of the best places on the island for pickup basketball.

Completed a whirlwind week of awards banquets Saturday with the third annual HMSA Kaimana Awards luncheon, at which 21 recently graduated student-athletes plus 30 schools were honored for achievements in athletics, academics, sportsmanship and community service.

The keynote speaker was ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett, who got his broadcast start right here in Hawai‘i. Everett was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and went to college at Willamette in Salem, Ore., where he met and got to know a lot of Hawai‘i kids. He eventually spent a summer after graduation in Hawai‘i Kai, working as a dishwasher for six weeks.

When it came time for Neil to return to the Mainland, a funny thing happened: he didn’t want to.

“I thought, ‘Man, why doesn’t EVERYBODY live here?’ ” Everett said. “This is the best place there is.”

So Everett stayed, for the next 14 years before landing the ultimate sports gig with ESPN. But it seems part of him still wishes he could stay here.

“Don’t ever take this place for granted,” he told the 21 student honorees.

As UH football coach Greg McMackin said last week and Everett echoed Saturday, it’s tough to give advice and inspiration to kids like the 21 Kaimana awardees and the 12 HHSAA Hall of Honor inductees, because obviously most of these kids already have what it takes to succeed in college and life and more often than not, it is them who inspire us.

But I thought Everett had an important and interesting message to share, and it hit home with his perspective as an adopted kama‘aina who has moved back to the Mainland.

“If you go to the Mainland for college, you need to take that aloha with you and spread it there,” Everett said. “And even if you stay in Hawai‘i, you need to spread it here, too, because we need more of it here, too. I notice there’s more anger in Hawai‘i than there was 20 years ago, and we have to make sure we never lose that aloha, because that’s what makes this place so special, the way we treat each other.”

I gotta agree with Neil on this one, especially after seeing the kind of hate and anger that spouts out from readers of this blog itself.

I can’t say I did not expect trash talk and insults to emerge when this blog was first proposed by someone else in October 2006, but none of us expected some of the filth and anger and hate that pops up every now and then. I guess we all learned the hard way that every blog post can be like a freshly painted wall inviting graffiti vandals to bring their spray paint.

So much hate out there, it’s disturbing.

Neil ended his time at the podium with another great message. Emcee Jim Leahey had half-joked earlier about Neil being let go by KHNL earlier in his career, but Neil added that he actually had been “let go” from several other jobs as well and was turned down twice by ESPN before finally reaching the promised land.

“Don’t let anybody else determine your self-worth,” Everett said, “because that’s something that belongs to only you.”