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Coach Tokuda Strives Stubbornly For Mules’ Success

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Should the Leilehua football team win an OIA Red West conference championship this fall, the Mules will look back to their rugged pre-season schedule as a factor in their success.

Few teams will play a more difficult slate than Leilehua, which hosts Kailua at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18 in its pre-season opener. The following week, they play traditional power Saint Louis. Leilehua went 3-3 last season in the Red West, a year after a memorable run to the 2004 state tournament that saw them upset Kahuku. With the 2006 season about to start, Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda took time away from his busy schedule to answer questions from MidWeek.

Who has had the biggest impact on you in your life?

“I would have to say my dad and grandpa. My grandpa came from Okinawa when he was 16. He wanted to make a living for his family back home. He worked 14 hours a day, seven days a week, and he still didn’t have enough money. He then got citizenship and raised a family here. Anytime I find life difficult, I think about my grandpa. My dad is my role model - he’s extremely patient, and the kind of father that every son would like to grow up to be. He believed in teaching instead of punishing. It sure took awhile! Ha, ha!”

Of all the things one can do with his time, what influenced you to take on the responsibilities of running a varsity program?

“I was fortunate to have good coaches in the youth leagues as well as high school. Some of those coaches have passed on, and I never got a chance to show my appreciation. This is my way of showing my appreciation for them - by coaching and giving back to a sport that has given much to me.”

Who would you consider your “mentor” in terms of how you go about running your football program?

“I learned about discipline from my former baseball coach (and current HPU coach) Garett Yukumoto, also our vice principal. I also learned from former Leilehua Mighty Mules coaches Cass Ishitani (about fairness) and Jake Kawamata (integrity), retired athletic director and current JV coach Richard Townsend (loyalty), my quarterback (and special teams) coach Jon Morikawa (fundamentals), my linebacker coach Rod York (about heart), defensive line coach Tanu York (family) and defensive coordinator Mark Kurisu. They have definitely made me a better coach.”

Although one cannot openly recruit at the high school level, you are still free to sell your program to the community in an effort to attract kids. What are the benefits of playing football at Leilehua?

“Our community loves football. We have so much support from our community and faculty and staff. Our teachers love what they do, and are always willing to stay after school to help tutor our student-athletes. Additionally, we have team moms who set up fund-raising, study halls, as well as our annual banquet. We have knowledgeable and dedicated coaches, who have adopted a ‘team-first’ philosophy which promotes a family atmosphere. If a player doesn’t do his part, then he answers to the entire team. We call this accountability. In playing for the Mules, you learn life skills.”

As you enter your third season at Leilehua, have you changed your approach in how you go about things?

“I have definitely changed my approach for the better. As I said earlier, I am fortunate to coach not only with great coaches, but great friends as well. They have helped me by pointing out details that I have overlooked. Rod York and Tanu York call it ‘substance.’ As a young coach, I used to think I knew it all. But my mind is like a parachute now - it doesn’t work unless it is open.”

The game has changed considerably in recent years, especially in light of the innovative offenses (Clemson, Hawaii, Northwestern, etc.) we have seen in the college game. Have these schemes influenced your own thoughts on offensive football?

“The game is always evolving, so you have to keep up with it and continue to learn. I have incorporated some of Urban Meyer’s offense from Utah, as well as Texas Tech’s. I think of offensive football as ‘PlayStation on Grass.’ “

I know your quarterback, Bryant Moniz, attended a couple of college football camps over the summer. How would you rate his progress coming out of summer football and heading into fall camp?

“Simply said, Bryant is the real deal. If I am recruiting a college quarterback, he is definitely my guy. He plays his position from the neck up. He has visited Oregon State and Cal, and was named the Most Valuable Player at the Game Plan Camp in Laie. In our pass league, we allowed Bryant to call his own plays, and I kick myself for saying this, but he sees things that I don’t. He has great feet, game savvy and the competitive spirit to lead any team.”

What’s the biggest difference in the game from the present to your own playing days?

“Now there is an athletic trainer available. I remember hurting my leg, and the coach asking me if the bone was sticking out. I said no, and he said,‘then, you are OK.’ His cure was to put tape or ice on it or take aspirin. Ice was the answer for everything then. The kids are bigger, stronger and faster now, and the game has become more complex. The other factor is television. The exposure for these kids is great.”

Who on the Leilehua roster, perhaps a newcomer, will surprise people in 2006?

“The newcomers that will ‘wow’ you include our 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end Viliami Haunga, a born-leader and member of our basketball team, and running back/slotback/punt returner Micah Abreu Laybon, a Pearl City transfer, who is our version of Reggie Bush.”