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‘Kane Coaches’ Look Back On Knight-Surfrider Rivalry

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It is inevitable that during Castle-Kailua week, some things that don’t need to be said are sometimes said anyway.

Castle’s former head football coach Mark Kane recalls those days.

“I used to tell my kids, ‘When you walk through Windward Mall you can throw your chest out (if Castle wins),‘“said Kane, who coached Knights football from 1983-95 and currently oversees girls soccer there. “That is the meeting place for any community - the mall. Everyone sees everyone there. They (Kailua kids) will remind you just by being there how you did in the (annual) game.

“You usually didn’t have to talk too much about it because it is a natural rivalry.”

Alex Kane,who was Kailua’s head coach from 1965-79 and from 1982-94, echoes Mark Kane’s sentiments about not having to play up the rivalry when he coached the Surfriders. But he didn’t shut the door completely when it came to creating a cause.

“It (rivalry) is something you didn’t have to talk about,” Alex Kane said.“They (Kailua kids) always knew playing Castle was going to be a tough situation. (Hyping the game) can work two ways. Most of the time, I didn’t like to do it,but if you’re not doing well during that (particular) year, that might be a positive. Whether you had a good team,a decent team,or a lousy team, the games (with Castle) were always close.”

As in most years, the 1985 meeting between the teams didn’t need any extra fuel for the fire. The Knights were on a six-game win streak versus their rivals at that time, and fate smiled on them again during this game, won by Castle 17-15 at Aloha Stadium on a 33-yard field goal by Kevin Bullough with 53 seconds left. Intense feelings between the players, school and communities and a riveting, suspenseful finish easily lifted the Nov. 1 encounter into the category of what would be known today as an ESPN Classic - make that an Instant Classic.

The hero in a game of heroes on both sides was, of course, Bullough, who is today in the Air Force, according to Mark Kane. Earlier in the season,Bullough would hit from 45 yards out to help Castle to a 27-all tie in a road game at Nanakuli.

“He was a skinny kid then, but he had a strong leg and he could kick consistently,” said Bullough’s former coach.

Mark Kane’s education into the Castle-Kailua rivalry came quickly,even though he played his prep football at Saint Louis and grew up in Kalihi. In 1971, he was a young assistant coach to Don Mahi at Castle when the Knights edged the Surfriders, 20-16 at Kailua, the first win for the Kaneohe school in the series in three years at that time and just the second in a 16-year period.

“There was an extraordinary amount of celebration,” Mark Kane recalled of that night in 1971. “Our athletic director, Wayne Sakamoto, treated us all to pizza at Shakey’s. I’m going,‘wow, do they do this after every game?’”

Another hero of the ‘85 game was running back Cory Aiwohi, who had played at Kailua as a freshman and sophomore. His 45-yard run fueled the nine-play, game-turning drive that Castle had begun with 3:43 remaining.

“For some reason he ended up back at Castle,and he wanted to show them. He was one of the big difference-makers in that game.”

Added Dave Mahelona, a starting tight end on that Castle team and currently an assistant on Nelson Maeda’s staff: “You could see it in his eyes - he wanted that game. I saw him just take off. I still remember the intensity and the impact it had.”

Castle’s 1985 season didn’t end with the Kailua game, which decided the Windward District that year. The Knights went to the wire with Waianae a couple weeks later in the OIA title game, using a trick play to pull within 21-20 in the closing seconds.Knights quarterback Darren Oshiro had jogged over to the sideline seemingly to communicate with the Castle coaches, but was technically in motion when fullback Tony PangKee suddenly took a direct snap from center and hit him on a fly pattern for a 55-yard score after he had turned up field.

“I threw it as far and as best as I could,“recalled PangKee, today a Castle assistant along with Mahelona. “It bounced off of the defender’s helmet and into his (Oshiro’s) hands.”

Added Mark Kane:”(Then athletic director) Don (Mahi) always had wrinkles when he was coach, and it was his play. He said,‘Here, just in case you need this.’” Castle went for a two-point conversion, but it failed, ending a memorable season at 7-2-1.

During his tenure as Castle head coach, Kane was filled with respect for his counterpart, Alex Kane, the Kailua coach. The pair are not related. (Said Mark Kane: “All of the famous Kanes in Hawaii aren’t related to me.”)

“You didn’t want to be on the other side of the field (from him),” Mark Kane said. “He was a great coach, and he had a winning tradition there all the way through. He was a master of time management. He could squeeze every minute out of a game if he had to.”

For his part, Alex Kane remembers the intensity of the Kailua-Castle encounters, but he doesn’t recall the specifics of the 1985 game. Kailua finished 6-2 that year.

“I stopped remembering when I retired,” he mused.

Kane still lives in Kailua,but won’t attend this year’s game because he will be playing a softball tournament in Las Vegas. He frequently coaches over-60 and over-65 softball teams and plays in the infield on an over-70 team.

“Softball helped me to get football out of my head,” he joked.“I do a lot of traveling during the football season,but I follow the team through the paper.”

Especially this week.