From winless to wonderful: 1993 McKinley

With inspiration from the current Kailua squad, which is unbeaten after going winless last year, here is the second of five teams that enjoyed winning seasons after a winless campaign.

1993 McKinley, from 0-8-1 to 7-2
If the current McKinley squad needs some inspiration for next year, its coach knows where to find it. The OIA went to the Red-White-Blue format and the Tigers struggled in Tim Seaman‘s final year of two years at the helm, playing every game close but never getting over the hump.

The bright spot for the year was a scoreless tie with Kailua. Then Seaman moved on to eventually become the linebackers coach at Saint Louis and David Tanuvasa took over the office.

Tanuvasa kept Duane Ito at quarterback and won its first seven games in the OIA Blue, all but one of them by more than a touchdown. Ito had only one game of more than 100 passing yards under Seaman but made it over the mark in six of seven games with Tanuvasa.

Ito’s most reliable target was one Sam Cantiberos, who suffered through the winless campaign with Ito but led the team in rushing three times in 1993 and led the team in receiving four times. The Tigers were Blue tri-champions with Kalaheo and Kaiser and won a coin flip to get the top seed but lost 20-6 to Leilehua of the Red in the OIA playoffs at Aloha Stadium.

Sean Arakawa and Shaun Sakai helped Cantiberos and Ito carry the mail on the ground and Paul Magdadero evolved to become one of Ito’s most reliable receivers.

Tanuvasa kept it going to post winning seasons in four of the next five years and remains McKinley’s winningest coach since it moved to the OIA with a record of 60-41 in 10 years.

It all started with Cantiberos, now in his first season as the current McKinley head coach, and the turnaround team of ’93.