Cal Lee felt the best he’s felt in weeks on Friday night.
Hawaii’s winningest high school football coach celebrated another ILH championship at Aloha Stadium as his Crusaders stepped up defensively to force six turnovers in a 28-14 win over No. 2 Punahou.
Lee had missed the last two games dealing with a bout of kidney stones. He is scheduled to undergo surgery next week, but toughed it out on the Saint Louis sideline on Friday night. Watching his defense pick off five passes by Punahou QB Nick Kapule, and Ronson Young score all four Saint Louis touchdowns left Lee feeling as good as ever.
“They energize you. They make you feel better,” Lee told Hawaii Prep World’s Christian Shimabuku. “They way they played tonight, you can’t help but feel better. It takes your mind off what is happening to your body.”
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was 10-for-19 for 192 yards and two touchdowns, put the game away with two outstanding throws. He threw a 37-yard completion to Chandler Washington-Villanueva on a dime down the sideline to convert a second-and-31, and then hit Young for a 31-yard TD pass on a ball that landed just short of the back of the end zone to give Young enough time to get a foot down to make it 28-14.
Tagovailoa, along with the rest of his teammates, said it was huge having coach back.
“It’s always good when you have your head coach back, especially when he’s doing good,” said Tagovailoa, who moved into second place on the state’s career passing list. “It’s good to continue that legacy of winning for him. It’s something special.”
Young, who accounted for 177 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns rushing and two more receiving, echoed Tagovailoa’s thoughts.
“It really means a lot (to have him back),” Young said. “Him on the sideline is just amazing to have. He’s always there to encourage us and keep us in check. It was honestly a blessing to have him back.”
Saint Louis repeated as ILH champions after Punahou had won the previous four league titles.
Both teams will compete in the Open Division of the state tournament that begins in two weeks. Lee is scheduled to undergo surgery next week but plans to be back for the next game.
“I’ll be fine,” Lee said. “I got the operation next weekend. I’ll be good as new.”
Great win for Crusaders and nice to see Cal Lee on the sidelines again, it makes a big difference when Cal is on the field, greatest Hawaii High Football coach of all time, Congratulaions Crusaders, State Tournament up next.
greatest coach? in the 90s you could say that and everyone believed it but in this day and age when information is exposed through the internet, it is clear…it was easy to win when no one else did what you were doing, once Punahou started recruiting they made it look easy too. Lets see if we get a rematch of last years title game and if he doesnt get out coached again.
Agree, one of the best there is. Congrats to the crusaders with the win.
Oh, Im sorry wake me up when another coach gets 14 state championships lmao
The best coach of all time no doubt and one that I had the honor of playing against.. I have so much respect for coach and all that he’s done in all our football communities. Hoping for a speedy recovery and many more years of success.. RRFL
I love Hawaii Prep World
Lot of hate for Cal Lee who dominated. He raised the level of Hawaii Football. All of other other program should be thanking Coach Cal.
It amazes me how cocky the immaturally young minded and cynical some (absolutely not all) Kahuku Fans are. No where taking away from the Kahuku Team and players because they are a great team, the gem of the school. So many of them are humble gentlemen who deserve their success and the best in life. But certain Kahuku fans like to comment negativity – counter so to speak, another person’s congratulations. Winning games and championships don’t make you a great coach even though historically Coach Cal is the winningest ever in Hawaii. His goal has always been the men he coach and preparing them for the next level, getting them into colleges and obtain degrees, and in some cases the NFL. He just happened to win games and championships along the way. No other Hawaii coach has accomplished what he has. And when any team has won the state championship for two decades, then you knock St. Louis. The men of St. Louis, football players or not, is better (not than anyone else-just better) because of who they are and where they are at. Until then, enjoy the view from the top because its just a matter of time before someone knocks you off. It baffles me how it appears that the same lame cocky individual likes to take away from everyone elses success. Last week it was Punahou’s QB to the point of childish insults and name calling; this week it’s Coach Cal. Someone should go pat them on the back or give them a sticker; it seems as though mommy and daddy hasn’t done it enough for them.
Cal Lee destroyed whatever level of competition there was in Hawaii football. Now it’s just a case of the haves(schools that recruit) vs the have nots, where a grand total of 3 schools out of 20 have a legitimate chance of bringing home a state title. Yes, thank you coach Lee, for taking the best players away from other communities and not being able to work with what you had.
My apologies it was just a knee jerk reaction to ilh’s comment that Cal is the greatest. Im not hating, just bringing to light the facts. Cal has a special place in Hawaii High School football and every one can agree but the “greatest” is debateable. I say Siuaki Livai is the greatest, he did more with way less, won his 4 championships as the underdog and not the clear favorite(14 times)…Cal lost last year as the clear favorite…just saying…its all debateable.
I’m sorry, but how can you call him the greatest coach, when he coached Kalani Falcons. They won nothing, maybe got to the d2 playoffs once.. Oh wait. My bad. He couldn’t pick his players, but I’ll give him one of the greatest coaches in the state.. but not the greatest coach.. Come on man… Thats like saying Kahuku makes it to the playoffs every year regardless who the coach is (we proved that already). Would you say Kahuku has the greatest athletes in the state.. I think not… So let’s just congratulate coach Cal ( one of the great coaches) in the state and Hope for a speedy recovery…. Good luck…RRFL…
I’m sure all of the accolades mean very little to Coach Lee. He has always been most interested in the individual successes of the young men that play and have played for him over the years. I think the true measure of his success as a coach is the amount of players that have been inspired by him to become coaches. No other Hawai’i High School coach can claim that kind of success. Just ask Vae and he’ll tell you who first inspired him. So those with negative comments about Coach Lee, be humble, show respect and remember who the Kahuku head coach learned to play and act like a champion from.
We talking about the same coach who didn’t stick around for the award ceremony after last year’s state championship game. How’s that for leadership.
looks fishy when after cals loss last year the divisions change and kahuku can no longer do the haka…the state of hawaii makes rules to try and contain big red
If he helped take Kalani to the DII championship I would of called him the best!
Is Tua still commited to Alabama?
Anyone??
Are you guys high? Cal Lee is the GREATEST COACH in the history of Hawaii High School Football. The guy won 14 straight(Im counting the 99 State title game)Titles. Is there any one who has ever come close to that? Kahuku had teams in the 90’s that were better than St. Louis but Coach Lee found ways to beat them. Kahuku was loaded with ALL STATE players but could not get it done. Why? The answer is Cal Lee. Im a RedRaider for Life but are you serious with Coach Livai? C’mon man I know we joke around on this blog but you got to give credit where credit is due. I know its your opinion and all but seriously bro…..
All the negative talk about Cal Lee is all but a bunch of crying babies, when your team and Coach wins as many titles and victories as Cal Has than you can talk, for now and in your lifetime here on earth, i don’t think you will ever come across all the titles and victories that Cal Lee has. From 1986-1999, Saint Louis and Cal was they best, nobody will win 14 titles in a row in high school football here in Hawaii, including Kahuku, if you do, you need to start winning everything now, and you only won from last year, so you need 13 more in a row to achieve that. and there is no competition in the OIA for Kahuku, they are the best in the OIA, Kahuku should play against St. Louis, Punahou and Kamehameha and see what it’s like every week to play against good quality teams from the ILH. And let all the other OIA teams play against each other.
Whoa whoa whoa…. Good quality teams? If Kahuku was ever in the same conference as Punahou, St. Louis and Kamehameha there would be no need for a State Chsmpionship game. Kahuku would go undefeated every year. Be thankful the divisions are the way they are. It gives you guys chance
88, remember in the Prep Bowl days, Kahuku was not the team to beat, it was St. Louis, Kahuku was taking the long ride back to the North Shore in thinking how can we beat these guys, they are so good, think about it,
88, and save your comments till Nov. 19, the State Championship game, cause Kahuku may not even win in the Semifinals.
@88, @ilh,
I bet you 2 clowns would win a prep bowl with all that recruited talent he had in the 90s. Everybody else played with what they had in their district. If he so great how come Kalani sucked when him & Ron was coaching there?
They couldn’t recruit. Point Blank!!
Hugh Yoshida Beat Cal Lee with NO recruits, just Wahiawa boys.
Hauula93 October 23, 2016 at 12:00 am
I’m sorry, but how can you call him the greatest coach, when he coached Kalani Falcons. They won nothing, maybe got to the d2 playoffs once.. Oh wait. My bad. He couldn’t pick his players, but I’ll give him one of the greatest coaches in the state.. but not the greatest coach.. Come on man… Thats like saying Kahuku makes it to the playoffs every year regardless who the coach is (we proved that already). Would you say Kahuku has the greatest athletes in the state.. I think not… So let’s just congratulate coach Cal ( one of the great coaches) in the state and Hope for a speedy recovery…. Good luck…RRFL…
Bill Walsh, Nick Saban, and Urban Meyer could have coached Kalani and they wouldn’t have won anything. So what is your point?