PREP FILE
'Aiea hires Amosa to coach boys basketball

Advertiser Staff

Former University of Hawai'i football all-star Amosa Amosa will be boys basketball coach at 'Aiea High School next season, 'Aiea athletic director Roy Miyoga announced yesterday.

Amosa, 35, was an assistant last season to Rodney Cavaco, who retired after 17 years as head coach. Amosa said Cavaco, who is assistant athletic director at 'Aiea, would be a consultant to the basketball team. "He knows a lot about the game; I'll try to follow what he has established already," Amosa said.

"The key is to get kids to buy into the defensive philosophy, as I did as an assistant. I was more of an offensive guy until I worked with coach Cavaco," he said.

Amosa has been offensive coordinator for the 'Aiea football team the past three years and will continue in that position. "He changed us from a running team to a passing team," Miyoga said. 'Aiea won the O'ahu Interscholastic Association White Conference championship last season.

Amosa will teach special education at 'Aiea, as he has been at Campbell High, his alma mater, for the past nine years.

Amosa was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference offensive lineman for Hawai'i in 1988, when he played center, and was second team in 1987 as left guard and right tackle. He lettered for UH four years (1985-88).

He also won all-state football all-star honors at Campbell, from where he graduated in 1984.

Amosa resides in 'Ewa Beach with his wife, Akenese, and four children.

WAIPAHU

Changes for football: Todd Fujimori has stepped down as head football coach at Waipahu High School and Sean Saturnio will take his place next season.

Fujimori guided the Marauders to an OIA playoff appearance last year and an overall record of 15-13 in three seasons as head coach. He was a Waipahu assistant for the six previous seasons, serving as defensive coordinator from 1995-98.

Fujimori said he is stepping down to spend more time with his family. He and wife Lori have a two-year-old daughter and are expecting another child in September.

"I need time to raise my family," Fujimori said. "I did a lot of thinking and praying, and I decided I cannot give 100 percent to both (coaching and family). I'm super sad, because I'm going to miss the players, but deep down inside I'm happy, because I know I made the right choice."

Fujimori will remain as a PE teacher at Waipahu, where he has taught since 1992.

Saturnio, a former University of Hawai'i player, was a coach for Waipahu's JV team. He is a graduate of Hilo High School.

KONAWAENA

Brown new football coach: Todd Brown, who played on an undefeated Konawaena High football team in 1983, will try to take the Wildcats back to that pinnacle of success as head football coach.

Brown will replace Roy Aukai, who retired for the second time after leading Konawaena to a league co-championship last season. Aukai had a 67-13-2 league record in nine years (1986-88 and 1996-2001) and won or shared six BIIF championships.

Brown operates a coffee and avocado farm in South Kona. He was head junior varsity coach at Konawaena last season and varsity offensive line coach in 2000.