Stants stick together

By Billy Hull
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Aug. 9th, 2010

During the long drive home, the conversation rarely shifts away from football.

But as soon as Kamehameha coach David Stant and son Kawika arrive home in Hau’ula, all that football talk stays in the car.

It’s how the two have come to handle the intricacies of their relationship.

Whether it’s coaching your son, or playing for your dad, challenges exist on both sides to keep football and family separate.

For the Stants, that means leaving football at the door.

“Once
we get home he just wants to be with family, so it’s all football talk
in the car and then once you get home, drop it,” Kawika said.

It
wasn’t easy at first for the 5-foot-11, 215-pound linebacker, who first
suited up for the Warriors as a sophomore. Now a senior, Stant has
matured both on the field and in how he handles having his dad as his
coach.

“My sophomore year was the worst year of
my life because he was defensive coordinator and on my case every day,”
Kawika said. “I took everything so personal my sophomore year, but now
things just happen and I know he has to be tough on me.”

They’ve made it work at Kamehameha, where the Warriors enter the 2010 season as the defending state champions.

Defense was Kamehameha’s calling card in ’09, yielding less than a yard per carry through the entire season.

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PREP PREVIEW

The Star-Advertiser kicked off the high school
football season with unprecedented coverage, featuring top players at
each position and counting down to the top teams in the state. See below
for past and upcoming stories.

AUG. 8 / SUNDAY
Defensive Linemen

AUG. 9 / MONDAY
Linebackers

AUG. 10 / TUESDAY
Defensive Backs

AUG. 11 / WEDNESDAY
Offensive Linemen

AUG. 12 / THURSDAY
Receivers

AUG. 13 / FRIDAY
Running Backs

AUG. 14 / SATURDAY
Quarterbacks

AUG. 15 / SUNDAY
Team Nos. 5-10

AUG. 16 / MONDAY
Team No. 4 Punahou

AUG. 17 / TUESDAY
Team No. 3 Saint Louis

AUG. 18 / WEDNESDAY
Team No. 2 Kamehameha

AUG. 19 / FRIDAY
Team No. 1 Kahuku