Players from the University Laboratory School’s state championship boys basketball teams of 1987 and ’88 got together to beat a team made up of Junior Rainbows alumni from all the other years, 51-50, at the school’s gym on Jan. 9.
The day’s events also included a team trophy presentation for 15 members of the ’87 and ’88 champs as well as a 2015-16 University varsity game.
The original state title team trophies were lost in a 2006 fire along with the rest of the school’s athletic archives — other trophies, records and photos.
Eleven Junior Rainbows who were members of either the ’87 or ’88 team or both played in the alumni game win —— 1987 coach Bobby Au, 1988 coach Darryl Gabriel, Keoni Jeremiah, Ryan Tong, Danny Alvarez, Jim Bukes, Walt Quitan, James Williams, Brad Stewart, Robert Milho and Matt Charles. There were four no-shows — George DeCorte, Michael Ah Sam, Henry Mauka and Vao Tiatias.
The Jan. 9 ceremony marked the beginning of a project to replace the lost trophies, according to athletic director Hoku Haliniak. The 1965 University team, coached by Nelson Yoshioka, won the school’s first state title in the single “A” division in 1965. That team’s trophy is also scheduled to be replaced.
I remember University High’s dominant basketball teams in the late 1970s and the 1980 decade. Had Coach Claude Hottendorf and his twin sons playing for him. Leroy Lutu, the Morales twins, Craig Bell. Now they playing Div 2 basketball. Give them credit for pulling that off, being a tiny school. Maryknoll too. I think what happened is that Iolani started to recruit big-time in basketball. No way can those tiny schools compete with Iolani and Punahou if they both want the same player. Maryknoll could offer year round basketball. No need for play football too. Punahou’s recruits back in the 1970s always played another sport besides football. Mark Tuinei was also a starting center on the Punahou basketball team and also threw the discus and shot put on Punahou’s dominant track program in the 1970s under the legendary Al Rowan. Mosi Tatupu played baseball too..