Aiea's Wendell Say (left) and Waianae's Dan Matsumoto (right) have coached 36 seasons between them. ScoringLive photo illustration

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The two longest-tenured coaches in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West Conference will face off Saturday when No. 5 Waianae visits No. 10 Aiea in a pivotal league game.

In his 14 seasons at the helm of the storied Seariders' program, Dan Matsumoto has compiled a record of 82 wins and 63 losses with three divisional titles. Na Alii coach Wendell Say is one of just four active coaches to have 100 career coaching victories. In his 22 seasons at Aiea, Say has accumulated a 113-95-1 record with three OIA White crowns and a Division II state championship in 2003.

Matsumoto and Say took some time out Tuesday to talk about their respective teams, mentors and the wild, wild West.

ScoringLive: Describe your team's situation in one word.

Wendell Say: "Resilient. Right now we're struggling with numbers because we had a lot of kids out with injuries and academic probation, but we're hanging on."

Dan Matsumoto: "Promising. We feel that we have the potential, but the boys need to execute on each and every play."

SL: What has the 2-0 start done for your team? 

WS: "It's always good to get off to a winning start because it builds up the confidence in players. With all the guys we've had out the first two weeks, kids had to step in and play and they did a good job. We always tell them to be ready because if something happens, the next person has to come in and we don't want to see a drop off."

DM: "Of course, it's always good to win, but at the same time, we also had the boys realize, from watching film, that there's still a lot of mistakes that we're doing. We have a lot more work to do."

SL: How does this team compare with past teams you've coached?

WS: "They're playing well together. The identity of this team is that there's no individuals. It's pretty much we're going to win as a team, we're going to lose as a team. Other years we had kids that were highly sought after college players, this year we have good players, but they're not the biggest kids. They just play above their level."

DM: "It's a good group of kids and so far, it's just been a joy at practice. They're really respectful kids."

SL: What are some of the most important things you've learned while coaching all these years?

WS: "You've got to adapt because things constantly change. Offenses changes, the game evolves and you want to adapt. Teams throw the ball a lot more than they used to and these days, defensive coordinators are real good. It's not just the basic run-stop defense. They play a lot of coverages. It's really a tough chess match. The players themselves have changed a lot, too. A lot of kids, they look like football players, but they've never done anything physical until came they came to high school.  They're used to computer games, so part of it is getting the kids over the shock that you've got to run to play this game."

DM: "We need to break down how we give instructions to the kids. We have to break it down to simpler terms to make them understand. Without that they'll keep saying ‘Yes, I understand,' but they're just saying that to satisfy us. We have to make sure they understand what we're trying to convey. As coaches, we have to be better at getting them to understand what we want them to do."

SL: Who or what do you attribute your love for coaching football to?

WS: "I'm very fortunate I had some good coaches in high school and college that gave me that drive to love the game. Hugh Yoshida at Leilehua and then Ad Rutschman in college, at Linfield (Ore.), were both outstanding coaches that taught me life skills and more about the game of football as a life builder."

DM: "Coach (Larry) Ginoza, from just watching the way he would talk with kids. He didn't need to yell, his words were strong enough and it meant a lot. Seeing his demeanor and the way he coached was inspiring."

SL: How difficult is it to split your time between your family, job, coaching, etc.?

WS: "It's hard and I'm very fortunate, because the only way I can do it is I have a very understanding wife. We've been married 27 years and she was one of our main scouts. She used to go to Waianae by herself or with kids to film games for us. One of our first dates was to scout Waianae together, I think back in 1983. We have three kids, my oldest being special needs, so that takes a lot of time, too. Then the job itself as a counselor, working at (Aiea High) school – people think I'm just a coach, but they don't realize coaching is just a small part of the day. Plus, coaching has evolved from regular season to year round."

DM: "My family already knows – even my friends – they know when its football season, they cannot get in touch with me. It's been so many years that they come to know my lifestyle so it's just part of the job."

SL: What do you make of the OIA Red West's 11-1 combined record so far?

WS: "It shows how tough the league is. Every year, I keep saying that this is the toughest league. Everybody is competitive and anybody can beat anybody on any given day. Last year we started like gangbusters, then injuries and grades killed us in second half. You have to stay healthy academically and physically."

DM: "I've been noticing the scores and the Red West sounds like it's going to be a wild one. It's so competitive that every game, every week is like a championship game."

SL: What can we expect from Saturday's game?

WS: "This is a tough Waianae team. We're excited that we get to play them, they're always a good team. They're disciplined, hard-hitting and they'll smash you in the mouth. They have a lot of tradition on their side."

GR: "That's a good question, I'm not sure what to expect myself. It looks like they have an explosive offense and a strong defense. It's going to be a strong battle for us. We're expecting a tough game."

Both Waianae and Aiea are off to a 2-0 start this season, but only one will remain unbeaten after their Saturday showdown, which is expected to kickoff at about 6:30 p.m.