<Begin Segment 15>

AH: Well, with the camera off we had some stories here and I want to return, if we can, to Lahainaluna. Let's go into your playing there, because I was getting the impression that you only played schools that were on Maui. But when we were talking here, it sounds like you, a couple of times, went over to Oahu and played teams in Honolulu and that some Honolulu teams came over to Maui and played you. So talk a little bit about that, would you?

WY: Well, during, before the season starts, you know, they had teams come to Maui and we'd play Roosevelt, Farrington -- you know, they came and played against them. But we could compete with these teams in Honolulu because Lahainaluna had a good team. We had a lot of, couple of Samoans, real big Samoan kids on the line. So even when we came to Honolulu, we played against Camp School. Camp School, they had some big guys, too, but our guys were just as big. So we gave these Honolulu teams a good competition. Like we played St. Louis, St. Louis beat us 13-7. Wedemeyer was playing at that time.

AH: Herman Wedemeyer.

WY: Yeah, he was, at St. Mary's, been All-American there. But Herman Wedemeyer, I played against him, and so I had a good day, too. Even today, they always say, "Who's better, Yonamine or Wedemeyer?" [Laughs]

AH: So you played tailback in single wing?

WY: Yes, tailback. And not too many, not too many tailback single wing are left-handed. They're all right-handed.

AH: Well, you've been described, later on when you played football, as a slashing runner and a good passer and even a very good kicker. So, did you do all that at Lahainaluna? Did you, were you a triple threat?

WY: Everything. I did everything; I ran, passed, run and everything I did.

AH: Did you place kick or drop kick?

WY: Place kick -- I mean, yeah, place kicked, yeah.

AH: Place kicked. And did you ever kick a field goal?

WY: Yes, I, when I came to Farrington, my senior year we played, we were playing Camp School. And the score was 7-7, and then... and I didn't practice, you know, practice field goal and things like that. Then, the last quarter, it was tied so the coach told me to go in and kick a field goal. So, I kicked one 30-yard field goal, and we beat 'em 10-7. [Laughs]

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2003 Japanese American National Museum. All Rights Reserved.