The last time Punahou School played in the First Hawaiian Bank Football State Championships, Buffanblu coach Kale Ane was on the sideline getting advice from his father, Charlie, via the headset in the spotter's booth.

Friday night, in the Division I Championship game against Leilehua at Aloha Stadium, the voice will come from even higher.

Charlie Ane — "Coach" or "Papa" as a couple of generations came to reverently call him — died last year at age 76 but remains both an inspirational and instructive voice.

"I think about him every day and miss him deeply," Kale said. "I miss him in a lot of ways from the things we shared, our love of the game, our love for the school. I know he is still sharing them with me."

The Anes are woven into the fabric of Punahou's rich football history, a lineage three generations deep. Charlie played at Punahou in the late 1940s before going on to USC and the NFL and returning to the campus as a longtime assistant coach. His wife, Marilyn, was a cheerleader. Kale played in the late '60s and early '70s before going on to Michigan State and the NFL and returning as head coach.

"And, now, my son (Teetai), is coaching with me, so it has come full circle," Kale said.

Charlie taught his son — and hundreds of other people's sons as well — much more than the three-point stance. "He taught us to play hard-nosed football, to play as a team and be humble," recalled Norm Chow, now coaching at UCLA.

When Kale got the Punahou job for 1999, he asked his father to return to campus. "He had some reservations," Kale said. "He knew he cast a big shadow and knew I needed to do things on my own. But my mom and I double-teamed him to get him to come back."

Kale called the defense and Charlie was his eyes above and sounding board. "But he didn't always confine himself to defense," Kale said. "He'd tell me what to do on offense, too."

On occasion his mother would have to get out the ice cream, symbolizing cool down time, if a difference in opinions got heated.

Often, however, their talks went beyond strategy. "We'd talk every game, especially the big games," Kale said. "Mostly about the expectations, the responsibilities and accountability to the team, the school, the family."

The last time the Anes were together for states, Kahuku's late rally beat Punahou, 28-21, in 2005.

Afterward, Kale said, "it was funny; he said it reminded him of when he was in high school and they lost a big game in the last second. History keeps repeating itself."

The meaning was not lost on Kale.

"He taught me that you're going to get knocked down, that you are going to be tested by adversity, and you have to get right back up."

Especially when someone's watching from above.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.