One can’t accuse Kealakehe wrestling coach Ivan Louis of playing favorites, even when it involves his son, who’s a senior, no less.
Pulama Louis and Keoni Miles are each defending BIIF champions and they both have designs at competing in the 182-pound weight class this season.
That dynamic has made the Waveriders’ wrestling room all the more competitive this preseason.
“I made it clear to them both that we’ll decide this in the center of the ring,” Ivan Louis said.
Pulama Louis won the first wrestle-off against Miles, and he used it to his advantage in finishing 7-0 at 182 at the Moanalua Duals.
The BIIF regular season finally gets off to a start this Saturday at Kealakehe, and the Waveriders and Kamehameha were among the contingent to compete at the final preseason tuneups in late December on Oahu.
The headliner on the girls side was the Warriors’ Kayla Araki, who captured the 155-pound division at the Paani Challenge, hosted by Punahou. Araki is a two-time BIIF champion who took bronze last season at the HHSAA championships at 132.
“It gave us a good sense of where they are and where they need to be,” Kamehameha coach Brendan Courtot said.
Pulama Louis and Miles both want to be in the 182 division, and they’ll have two more wrestle-offs to try and get there. Louis weighed in the high 180s when he won the 195 title at BIIFs last season, finishing fifth in the state.
He stayed in the higher division to help the Waveriders win their first league crown since 2010, opening the door for Miles to grab gold at 182. Miles went 6-1 at Moanalua. Kealakehe’s other two 2015 BIIF champs graduated.
“Either weight class works for Keoni,” Ivan Louis said. “He’ll be fine.”
The same could be said of his girls program.
The Lady Waveriders had no chance to defend their title last year with only five wrestlers, but this year that number has ballooned to 20.
Competing at 112 again, junior Charlotte Taylor fared well at the Paani Challenge, and she’ll look to win her second BIIF title after finishing runner-up last season to Hilo’s Kaitlyn Funai, who graduated. As a freshman, Taylor won gold wrestling for Honokaa.
Ivan Louis also likes what’s he’s seen from Isabelle Tayo, who could wrestle at 117 or 122.
“I’ve got about 15 girls who are real strong,” Louis said.
If strength in numbers is any indication, Kamehameha could be poised to return as a power on the girls mats. The Warriors are three-plus seasons removed from winning the last of their three consecutive BIIF championships, but this season they have a strong turnout with 25 competitors.
One of the biggest keys to winning a girls title is simply being able to slot in a wrestler in all 14 weight classes.
“We’ll probably be able to fill a lot of them,” Courtot said. “We’ll be pretty close.”
After the opener Saturday at Kealakehe, there are meets on tap at Keaau (Jan. 16), Hilo (Jan. 23), Konawaena (Jan. 30) and Waiakea (Feb. 6), and the championships are set for Feb. 13 at Hawaii Prep.