KAILUA-KONA — Looking around his locker room, Wyatt Nahale sees all the tools needed to build a championship team: athleticism, high football IQ and student-athletes with character even stronger than their bench press.
Now, the primary focus for the first-year Kealakehe head coach is putting all of those assets together to find a championship formula — something that has eluded the Waveriders in the BIIF’s Division I since 2012.
“We are gifted,” Nahale said of his roster. “We have a lot of physical tools to work with. But we have to play fast within the system. If we don’t understand that system, it won’t work for us.”
Nahale was named to the head coaching position this summer, and it seemed like the natural next step. He spent some time with the Leeward Steelers Pop Warner program before heading up the JV program at Konawaena, where he has been the last four years. As he sits in his office and reflects on the journey, all he can do is smile.
“I never thought I would be at this point in my coaching career,” said Nahale, an 11-year veteran of the Hawaii County Police Department. “But God does things for a reason. I’m here now and I have a vision and plan for these kids. The key now is everyone buying in.”
Wyatt isn’t the first in his family to be the man at the helm for the Waveriders. His dad, Joe Nahale, coached the Waveriders nearly two decades ago.
“What I remember most is that Kealakehe had a lot of great talent and good kids that were respectful to the coaching staff,” Wyatt Nahale said after being hired. “It was fun for him working with them and now I see a lot of those guys out in our community with their own families.”
It’s appropriate, because for Wyatt, family will be a big theme for the Waveriders this season.
“When I took the job, one of my goals was to make it feel like family at Kealakehe,” Nahale said. “I want these kids to know we are here for them both on and off the field. The things we really want to develop here are all based on helping them succeed after they leave high school.”
Wyatt Nahale is not the only one who traded in his Wildcat green for Kealakehe blue in the offseason. Also making the cross-town leap was sophomore quarterback Sheynen Nahale, Wyatt’s son, who started for Konawaena last season.
Sheynen threw for 2,068 yards and 17 touchdowns during his freshman campaign, leading the BIIF in yards and passes attempted (372). But there were also some freshman moments, as he was picked off 24 times.
In the Waveriders’ only non-league game, against Pearl City on Aug. 3, Sheynen Nahale was 14 of 21 for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping the ‘Riders to a thrilling 13-7 victory. Wyatt said there were some noticeable improvements he saw in that game from a year ago.
“Watching the film from Pearl City, it seemed like his game had matured,” Wyatt said. “Rather than throw some passes that he might have last year, he took the hit rather than force it into coverage.”
A security blanket of sorts for Sheynen will be Hunter Wehrsig, one of his favorite targets last season with Konawaena. Wehrsig also made the move to Kealakehe for his senior season.
“This team has been working really hard,” said Wehrsig, who scored the first touchdown of the season for the Waveriders on a 28-yard pass from Nahale. “We put in the work in the offseason on our timing. Against Pearl City, we started off a little slow, but once we started moving it felt good. We just need to work on our execution.”
In the backfield, Kealakehe returns its thunder and lightning combo with Raymond Skillern and Elijah Kahele. Skillern — who has no problem running through defenders — was an All-BIIF honorable mention last season, while Kahele — who’s more of a speedy scatback — garnered first team honors.
“They are two great running backs with two very different styles,” Wyatt Nahale said of the tandem.
There’s never been a drought of big bodies for the offensive line at Kealakehe, and this year is no different. Hailama Anakalea (6-foot, 280 pounds) and Gareth Warren (6-4, 250) are transfers from Konawaena that will bulk up the trenches for the Waveriders along with Reign Dinson-Watai (5-11, 210) and Kaulana Gonzalez-Guzman (6-0 240). Gonzalez-Guzman, a senior, has the potential to play on both sides of the ball.
“We are still working with our offensive line, tightening things up,” Nahale said. “Right now with the offense it’s about perfecting the timing and execution. If we get that down, we have a lot of athletes at our skill positions that can be playmakers.”
While the Waverider offense has sputtered at times in recent seasons, Kealakehe squads have almost always featured a stout defense. For most of the game against Pearl City, Kealakehe held to that tradition, holding the Chargers to less than 50 yards of total offense. The ‘Riders unit let up a late long drive and score, but held when it mattered late, with Kristian De Lima coming up with a key sack.
“We really got tested at the end, so to start the season with a little adversity and then come out on top was big for us,” Nahale said. “Our defense had to rise to the occasion, which was nice to see. Our kids dug deep when we needed them to.”
Former Kealakehe head coach Sam Papalii — who won a trio of BIIF titles with the Waveriders — spent some time with the team during the spring and summer installing the defense, handing the keys to defensive coordinator Neil Whersig just before the start of the season.
Nahale said on defense, the keys will be playing responsible, fundamental football. On that front, he’s liked what he’s seen out of guys like De Lima and LB/DL Mason Solmonson, among others.
“We want to be stout up front and sure tacklers,” Nahale said. “We don’t want to be seeing a bunch of yards after the catch and things like that.”
Jesse Meza is a mainland transfer who will be playing among a talented group of defensive backs, including Zane Martin and Mikah Ascino, who snatched an interception against Pearl City.
“Everyone on this team is super competitive,” Meza said, noting that Kealakehe was his fourth high school. “We want to put in the work to be the best.”
Meza most recently played at Yucca Valley High School in California, but is fitting in just fine with the Waveriders.
“Football in Hawaii — what’s not to like?” he said.
Kealakehe opens its season on Saturday against Konawaena, which will be a very interesting test for both squads. And thanks to the new-look BIIF schedule, which features each team playing each other twice within their divisions, there will be an encore on Sept. 26 between the rivals.
“It forces coaches to coach. You have to adjust,” Nahale said of seeing teams twice during the regular season. “Week to week — no matter who we’re playing — it’s going to be a battle. You can’t take anyone lightly in this league.”