Waiakea’s bumper crop of upperclassmen wasted little time in making a statement.
They might be too young to understand, but coach David Urakami, now 40, sure does.
Sophomore John Grover and freshman Riley Tamanaha each scored two goals Saturday as the host Warriors opened their season with an emphatic 5-0 victory against six-time BIIF Division I champion Kealakehe, providing Urakami with the perfect birthday present.
“I told the kids I’m not going to talk much, but savor this moment,” Urakami said. “You worked for it. This doesn’t come often.”
It was Waiakea’s first victory against the Waveriders – who stumbled out of the gates to start the post Laukoa Santos era – since the 2011 BIIF semifinals.