KAILUA-KONA — Kamehameha head coach Dan Lyons could have played up any collection of narratives heading into the Warriors season opener against Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
Revenge, redemption, or using the opener to send a loud message to the rest of the BIIF were all on the table as topics of a rah-rah pregame motivational speech.
But in the Warriors’ return to the pool for the first time since being upset by Kealakehe in the league semifinals a season ago — which ended a streak of seven straight titles for Kamehameha — those topics were the last thing on their minds.
Like a fine-oiled machine, Kamehameha reeled off a 19-4 victory over the defending BIIF champion Ka Makani behind eight goals from Lahela Rosario on Saturday at Kona Community Aquatic Center.
“It was not any different than any other game for us. We are just trying to get better every time out,” Lyons said after his team’s impressive debut. “To me, sports are all about learning life skills, and learning how to overcome adversity is a big one. Tough people get up and figure out how to do it better.”
Kamehameha added a 13-7 victory over Waiakea to close out the day in Kona, moving to 2-0.
With a slew of returning contributors on a roster of nearly 30 players, the Warriors win the numbers game in the BIIF by a long shot. But the team is also oozing with talent, evident by crisp passes, speedy sprints up the pool and sniper-like accuracy on shots.
Rosario and Emma Kanoa are two returning All-BIIF picks for the Warriors, while Aubrey Carter, Kaiao Shine and Seizen Alameda come back with honorable mention nods under their belts.
“Any given game it feels like there will be someone different that stands out. I thought our passing was really good and so was our 2-meter play,” Lyons said. “There’s a lot of good communication out there. I could sit back and didn’t have to say a lot.”
Lyons hesitates to bring up the word “legacy” to describe his program’s success, but it would be hard to find a more accurate word. The Warriors are coming off a down year, but have been the gold standard in the BIIF for a decade-plus. It’s a mostly unspoken motivating factor to want to maintain that level of play for those who put on the caps.
“They come in and want to be good — they want to be the best. I think many of them feel like they were the better team last year, they just didn’t play that way,” Lyons said. “They have a chance to be really, really good.”
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Hawaii Prep
Last year: 14-3 (BIIF champions, lost in HHSAA quarterfinals to Roosevelt)
Returning players: 9
Coach: Greg McKenna
So far this season: 2-1 (W 15-5 vs. Hilo; W 16-8 vs. Waiakea; L 19-4 vs. KS-Hawaii)
Early standouts: Sarah Houser, Ala Taylor, Teah Van Bergen, Nora Healy
The skinny: Ka Makani broke a decade-long title drought last season, but have some big holes to fill after graduating a talented senior class. There’s reason for Hawaii Prep to be optimistic for a title defense though, with senior captain Sarah Houser and returning All-BIIF honorable mention Ala Taylor in net leading the way.
Coach’s take: “We have such a fun team this year. They are young and there is a ton of positive energy. They are excited to come to practice and work hard. We have some girls back, but more than half of our team is new. It’s a whole new year.”
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Kealakehe
Last year: 9-7 (BIIF runner-up, lost in HHSAA quarterfinal to Kahuku)
Returning players: 12
Coach: Chris Chang
So far this season: 2-0 (W 13-2 vs. Keaau; W 11-7 vs. Hilo)
Early standouts: Miana Villegas, Hannah Tomlinson, Malia Brewbaker
The skinny: The Waveriders entered uncharted waters a year ago, upsetting Kamehameha in the BIIF semifinals and then following that up with a victory over Kaiser in the first round of the state tournament. Kealakehe returns some key pieces in Villegas and Tomlinson and should make it more than a two-horse race for the BIIF title.
Coach’s take: “The starting line is looking good. We have some things to work on, but we know what direction we want to go. This season we want to take a run at the BIIF title and hopefully return to states. It’s always about wanting to do a bit better than the year before.”
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Waiakea
Last year: 4-8 (missed BIIF playoffs)
Returning players: 10
Coach: Haley Rosehill
So far this season: 0-2 (L 16-8 vs. Hawaii Prep; L 13-7 vs. Kamehameha)
Early standouts: Summer Cassidy, Ashley Rynckewicz
The skinny: The Warriors return some experience and will more than likely be in a battle for a playoff spot. Currently, Waiakea is 0-2, but have had the misfortune of playing both Hawaii Prep and Kamehameha to open the season. The team showed fight in both games battling until the end for respectable results.
Coach’s take: “We have a lot of growing to do. We have a young team with only four seniors and lost three strong players. We have the raw speed and talent, so it should be exciting. I just want them to be able to understand the game and enjoy playing. We want to have fun and the winning will hopefully come with it.”
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Konawaena
Last year: 5-7 (lost in BIIF semifinals to Hawaii Prep)
Returning players: 10
Coach: Michael Godden
So far this season: 0-1 (L 10-9 vs. Hilo, OT)
Early standouts: Jalen Gambee, Payton Walters
The skinny: The Wildcats have a goal-scoring machine in Gambee, who netted six in the team’s opener against Hilo. The Wildcats had not had a ton of practice heading into opening weekend, but should round into form as a playoff contender down the stretch.
Coach’s take: “I’m excited about our group. They are starting to gel as a team. We haven’t had a lot of practice time due to some issues with our pool, but they are working hard. I’m trying to stress our defensive responsibilities. If we can work on that, it will lead to some scoring.”
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Hilo
Last year: 4-8 (missed BIIF playoffs)
Returning players: 8
Coach: Malia Tallett
So far this season: 1-1 (W 10-9 vs. Konawaena OT; L 15-5 vs. Hawaii Prep)
Early standouts: Jaelyn Estibilio, Laurie McGrath
The skinny: The Vikings are focused on playing a savvy brand of water polo and refining their skills as the season progresses. Hilo missed out on the BIIF playoffs a year ago, but should be optimistic after battling for an OT win over Konawaena. Laurie McGrath rose up to notch the game-winner in that contest.
Coach’s take: “We are feeling pretty good. We don’t have the same speed or depth, but the girls know the rules better than anyone else. They play amazing out there. My goal as a coach is to teach them good water polo. I’m not worried about the score. We are working everyday on increasing out knowledge of the game and being smart players.
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Keaau
Last year: 0-12 (missed playoffs)
Returning players: 5
Coach: Chris Ho
Early standouts: Faith West, Alyssa Chiquita
So far this season: 0-1 (L 13-2 vs. Kealakehe)
The skinny: In just their second year as a program, Keaau is still building its water polo culture. The Cougars played their first game with a skeleton crew of just seven swimmers, but kept it respectable against Kealakehe. The Cougars goal this season is to keep it close, and getting a win would be historic for the program on its way up.
Coach’s take: “We are still the newest program, so there are obvious growing pains. My goal for them is to continue to be positive. We want to play, smile and be excited to be in the pool. I’m hoping for clean games where we can have fun and start learning team-building skills.”