Robin Kami has long been associated with football in Pearl City. Whether it's been the Pop Warner, junior varsity or varsity teams, Kami has coached at each of those levels over the last 20-plus years.

So when the Pearl City football team saw its head coach, David Hallums, take an abrupt leave of absence following his first season at the helm in 2012, Kami was a natural choice to serve in the interim.

With Kami as head coach last season, the JV Chargers won the OIA's White Conference regular season and made it to the league championship game. However, with 18 players – including eight defensive starters – ruled academically ineligible for the game, Pearl City lost to Keala Watson's Nanakuli Golden Hawks (Watson is the new varsity head coach at 2012 OIA White runner-up and state semifinalist Nanakuli following the retirement of Skippy Lopes).

The Chargers will run the same offensive and defensive schemes from a year ago, "with a few tweaks," Kami said. "More on the offensive side, to simplify things a little bit for Jordan (Taamu)."

Taamu is the new quarterback – up from the JV – for offensive coordinator Nowlin Reyes and company. He certainly looks the part – standing 6-foot-1 and weighing about 180 pounds – but how quickly can he adjust to the speed of the varsity game?

The first week of August might help clear up that picture with scrimmages planned at Mililani (Aug. 1) and at Moanalua (Aug. 2). Pearl City will hit the road again for its season opener at Kapolei in a non-league game on Aug. 9.

One guy that Taamu will certainly look to many times this year is senior slotback Tanner Tokunaga, a second-team All-OIA White pick last year. Tokunaga, who also plays defensive back and returner, will have to help replace the production of wideout Daicorri Briscoe in 2012. Tokunaga is also a talented baseball player and is already drawing interest from scouts. He's been splitting time between football practices and American Legion baseball games.

Kami admits his team – especially on the defensive side – is small in size. But, what the Chargers lack in size, they make up for in speed. One of the fastest players is standout linebacker Blake Cooper, a two-time wrestling state champion.

"We know that we're not that big and we know that we're going to have to tire them out by the fourth quarter to win," said Cooper, who will also see time at running back and safety.

Kami also brought in a new defensive coordinator in Cajo Cabato. However, Kami said the additions of strength and conditioning coaches Kay Bicoy and Kelsey Yomen have paid big-time dividends.

"Some people must wonder about us having two female strength coaches, but they've done good things with the kids and so far it's been paying off," Kami said.

Kami didn't have to look far for help: Bicoy is the wife of former Pearl City head coach Mel Bicoy and a teacher at the school while Yomen is a trainer at 24-Hour Fitness and a friend of Reyes.

Pearl City lost its first four White Conference games a year ago, but reeled off five consecutives wins, only to lose out on one of four coveted playoff spots after a tiebreaker. The schedule this year doesn't favor the Chargers, who open the 10-week regular season with a bye followed by nine straight games. Pearl City's White-opener is against Kalani (at Kaiser) on Aug. 17. Fans will have to wait until Aug. 30 to see Pearl City at Bino Nieves Stadium when it hosts Waialua.

"It's a disadvantage, but we're going to take it game by game this year and hopefully we'll be competitive in the White division," said Kami, a 1983 Pearl City graduate who served on the coaching staffs of Mel Bicoy and Hallums. "There's no expectation from me as far as wins and losses, but we tell the kids that there will only be one champion on the field, but we want to be champions off the field no matter what."

One thing is for sure, Kami is ready and eager to get things going.

"We've already painted the locker rooms and done some other community service. We also want to improve our relationship with the Pop Warner teams – I've invited them to play a bowl game on our field every year," said an energetic Kami. "I've been happy for the last 20 years doing this... I love what I do."