Chad Pule and the Waianae Seariders host Cody Marques and the Waipahu Marauders to open the 2019 season Friday night. ScoringLive photo illustration

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When the Waianae football team takes to picturesque Raymond Torii Field for its season-opener against visiting Waipahu Friday night, it will signal the dawn of a new era in Searider football.

After 32 years as a college assistant, Mike Fanoga will make his head coaching debut when No. 11 Waianae faces off against the ninth-ranked Marauders in one of a dozen non-league match-ups across the state that will mark the start of the 2019 high school football season.

"I think our kids are excited," Fanoga said Thursday. "They're getting tired of hitting each other these past couple of days, especially during camp, but we're looking forward to playing Waipahu."

Although Fanoga is new to the prep football scene locally, he was sure to do his homework on the reigning Division I-state champion Marauders.

"Waipahu is a good team with a good coaching staff and a great running back and quarterback," Fanoga said, referring to seniors Alfred Failauga and Cody Marques, respectively.

Marques passed for nearly 2,300 yards with 19 total TDs last season, while Failauga logged 1,163 yards and 10 TDs rushing despite missing five games a season ago.

"Those are the two main factors we want to stop, especially the running back — he's a very good running back — but I think our kids are excited. We're looking forward to it and we'll see what happens," said Fanoga, who also serves as defensive coordinator.

Failauga has the state record for career rushing yards in his sights entering his fourth varsity season. In addition to All-Hawaii D1 Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2018, Failauga was tabbed as the Preseason OPOY last week.

Fanoga fully acknowledges Failauga and the Marauders will provide quality competition early in the year.

"I just told our kids that it's all about preparation and getting ourselves ready for Waipahu. They're a good team, that's why they won the championship. We're looking forward to playing them. I just want to see where we're at," said Fanoga, whose team has already undergone several changes in offensive coordinator.

Former Saint Francis coach Mike Ulufale is now in that capacity and bringing a spread offense — a far cry from the run-heavy, Wing-T attack that has been synonymous with the Seariders for so long.

"I want to see how our offense is," Fanoga said. "We've got a good offensive coach on that side of the ball. He knows what he's doing and we've got a good group of players, so I want to see what they can do."

Fanoga said last week's scrimmages against Aiea (Thursday), Konawaena (Friday) and Iolani (Saturday) left some players nursing injuries that may keep them out against Waipahu Friday.

"Hopefully most of our kids will get their treatment and get well, get better and can come back for this week," Fanoga said. "We had some weaknesses that we have to correct on defense and we gotta get better from the trenches to the back end, but our kids are very competitive and I'm the new kid on the block so we're learning as we go."

The teams also met to open the season last year, with the Marauders coming away with a stunning 34-13 win over the Seariders. Fanoga said the returning players are well aware of the recent history, but he isn't about digging up the past.

"I don't dwell on last season, but I know the kids in the background, they talk about it and they're kinda upset about it, but I'm not worried about the score, I just want to make sure our kids are competitive. If we trust take care of that end, everything else will fall into place and whatever the score is, we'll build off of it," Fanoga said. "Last year is last year. We're looking forward to this year and our kids are excited to play a very good Waipahu team."

Like his counterpart, Waipahu fifth-year coach Bryson Carvalho isn't keen on riding past accomplishments.

"I constantly remind the kids that the 2018 year, that team wrote their own legacy, they wrote their own story and we've got our own story to write this year," Carvalho said. "I think it's a brand new team, brand new attitude, but still with the same standards that we've instilled the last five years. Of course, we want the same outcome, but it's a whole new chemistry with this group of guys, but it's good chemistry, for sure."

Carvalho likes the bond that his 2019 squad has already forged through offseason workouts, weight room sessions and even community service work.

"This group of kids have grown more close, which we try to do throughout camp, so the chemistry is there. Unfortunately, we will have some guys out this game — a lot of key guys — but other than that I think it's great, their attitude has been great and everybody is kind of surprised the start of the season is already here, but they've been working hard since March so they're looking forward to (Friday)," Carvalho said.

Waipahu held scrimmages against a pair of Open Division-teams in Kapolei and Kahuku on back-to-back days last week.

"It gave us a little glimpse of our identity and who we are as a team," Carvalho noted. "We saw some good things, we saw some bad things and one of the things I told the kids was, not to be negative, but to kind of let the good stuff slip out of your head and keep in mind some of the negative things you did — again, not to be a pessimist or overly negative on yourself — but to learn from your mistakes. The only way we can grow and continue to get better as a team is if individually we continue to do that."

Carvalho admitted there is some uncertainty about what to expect from Fanoga and the Seariders, but some things will be a given.

"It's a brand new coach, brand new system, the offense is brand new, the defense is brand new, so outside of knowing their physicality and their aggressiveness, there's not much for us to go on. We got some film from their scrimmages, but this is a whole new Waianae team and a whole new culture there that they're trying to instill and grow on, so we're unsure what to really expect. We just gotta come out and be prepared as best we can. We know that we're going up against guys that are physical and aggressive and we just gotta make sure that we're up for the challenge," Carvalho said.

Kickoff is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m. at Torii Field. The varsity game will follow 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 5 p.m. JV contest.