Under the guidance of second-year coach Moku Pita, the Warriors are in the midst of a culture change, which he hopes will translate onto the football field this season. Evan Asato | SL

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Evan Asato | SL

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The win-loss record may not have reflected it in 2013, but things are turning around for the Waiakea football team.

Under the guidance of second-year coach Moku Pita, the Warriors are in the midst of a culture change, which he hopes will translate onto the football field this season. Waiakea is coming off consecutive three-win seasons, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

"Right now, from when we first started, we're about 70 to 80 percent to where I want (our progress) to be," said Pita, who played at Kailua and previously coached at Kahuku. "I know it takes a while to get to where we want it to be, so I'm giving it a couple of years."

Pita moved to the Big Island when his wife accepted a job in Hilo. He served as a volunteer and as junior varsity head coach before taking over the varsity squad prior to the 2013 season.

Getting kids to come out for football was his biggest challenge, Pita said.

"Hilo is a baseball town, so getting the kids to believe in the football team was pretty hard," said Pita, who works on campus. "I've been going to the Pop Warner and the intermediate and letting the kids know that football is turning around up here at Waiakea High School."

A big part of the transformation of the Warriors has been about an attitude adjustment.

"We've gone away from being individuals and made it a team sport," Pita said.

According to a few Warriors, they've bought into the concept and it's shown in their work ethic over the summer.

"I think this summer has been a lot different than other summers, because I can kind of feel the excitement for the season coming up," said Zachary Devela, a senior offensive lineman.

Ridge Quitoriano, a senior on the defensive line, said the atmosphere in workouts and practices have a different air about them this year.

"Everybody is more positive. There's no fighting. It's competitive, but it's just friendly," said Quitoriano, who had good things to say about his coach. "He's doing a really good job. He's giving us new stuff all the time — every single day there's a new thing we're getting — I can't say that it necessarily changes our game play, but it makes us feel better about ourselves and if we feel good about ourselves, we can play better."

The 2014 season began soon after the end of the last one for the Warriors.

"They came out at 5:30 in the morning to lift weights," Pita said. "I had 40 (kids) strong from January until April and it kept going right through the summer. The morale was way higher than the years prior to this. The kids are starting to believe."

Waiakea finished third in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I regular season last year and ended its season with a league semifinal loss at Kealakehe. The Warriors' biggest test this year will come in the form of crosstown-rival Hilo, which won both times the teams met last year and claimed its first BIIF crown and state-tournament appearance since 2003.

"We're very hungry. This year I think will be different for us," Pita said. "Seeing what Hilo did just makes us more hungry and hopefully we can follow in their footsteps."

The Warriors open the season in a non-league game against Hilo at Francis Wong Stadium on Aug. 16.

2014 Waiakea football schedule
(All home games played at Wong Stadium)
Aug. 9 — vs. Moanalua
Aug. 16 — vs. Hilo (non-league)
Aug. 23 — vs. Hawaii Prep (non-league)
Aug. 29 — vs. Keaau
Sept. 6 — vs. Honokaa
Sept. 12 — at Konawaena
Sept. 19 — at Kamehameha-Hawaii
Sept. 26 — vs. Kealakehe
Oct. 4 — at Hawaii Prep
Oct. 10 — at Hilo (Wong Stadium)