As just the sixth head football coach in Waianae history, Walter Young understands that he is esteemed company.

Young, a 1998 graduate of the school and a longtime math teacher at his alma mater, takes over the reins of the storied program following the resignation of 15-year coach Danny Matsumoto in the spring.

"It's pretty awesome," said Young, who most recently was the head coach of the junior varsity team. "It's a real big deal; I take it serious."

Young follows in a long line of legendary Waianae coaches such as Larry Ginoza, Harry Mitsui, Leo Taaca — who Young played under — and Matsumoto.

"These guys that came before me, they set forth such big shoes that I have to fill, but I think with these kids and how they're coming around, I'll be able to just step into their shoes and bring this team back where it needs to be."

"I pushed that and that's what it is about: these kids learning how to become self-motivated workers, then they'll succeed no matter what, so that's the thing we push and the biggest this is how you work in the class is how you're going to work out here, so we push that classroom issue big," Young said.

Senior defensive back Ikaika Paaoao-Ahina has taken Young's words to heart.

"I think that work ethic changed due to the new coaching staff," Paaoao-Ahina said. "The coaching staff is real strict about everything and expects all the boys to be out here working. No days off."

Paaoao-Ahina said he likes the coaching style that Young brings.

"It's a big difference," he said. "Coach Matsumoto, he's real laid back and coach Young, he's real demanding and strict, but he's also fun, and he's a young guy, too, so he knows how to connect with the boys easily. It's been an easy transition with the new coaching staff."

With Young on campus daily as a faculty member, he is easily accessible to his players.

"It's great," Paaoao-Ahina said. "He's always saying ‘What's up?,' he's always saying ‘Hi' to the boys. It's great. The bond is tight. It's good to have a bond like that with the head coach and the players. It's like a father-son bond."

Young, a member of the last Searider team to win an Oahu Interscholastic Association crown in 1997, said he sometimes talks about that title run to his current team.

"They ask if we played and how we did and stuff like that and we just let them know that we were the last champions to come out of here so they look forward to it and they kind of push themselves to see if they can get there, which is good," Young said.

Young's very first varsity team would like nothing more than to end the 17-year championship drought in 2015.

"Winning the championship would mean a lot to Waianae," senior defensive end Joey Nuuanu-Kahiai said. "Not just to us, but to our community, they've been waiting a pretty long time for this and I believe that this year we can do it."

Paaoao-Ahina echoed his sentiment.

"It would mean the world to us to bring back a state championship or an OIA championship to Waianae," he said. "It would mean so much to our families and our community because it's been a long time and I think it's time to change that and restore order."

Young lives across the island now, but make no mistake, his roots are entrenched firmly on the West side.

"It's just like Kahuku: the community is always behind you and they look forward to these things and they take it serious," Young said. "It's pride and tradition. It's an honor to be on this team and an honor to represent the community and this community takes it serious."

With that understanding, Young knows that there is no grace period on this job; no time to rebuild.

"We want to go out there and compete, not wait for a couple of years," Young said. "We want to compete now."

- Kalani Takase