Waianae draws No. 5 ranking

On paper, the Waianae Seariders lost a ton of talent. So why do coaches and media have them ranked so high?

Star-Bulletin: Seariders still have their strut

There's something to be said for tradition and reputation. Last year's Waianae squad came within a touchdown of an OIA title, and then fell by only a field goal in the state semifinals.

But when you lose a ton of talent at linebacker and offensive line, does it a No. 5 ranking make sense? Possibly. It's the same Searider system — and Pop Warner program — that produced the likes of George "Oki" Kauwalu, David Paaluhi, Chad Duran and Preston Ayala to anchor an outstanding defense.

It was the defensive unit that carried the squad, keeping a lid on opponents until the Searider offense would get on the scoreboard. Now, a bunch of new faces are on the field, and lofty expectations are already in place.

I'm not saying Waianae doesn't deserve recognition. Far from it. I just hope fans don't assume the team will pick up where it left off last season. It'll take time for the new offensive line to gel, and there's no way to completely succeed as well as last year's linebacking corps. If the Seariders can find itself defensively and play 90 percent as well as last year's 'D', getting to the OIA championship game could happen again.

That's asking a lot, but they're used to it.