Somewhere, Ken Yamase will be smiling.
Waiakea opened its doors in the 1970s, and Saturday it will finally get a chance to open the gates to its own football field.
The Warriors will christen Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium, capacity approximately 1,400, against rival Kamehameha in the only game involving BIIF teams during the first weekend of the high school preseason.
For the record, no, Waiakea coach Moku Pita will not miss Wong Stadium, which the Warriors shared with Hilo High.
“There are a lot of reasons this move is good,” he said.
But he’s also looking forward to another debut, that of offensive coordinator Kai Ako.