The wait is over for two-way lineman Kekaimalu Ka'aumoana.

He is the sole senior of 'Anuenue Na Koa's football team, which makes its varsity debut Friday in nonconference play against host Pearl City at Bino Neves Stadium. Kickoff is about 7 p.m.

'Anuenue made its O'ahu Interscholastic Association football debut on the junior varsity level last season. Because it was JV, only freshmen and sophomores could play, making Ka'aumoana, then a junior, ineligible. A request for a waiver so he could play JV last year was denied by the OIA. (It's a national federation rule.) Still, he practiced with the hope that his school would field a varsity team this season.

"I'm happy, excited," Ka'aumoana said. "I've waited a year to play. I just feel happy to play before I graduated."

But the reality is Na Koa could be in for a rough transition. What might help is that they are assigned to the OIA White, or Division II, which is less physical than the Red or Division I level.

"It might be a rude awakening," admitted coach Tim Kealoha Wengler, who coached the JV last year.

For starters, depth is a concern. Na Koa have 24 players, including four freshmen (meaning no JV experience), five sophomores, 14 juniors and Ka'aumoana. Because the Hawaiian language immersion school's enrollment is 82 from grades 9 to 12, about half being girls, the pool is shallow. Since the team needed the freshmen and sophomores to bolster the varsity, that meant sacrificing JV.

Wengler hopes to resurrect JV next year, but that would require an influx of freshmen or sophomores who aren't playing this season to fill out the roster. Once freshmen play in any of the varsity games this season, they are ineligible for JV as sophomores.

"Playing the whole season with sophomores and juniors, we were at a size disadvantage," recalled Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez, when the Hurricanes made their varsity debut in 2002. "That was the biggest part."

But unlike Na Koa, the Hurricanes had depth to withstand injuries. With depth, they also had a better talent pool. Kapolei reached the JV championship in 2001. In its first two varsity seasons in the White, Kapolei went 5-3 and 9-2. But in their varsity debut in a nonconference game at powerhouse Wai'anae, the Hurricanes were blown away, 28-0.

Wengler said players worked to improve over the summer. He had players take part in Brian Derby's offensive linemen camp and the Timmy Chang camp. Players also attended the Speed and Quickness camps at the University of Hawai'i.

"We did a lot of weight training and running," Wengler said. "Our coaches went to clinics on the Mainland."

How well the players make the transition to varsity will vary. Some Interscholastic League of Honolulu schools don't even have JV to buffer the transition from intermediate or Pop Warner to varsity. Iolani is one of them. Sophomore Kela Marciel was the quarterback for Iolani's intermediate team last year and is on the varsity this season. The difference is very noticeable, he said, just from two recent controlled scrimmages.

"In intermediate, you have a lot of time to throw the ball," Marciel said. "Five, three seconds. But not in varsity."

He added that varsity players are more sure tacklers. Last year, he was able to fend off tacklers. Not now.

"When they hit you, they take you down," he said.

But what Marciel has that the 'Anuenue players don't is teammates surrounding him who do have varsity experience.

The 'Anuenue players know that size and speed of their opponents might make it hard on them.

"The hitting will be harder and the talent will be better on other teams," said junior Keli'i-Pio Adams, a 6-foot, 275-pound lineman, one of three players 6 feet or taller on the team. "I'm a little bit nervous. We're going to get some cracks, but we'll put up a fight."

They're prepared for the challenge.

"I'm not really worried," said slotback Kekoa Donner, a 5-5, 158-pound slotback/linebacker. "I don't expect to win all our games. We'll take some cracks, but we'll last the season."

Before 'Anuenue started a football program, students played at Roosevelt. Juniors 'Olu'olu Naone, a 5-9, 190-pound running back/defensive end, and Makaio Liua, a 5-8, 165-pound receiver/cornerback, both played for the Rough Riders' JV as freshmen. When 'Anuenue had its own JV last year, they were required to play for their true school. But for the 'Anuenue students, they prefer it that way.

"Was a big change (for me)," Naone said of changing teams. "But this is my school."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.