It’s an unusual thing for a man with the last name of Botelho to not be coaching the PAC-5 football program.
But that will be the case for at least one year, according to Wolfpack athletic director Peter Estomago.
Former Punahou star athlete Kena Heffernan will take the reins of the Wolfpack for what is believed to be a one-year agreement for now.
Kip Botelho decided to not return as head coach after 17 seasons.
PAC-5 (a conglomerate of small private schools making up one sports program to compete in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu) is facing an uphill battle. Mid-Pacific, the largest feeder school to PAC-5, is well on its way to a full withdrawal from the Wolfpack.
Kena Heffernan is the new PAC-5 football coach.
(Image credit: Pacific Buddhist Academy).
The uncertainty surrounding PAC-5’s future led to Botelho’s decision, according to Estomago. Botelho made the decision after Wolfpack assistant coach Junior Pale was named interim head coach at Castle High and many PAC-5 assistants chose to go with him to the Knights due to concerns of the future viability of the Wolfpack.
But so far so good for the future of PAC-5 football.
“We had about 45 to 50 kids come out for spring conditioning,” Estomago said. “That’s a good starting group. That convinced us that we should move ahead. We will be declaring for an intermediate and a varsity team.”
Heffernan is the athletic director at Pacific Buddhist Academy, a PAC-5 member school. He was a two-time state wrestling champion and startred in football and track and field as a state champion pole vaulter at Punahou (Class of 1992). In addition, he is one of 468 athletes inducted into the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor from 1983 through 2021.
After high school, Heffernan starred at Yale (Class of 1996) as a tailback and then became a national sumo wrestling champion in the early 200os.
“Kena Heffernan was willing to help us keep the program going as the PAC-5 football coordinator and head varsity football coach,” Estomago said “We’re still in the process of getting a coaching staff together, and we’re still working on finding storage and finding fields (new problems that cropped up because of Mid-Pacific’s pull-out).”
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the Wolfpack are out conditioning at Mother Waldron Park in Kakaako. In July, they hope to be practicing at Manoa District Park.
“It’s a challenge,” Estomago said. “Knowing the kids wanted to play sold everybody (the PAC-5 member schools) on keeping it going.”
From 2004 through the 2019 season (COVID-19 wiped out competition in 2020), Botelho went 50-102-1 as the Wolfpack head coach.
Unfortunately for Botelho, one of his best teams — the 6-3 squad in 2019 — did all it could to qualify for the state Division II tournament, but could not get in because the Wolfpack were the only ILH team in Division II and all Hawaii leagues must have at least two squads in order to get a spot at states.
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Botelho, a former Wolfpack player, is the son of Don Botelho, who won two Oahu Prep Bowls with PAC-5 in his Wolfpack coaching career from 1974 through 2002.
Only two other coaches have been at the helm for the Wolfpack — Joe Onosai in 2003 and Leon Schumacher in the team’s first season, 1973, when it was called the HUMMERS.
Here is a Punahou School look-back video of new PAC-5 football coach Kena Heffernan.
COVID-Era Hawaii Head Coaching Changes: 12
There’s been 12 head coaching changes since December 2019, one month after the last official high school season was played in Hawaii and three months before the COVID-19 shutdown. There are 46 interscholastic varsity teams in Hawaii.
Here is the full list:
>> CASTLE: Junior Pale, interim, in; John Hao out
>> HILO: Lave Suiaunoa in; Kaeo Drummondo out
>> KALAHEO: Nelson Maeda in; Darrell Poole out
>> KAPAA: Mike Tresler in; Philip Rapozo out
>> KOHALA: Jay Blanco in; Chad Atkins out
>> MAUI: Robert Dougherty in; Rodney Figueroa out
>> MOANALUA: Vince Nihipali in; Savaii Eselu out
>> PAC-FIVE: Kena Heffernan in; Kip Botelho out
>> PUNAHOU (a): Leonard Lau, interim in; Kale Ane out
>> PUNAHOU (b): Nate Kia in; Leonard Lau out
>> SAINT LOUIS: Ron Lee in; Cal Lee out
>> WAIALUA: To Be Named in; Lincoln Barit out
