Wendell Say picked the perfect time to be a fan.

The former Aiea football coach retired in the spring, making last weekend his first in 43 years without patrolling a sideline. He wasn’t far away, though, spending opening night taking in Kamehameha’s 10-3 win over Leilehua with former player and coaching rival Nolan Tokuda. Say is an assistant AD with the Warriors now, teaming up with Reggie Torres and Walter Young to give Kaeo Drummondo whatever advice he might need.

Still, it had to be weird since Aiea was beating Roosevelt at the same time. He caught Kahuku’s victory over Saint Louis on television replay because he was booked with a party with Amosa Amosa and friends, kind of like when Vin Scully missed more than a few Dodgers games after his retirement because a good book just couldn’t wait. Today he will be inducted into the Leilehua Hall of Fame, which probably beats looking for tapes of Nu’uuli of America Samoa for Aiea’s upcoming clash on Friday at Radford.

Now Say is one of us.

“It was kind of awkward,” Say said of his strange weekend. “It was the first time not doing any calls or anything, just watching the games and saying ‘Aw, man, I would have done that differently’. But life goes on, it doesn’t stop for one man.”

Say began as an assistant at Aiea in 1980 after a playing career at Leilehua and Linfield. He replaced Glenn Tamayoshi as the boss of Na Alii in 1992 and compiled 140 victories in 294 games, placing him fifth all-time among OIA coaches in victories behind Larry Ginoza of Waianae (189), Radford’s John Velasco (163), Hugh Yoshida, his former coach at Leilehua (156), and Darren Hernandez of Kapolei (142).

Say won a state title at Aiea in 2003 and kept his teams competitive after the biggest public schools robbed him of his best players. In his final campaign he lost 23 players to other schools and he is still a little disappointed in what the game has become, with some players playing for four schools in four years.

“When (rampant recruiting) first started I thought it was just one school and it would fade away,” Say said. “Now everyone does it. I’d rather see kids stay and play for their community, but parents believe everything that people tell them. I know in my last year it broke a lot of friendships among players, and that is the worst part.”

For all of the bad that old futs like me see with the game’s recruiting evolution, we have to admit that it has set up what should be an outstanding football season at the top level.

Saint Louis came within two points of beating Kahuku on the North Shore for the first time since 1961. Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw six touchdown passes in Campbell’s 67-35 win over Damien, and Kapolei signal-caller Tama Amisone was electric in a 28-7 rivalry win over Waianae. Punahou crushed Konawaena 35-0, Farrington topped tough Kapaa 35-12 and Waipahu pushed Samoa champion Tafuna in a 41-35 loss. Mililani shut out Kailua 29-0.

Assuming Kahuku is vulnerable without injured Star-Advertiser Defensive Player of the Year Kaimana Carvalho for two months, the Open Division might be wide open. Last year was the first time the ILH was shut out of the state final, and it was looking like a trend until Saint Louis coach Tupu Alualu announced the Crusaders’ presence with authority on Saturday.

Now? Who knows?

Mililani’s Rod York has established himself as one of the best offensive coaches in state history from his McKenzie Milton-Vavae Malepeai-Kalakaua Timoteo days and now he gets to throw quarterback Kini McMillan, the Star-Advertiser OIffensive Player of the Year, against a defense designed by co-head coach Vavae Tata every day. You remember Tata — all he did was assemble the most dominant defense in state history when he led Kahuku to the state championship in 2015 and allowed 4.1 points per game.

The Trojans host the Crusaders this week while Kahuku takes on Bishop Gorman in Nevada and Kapolei visits Lahainaluna. Punahou and Campbell hook up the week after and the big games keep happening right up to the state championship around turkey day.

So get your popcorn ready, Coach Say. It is a good time to be a fan.