Training Camp Day 2 Wrap-Ups

Dave Reardon writes that practices have been very efficient so far.

Cal Lee, with the expanded role of coaching all the linebackers, said the pace is brisk and he likes it. Lee was famous for efficient practices as a high school coaching legend at Saint Louis School.

"Guys can have fun, but it's a business type of environment and atmosphere, and that's the way it should be," Lee said. "You should know what you're doing. It's got to be important to you."

Reardon goes on to write about the running backs. Kealoha Pilares and Leon Wright-Jackson talk about the respective hype each one is getting.

Wright-Jackson said he did sneak a peak at footage of Pilares rampaging through the ILH.

"His tape is very good," Wright-Jackson said. "Who says we can't have three or more running backs who are all capable of doing it? He can run the ball, really quick and explosive."

Pilares said Wright-Jackson is "cool."

"We're trying to not even think about (the hype)," the Damien graduate said. "We're teammates and we're both learning, so we want to help each other out. We want to win, so it's not an individual status kind of thing around here. We'll see how it goes. We all just have to put in the work now."

Picking up a lot of the "team first" attitude from these articles, which is awesome. Another example comes from Reardon and Brian McInnis, who write about freshman receiver Joe Avery.

Junior slotbacks Michael Washington and Davone Bess stayed after practice to offer the lean Avery -- who was the last man off the field -- some tips for his routes.

"Everybody here is so welcoming," said Avery, who has been in Hawaii a week. "They treat each other like brothers, so it's not like high school, where you're fighting for spots, competition, or whatever. And we all want the same thing: that's to win games."

The article mentions the other freshman receiver in camp, Royce Pollard, and notes two sideline observers, Viliami Nauahi (who might be able to start practicing on Friday), and JC cornerback Deyon McElroy, who plans to enroll at UH in January. There's also an update on MIAs -- AJ Martinez (snowboarding accident), Ryan Keomaka (may join Friday) and Elliot Purcell (should join August 20).

Stephen Tsai profiles receiver Jason Rivers, who recently got baptized.

"I have way more peace," Rivers said. "I don't stress over things. I'm enjoying my life."

Rivers, who will start at left wideout, said he is embracing his role as a team leader. Yesterday, he gave pointers to the first-year receivers.

"If a guy is unsure out there, I'll help him," Rivers said. "We're trying to develop depth on the roster. We need to get everybody up to speed. I want to help. I feel like a leader every year — maybe not by voice in previous years, but by my actions, and the way I practice."

Tsai also talks to Keenan Jones about being back with the team, albeit without a scholarship; Adam Leonard, back from his meniscus injury, Blaze Soares, who used to spar with boxer Brian Viloria, and freshman receiver Joe Avery.

Jason Kaneshiro profiles Blaze Soares, who talks about his fellow linebackers.

"They all can play. We're a great family and I think that's what's going to make us successful, that we're all so close," Soares said.

He also discusses part of his training regimen.

Since his sophomore season of high school, Soares has lugged the 70-pound tire, which had outlived its usefulness in construction, onto the sand at Kailua Beach. Once he's hooked it up to the harness, he'll drag it up a hill, building speed and strength with every step.

"It's more challenging, so when I run on grass or turf I feel way faster," the Hawaii linebacker said.

Gonna be a huge, nay, monster year for Soares and the Warrior D. Here's a quote from his recent chat on Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat.

Comment from: Blaze Soares [Member]

Comment from: Da Punchbowl Kid [Visitor]
Aloha Blaze,
You have a great name for an LB.How do you like Coach Mckmackin's new defense? Do you see the defense getting better numbers than last year. We are hearing lots of great things about you. Hope you have a great season.

I really like coach's defense. It's similar to last year. We'll blitz a lot. I think we'll do way better than last year. We have higher expectations this year. It'll be lots of fun. Plus, they don't know where we're coming from.

It's gonna be a sight to see.

Kalani Simpson has a great column about long snapper Jake Ingram.

INGRAM IS SO good at what he does, so accurate, so valuable, he's on scholarship for a single skill.

...

Which means the junior out of Mililani is officially a specialist, something he chafed at at first. "I felt like I wasn't a football player," he says.

He kept showing up at practice with the D-linemen, jumping in when the coaches weren't looking, to the point where he was officially banned from any and all defensive drills. He was just too valuable.

And finally, Ferd Lewis has a run-down of what are probably four of the toughest games for Hawaii this year -- Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Boise State and San Jose State. Here's an excerpt:

UH draws Nevada smack dab in the middle of what should be emotionally charged games with its two biggest Western Athletic Conference adversaries, Fresno State and Boise State. This kind of schedule squeeze comes in a short week due to a Friday ESPN-mandated TV game. It also does so at elevation (5,300 feet) and at a place where UH has never won and where there could be snow flurries.

Small wonder oddsmakers at the Las Vegas Hilton have listed this as one of their "national" games of the year to bet.

And let's not forget New Mexico State, which will surprise a lot of people, and Washington, which will have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation by the time they roll into town.