Warrior Bowl Rosters, Hisatake, Avery, Kajiyama (w/UPDATES)

Today is the last practice (Day 14) before the Warrior Bowl spring game on Saturday. Check the usual suspects for updates, news and notes.

UPDATE: Dave Reardon writes that the Warriors are holding a mock game at practice today.

Stephen Tsai writes that former Leilehua QB Bryant Moniz was observing, and will be walking on in the fall.

UPDATE 2: Reardon reports that the 2009 game with Navy has been moved from September 5th to November 21st. AD Jim Donovan also says the last game of the 2009 schedule is being worked on.

UH is working on one more game to fill the 2009 schedule. It will be booked for Sept. 5 or Dec. 5.

"The good thing is the first and last games of the season are the easiest to book," Donovan said. "But we are getting to the 11th hour to fill the 2009 schedule."

UPDATE 3: Here's a video of Colt Brennan being interviewed on the NFL Network about the upcoming draft.

UPDATE 4: Leila Wai has a video of the haʻa vs the haka. Looks like the Black team's gonna win on Saturday, awww damn.

UPDATE 5: Here's a Chawan Cut Compilation of tonight's news -- KFVE's Jason Tang got some trash talk between coaches Cal Lee and Ron Lee about Saturday's Warrior Bowl, Tang also talks to sports editor Curtis Murayama about this weekend's NFL draft, KHON's Kanoa Leahey previews the Warrior Bowl, KGMB's Liz Chun has a story about UH gameplanning for the first three games of the season during the spring, while KITV's Robert Kekaula has a report about the improvement of the offensive line this spring.



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Dave Reardon has detailed Warrior Bowl rosters of both Green and Black teams.

Leila Wai talks to members of the Green team in this video. Members Dylan Linkner, Adam Leonard, Josh Leonard, Greg Salas and Leon Wright-Jackson discuss why they're the much better team.

Reardon has a great story on graduate assistant Brian Kajiyama, who's been coaching Jake Ingram and Dan Kelly.

Ingram said Kajiyama -- who loves football but has never been able to play the game -- has done his homework about the technical aspects of kicking and snapping.

"He knows what a good get-off time is, what a good snap time is. He's legit," Ingram said. "His recording of the times and locations of the snaps really reassures me that they're there. Sometimes when the punter gets the ball, they don't even remember. So with Brian watching I can just look at the paper after and know what I need to work on."

Both players have NFL potential, and Kajiyama said he wants to help them get there.

Michael Tsai profiles Ray Hisatake, who's competing and learning at the left tackle position.

Despite not playing football in high school — he was a three-time league champion in the shot put — Hisatake proved an intriguing collegiate prospect coming out of the College of San Mateo in California, where he earned second team all-conference honors.

After biding his time as a redshirt last season, Hisatake quickly made his imposing 6-foot-3, 315-pound presence felt on the UH practice field.

Hisatake, who has shown the greatest improvement on his front-side sets, says he'll spend the summer refining the position and use of his head and hands coming off the line.

Aaron Kia is also featured in the article.

Billy Hull and Dave Reardon profile redshirt freshman receiver Joe Avery.

Avery spent last year on the scout team and received very few reps once the season began. His workload has increased 10-fold this spring.

"Every day I try to find things that I was at flaw at last practice or during the fall," Avery said. "I'm just trying to find ways to (make things perfect)."

They also write that Michael Washington was back to practice, while Korey Reynolds will be out the rest of the week due to a strained ligament in his right shoulder.

...didn't see this article earlier -- Ferd Lewis writes about Adam Leonard's decision to come back to UH instead of applying for the NFL Draft.

But Leonard, who has always played the game at a full-speed-ahead pace, couldn't find enough reason to tear himself away, just yet.

Not when he thought about what the Warriors might be capable with a fully-loaded defense. Not when he considered what he might finally be able to do on two healthy knees and a rebuilt right thumb. And not when it appeared last year's defensive coordinator, Greg McMackin, could wind up as the head coach.