Training Camp Day 8 Wrap-Ups

Stephen Tsai writes about the loss of Blaze and Rocky. Here's an interesting note about Blaze from the article:

He played two seasons for the Warriors. He has not used a redshirt year.

Because he was a partial-qualifier out of high school, he is considered to be a senior. He can earn a fourth season — and second senior year — if he shows significant progress in his college major.

Tsai also talks to true freshman linebacker Paipai Falemalu, who is now practicing with the second team.

Solomon Elimimian talks about his move from inside to outside linebacker:

"At middle linebacker, you just find the guy with the ball and go kill them," Elimimian said of making the switch. "(At) outside 'backer you really have to be able to think. You have to play the receivers and our outside 'backers blitz a lot. So you have to be really versatile and really sound."

With Solomimian on the outside, Brashton Satele ascends first team middle linebacker. He talks to Leila Wai about getting his shot.

Slowed by a pulled left hamstring in his first two seasons with the Warriors, he is feeling confident about his play and happy he's finally able to get a shot at some playing time.

"It's really sweet, I feel really good right now," Satele said. "Because I might actually get on the field and run with the ones. I've been waiting three years."

Tsai has some news and notes about Steele Jantz portraying Tim Tebow on the scout team, Iceman's clutch kick in practice, Matagisila Lefiti practicing at #1 center with John Estes out, Joey Cadiz's enthusiasm, and a delay in picking a #1 QB:

"It's their fault," quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich said of fourth-year junior Inoke Funaki, and junior-college transfers Greg Alexander and Brent Rausch. "They're making it tough on us. They played great today. It was their best day against our defense."

McMackin said: "We want to look one more day. We don't want to rush into it. They're competing, and we don't want to take that competitiveness away from them. We'll make a decision within the next couple of days, probably by Thursday."

Ferd Lewis writes that QB Greg Alexander is making the most of his opportunity.

Rolovich knows of what he speaks. As a JC transfer at UH (2000-'01) who took time to check out the beaches, Rolovich said, "I look back at my experiences and I didn't take it as seriously (at first) as he did. I have a lot of respect for his effort and determination. I mean, from the minute he got here he has competed for the job and been focused on football."

Dave Reardon writes about the pending QB decision, and how the UH coaches want to give the eventual starting QB as much time as possible to get ready for Florida. Reardon references Coach Rolo's experience being named starting QB in the year 2000.

Nick Rolovich beat out seven other quarterbacks to be named the Hawaii starter in 2000.
Rolo didn't get the job and the majority of the practice reps until a week before the start of the season. It showed game night against Portland State, and Hawaii was routed by a Division I-AA team. It wasn't long before Tim Chang was summoned from the bullpen.

It ended happily ever after for him. But Rolovich, now the UH quarterbacks coach, head coach Greg McMackin and offensive coordinator Ron Lee want to avoid putting this year's starter in the same predicament Rolo was eight years ago.

Jason Kaneshiro has a Sports Notebook, mentioning Iceman's kick, Jantz's new jersey, and how cornerback Jeramy Bryant has been impressing in camp.

"I'm excited about him, because when you find a guy that's got talent and work ethic and focus, eventually he's going to help us, maybe sooner," defensive backs coach Rich Miano said.

The Aloha Stadium JumboTron has received a $1 million overhaul.

There will be no changes to the swap meet on game days.

Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman writes how the WAC plans to deal with rising travel costs.

And our favorite athletic director Herman Frazier got a new job.

Frazier, a former Germantown High School track star and Olympic gold medalist, yesterday was named associate athletic director for sports administration at Temple.

Previously, Frazier was the director of athletics at the University of Hawaii. He was fired in January in what Hawaii officials called "in the best interest of the athletics program."

Named athletic director at Hawaii in 2002, Frazier successfully steered Warriors athletics as the football team earned a spot in the 2008 Sugar Bowl after an undefeated regular season.

Priceless.