Game Week: Weber State - Friday News

Former Saint Louis and current Weber State QB Cameron Higgins talks about coming back home with a little chip on his shoulder.

"I wanted to play for Hawaii, but I had to go wherever there would be a scholarship. Unfortunately, Hawaii didn't offer me one."

"In some ways, I want to show them, show that I could [have] played for the Warriors," Higgins said. "There's some kind of bitterness there."

Weber State tight end Cody Nakamura, who played for Baldwin, has some of the same feelings.

The sudden emergence of the Warriors provided a lot of excitement for football fans on the Hawaiian Islands, but not all of them were celebrating.

Some were silently suffering inside.

"It was good to see them do good because they're from Hawaii," said WSU tight end Cody Nakamura. "But at the same time it was kind of a bittersweet."

Nakamura wasn't overly excited about the Warriors' success because he claims former Hawaii coach June Jones didn't recruit Hawaiian players when he ran the program from 1999-2007. Instead, according to Nakamura, Jones and his staff looked toward California and other states rather than at home in Hawaii.

Nakamura has more to say in this Maui News article, which also features Weber State coach Chad Kauhaahaa, who coached at Baldwin.

'I actually wanted to play (at UH) badly when I was in high school, you know, represent your state and stuff,'' Nakamura said. ''I actually found out last spring about this game, so I am really excited - it should be a lot of fun.''

Nakamura said he and his team, which includes 22 players of Polynesian descent, might have some extra incentive against UH.

''There will be a little bit more fire because you didn't get to go to that school,'' he said. ''I just want to go out and show that there are football players on Maui and maybe they missed out a little bit, but I am happy where I am now. I love it.''

Billy Hull has an article about Weber State's local ties, with quotes from Higgins and fellow Saint Louis alum Ryan Eastman:

"We're all just excited to go back home to say to our family and friends and our coaches, if they come to the game, thank you," Eastman said. "Thank you for getting us this far."

Eastman also shares a funny story about sacking Higgins in practice.

Jason Kaneshiro talks to Ron Lee about the QBs and receivers learning to trust each other.

"(Wednesday and yesterday) they threw the ball to where they were supposed to throw it and the receivers were making the plays. It takes a little bit of time offensively to trust in each other."

Also from the article:

Tyler Graunke and Greg Alexander were second in the rotation in various drills. Lee said the recently reinstated Graunke got a feel for being back in the mix this week and "by the time we play Oregon State (next week) he'll be really competitive."

Kaneshiro writes about the special teams learning from last week's mistakes.

"I think when the special teams saw it on film, I think they were excited. They were excited to know the direction we're heading, how the scheme fits and see it on film. So I think we're excited to go back on the field on Saturday and do what it's supposed to look like."

Stephen Tsai has some news and notes about Weber State arriving yesterday, Keith AhSoon's frog squat, JoPierre Davis thriving on special teams, and the sad news about the passing of Kanalu Young.

Kanalu Young, who wrote the e'o na toa chant used by the Warriors in recent years, died last Sunday.

"He was a great person," said June Jones, former UH head coach now with Southern Methodist University. "This is really sad."

Young was a professor for UH's Center for Hawaiian Studies.

Kaneshiro's Sports Notebook has news about Weber State's arrival, projected attendance for tomorrow's game, the left side of the O-line, and Kealoha Pilares' offensive duties:

He might stand his ground to deliver a block in the backfield on one play, run a pattern from the slot on the next, then take a handoff and scoot through a hole a snap later.

"It puts more responsibility on me to go out there and work harder," Pilares said. "It felt good being able to do both. I just try to make the best of whatever opportunities I have."

"We have to give him the ball," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "He's got to touch the ball 10, 12 times."

Lee also talks about slotback Dustin Blount, who's been getting second-team reps this week:

"He's still learning it, he's got a ways to go, but he'll see some action," Lee said. "He'll get better the more reps he gets. Definitely quick as a cat."

Leila Wai profiles slotback Jon Medeiros.

"The first thing that sticks out is that he gives 100 percent effort all the time," UH receivers coach Craig Stutzmann said. "He sells out by diving for the ball, he works his butt off in blocking, he's always in meetings, he's always stopping by the office to watch film, and I think he epitomizes what a hard-working walk-on can do."

Dave Reardon takes a look at some of the positives and negatives of the WAC's new deal with ESPN, while Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News thinks the deal is chump change, and not really that good.