David Veikune, Niumatalolo and Ellerson

Island Sports Media presented David Veikune with their Athlete of the Year Award last night at Tiki's Grill and Bar.

David Veikune was selected for his utmost character, intelligence, and of course great athletic skills. The Veikune family is originally from Alaska. After a couple of moves, they moved to Hawai`i when David was a junior in high school. David graduated from Campbell High School and was recruited by the University of Colorado
. David returned to Hawai`i in 2006 and began playing for the Warriors. On his experience attending a mainland school then coming back home, David said, “Beautiful campuses and facilities cannot compare to playing in front of your family and friends at Aloha Stadium…”

The article is accompanied by lots of photos from the ceremony.

And Ferd Lewis writes about the UH connections shared by the head coaches of Army and Navy.

Twenty-five years ago, assistant coach Rich Ellerson was in the living room of Ken Niumatalolo's La'ie home, selling him on a football scholarship to the University of Hawai'i.

For three years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they coached together at UH.

A couple of years ago, they were in Niumatalolo's Annapolis, Md., front room comparing notes on offenses and defenses, demonstrating techniques.

Now they'll step way beyond living rooms and decades-long friendship, going head-to-head for recruits and ultimately, come November, standing on opposing sidelines as head coaches in college football's grandest rivalry, the Army-Navy game.