Maui Scrimmage Wrap-Ups

Robert Collias of The Maui News has a wrap-up of yesterday's practice and scrimmage on Maui, and profiles former Baldwin HS and current UH running back Jayson Rego.

Rego returned to the field where he played Pop Warner football and one season on the Baldwin varsity as a sophomore, and when he entered the controlled scrimmage, the 3,000 or so fans in attendance seemed to pay more attention.

He was in to block on a couple of occasions earlier, but the clear highlight of the day for Maui fans was when Rego joined Austin, the No. 3 quarterback, in the backfield on the final drive.

Rego had a 6-yard run before Austin hit Dustin Blount on a 29-yard strike across the middle that put the ball on the defense's 6-yard line. Rego broke into the end zone on the next play, but the holding call negated the score, much to the crowd's chagrin.

''I knew there was going to be a lot of people coming out, because on Maui there is a big fan base,'' Rego said. ''It made me feel like I was small again, hearing everybody cheer. So, it was great.''

Jason Kaneshiro has a wrap-up and highlights Inoke Funaki's big day at running back.

Once the Warriors got into their scrimmage at War Memorial Stadium, former quarterback Inoke Funaki wowed the nearly 3,000 fans in attendance with two long gains, including a touchdown.

"He found a home, he really did," UH offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "He made a few guys miss, he has good vision, which we all knew. And he likes it, he sticks his nose in there blocking. ... He'll be a weapon."

Starr Begley of The Maui News talks to some of the fans who attended, including a former UH recruit and a possible infiltrator!

Baldwin senior Mana Rosa, last season's Maui Interscholastic League defensive player of the year, as well as the Bears' Micah Kahoohanohano and Kamehameha Maui teammates Matthew Kahoohanohano and Chase Bell were in attendance as well.

''I came to talk to the coaches,'' said Rosa, who will play at Oregon State in the fall. ''They offered me a scholarship so I just wanted to check them out, say hi, while they're here, even though I'm going to Oregon.''

Walking through the parking lot to the stadium, Louis Cambra of Pukalani was concerned that he wouldn't get past the gate with his coolers...

''You better write that in the paper if they don't let me,'' Cambra joked. ''I've been a longtime UH fan. We're here to kill some time, but we're actually spies. My grandson, (Baldwin graduate) Jojo Dickson, goes to Idaho.''

Espionage!

UH athletic director Jim Donovan tells Collias that he won't rule out another regular-season game in Maui sometime in the future.

Kaneshiro has some news and notes from the day.

And Dave Reardon has a Further Review column about the Maui fans, Jayson Rego and Inoke Funaki.

Funaki, converting from quarterback, looks like he might have been at the wrong position all this time. He's a slasher, but on one play yesterday he turned crasher. Smelling the goal line, the 190-pound Funaki katooshed safety Rykin Enos, who's not a small lad by any means at two bills.

It was Bo Jackson-Brian Bosworth, except Funaki didn't run out of the stadium.

'Noks knows.

"I'm nothing like Bo Jackson -- he was a beast," Funaki said, laughing. "But I know what play you're talking about, saw it on ESPN Classic. I'm a classic kind of guy."

Right on.