News and Notes

John Estes is the guest on today's Warrior Beat Mid-Day Show, starting at noon HST. Submit questions during the show, or on the blog. Be there!

PIAA's Doris Sullivan confirms that 2009 signees Chad Lopati and Benson Ma'afala will be enrolling at Arizona Western instead of UH.

Tina Mata’afa of Samoa News has a wrap-up of the 2009 American Samoa Football Academy and Medical Mission. Here's an excerpt:

Students lined up following registration to get their Academy t-shirts signed by the likes of Oakland Raiders center Samson Satele and NFL great Jesse Sapolu, former San Francisco 49’ers offensive lineman and four-time Super Bowl champion.

Former defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders Ta’ase Faumui, former Denver Broncos tight end Ma’a Tanuvasa, a two-time Super Bowl Champion plus former NFL quarterback Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson are also among the football celebrities in town for the Academy.

Students were led through speed and quickness drills by visiting coaches —Jones, McMackin, as well as three other coaches from SMU and two from Hawaii.

Wes Nakama has a report from the All-Poly Camp, which got underway yesterday.

Ferd Lewis writes about Hawaii being a recruiting hotbed.

Ferd Lewis takes a look at the UH Athletic Department's $2.58 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year.

The ever-prolific Ferd Lewis writes about WAC teams getting smaller payouts this year, which does not help the current deficit.

However, the tireless Ferd Lewis wrote earlier this week that for better or worse, UH needs the WAC.