HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here are today's articles.

Moniz says he'll play, by Stephen Tsai

After resuming football practice, quarterback Bryant Moniz yesterday declared himself relatively physically fit and vowed to play in Saturday's game against Navy.

"Of course," said Moniz, whose bruised right ribs kept him sidelined for the past Saturday's 17-10 overtime victory over San Jose State.

Head coach Greg McMackin reiterated that if Moniz is available, he will start against Navy.

"From what I saw, he was throwing pretty good," said McMackin, who spent most of the practice working with the defense.

Practice first, Turkey later, by Jason Kaneshiro

"We can be thankful for a lot, the fact that we're playing for a cause," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "To me, we are really blessed, after what we've been through, that we're playing not just for pride and everything else, but also we can give the seniors something special."

Hit Men, by Jason Kaneshiro, is a preview of the UH-Navy game

Maintaining discipline and simply staying on their feet figure to be keys for the Warriors, as the option relies heavily on cut blocks to clear the way for the second and third options to develop.

"They run it pretty much to perfection," senior defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea said. "You really have to be fundamentally sound because that one little crease you give them, or that one little assignment breakdown you give them, they're going to take advantage of it.

"We know they're going to do what they do, which is cut blocking. As a D-lineman you want to make plays, but you can't be selfish. We understand our jobs and responsibility. We just have to be fundamentally sound and execute our assignments."

Coming home, by Billy Hull, is a profile of Ken Niumatalolo as well as another game preview.

For Niumatalolo, Aloha Always Means Hello and Never Goodbye, by Bob Socci of NavySports.com is another profile of Niumatalolo.

UPDATE: Via the Advertiser, Camille Powell of the Washington post has an excellent profile of former UH QB and current Navy QB coach Ivin Jasper.

Jasper is excited to return to Hawaii this week. His wife — whom he met in an acting class on the first day of the fall semester in 1991 — is meeting him in Honolulu; their three kids — a daughter and two sons, ranging in age from 6 to 14 — are spending Thanksgiving with their grandparents in California. Donna wants to rent mopeds and drive up to Diamond Head, like they used to do when they were students. Ivin wants to eat a chicken katsu plate lunch.

At some point, Jasper will probably think back to that first flight he took to Hawaii, and how it wound up changing his life.