SAN DIEGO >> Security was tight at Qualcomm Stadium for yesterday's Super Bowl XXXVII, even tighter than last year's measures taken in New Orleans, according to NFL officials. Security tighter this year
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comAll public parking was banned at the stadium, with the parking lot being used for souvenir vendors, food and media tents, and a pregame concert that included Bonnie Raitt.
For more than four hours before kickoff, there was a no-fly zone over the stadium. Corporate jets were finding it hard to get into the airport, and not just because of the no-fly deadline.
Some 100 private jets had already filled up the small plane landing area by Saturday. Several planes were turned back and forced to land at smaller commuter airports.
Home cooking: Oakland, the designated home team yesterday, lived up to the adage that an army travels on its stomach.
The team enjoyed its customary after-practice barbecue after the workout last Friday.
The Raiders' six barbecue chefs made the nine-hour drive from Oakland, with two 1,600-pound grills and a trailer of chicken, ribs, steaks and sausages.
Bruddah was here: The pregame festivities included tributes to players and other NFL contributors who died in 2002. As pictures flashed up on the JumboTron, the background music was "Somewhere over the Rainbow," sung by the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
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Kailua offensive lineman Patrick So'oalo, the Star-Bulletin's No. 5 prospect in the state, said he will orally commit to accepting a football scholarship offer from Oregon today. Kailua O-lineman
So’oalo picks Oregon
Prospect watch
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comSo'oalo is 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds. He was also recruited by Hawaii, Utah and Washington State.
"Oregon showed a lot of interest in me," he said.
So'oalo will visit the Eugene, Ore., campus in the coming weeks. He has not made any official recruiting visits yet. So'oalo took the SAT test for the first time yesterday, and players must take a college entrance exam before they can make official visits. He must meet entrance requirements before he can officially accept the scholarship.
Wednesday of next week is the first day high school athletes can make their commitments binding.
"He's very good, big-time," said Darren Johnson, So'oalo's coach at Kailua. "He's got big, long arms, and he's very athletic. He understands offensive line play. He runs very well and is a nasty player."
So'oalo said he was impressed by Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, who visited So'oalo at his home last week.
Tharp to Boise State: Quarterback Taylor Tharp of Fairview High School in Denver chose Boise State over Hawaii yesterday.
"I went over everything today. As for football, they canceled each other out. They're both great for football," Tharp said. "But being from Colorado, I think the distance might be a factor. I would probably fall in love with Hawaii, but it would still be a lot farther from home than Boise."
Brothers to Manoa?: Defensive lineman Darrell Tautofi, the former Kaimuki standout, said he is confident he will be ready to join Hawaii in fall camp.
"I'm finishing up my last credits (at Hawaii Pacific)," Tautofi said. "I'll have my associate's degree and plan to enroll at UH in the fall."
He's also trying to get his brother, Kaimuki linebacker Daniel Tautofi, to choose Hawaii over Oregon. Daniel visited the Warriors over the weekend and has been offered a scholarship.
On the trail: Aiea offensive lineman Brandon Rodd (No. 6) said he enjoyed his visit to Arizona State. He is expected to announce a decision between ASU and Hawaii late today. ... Kahuku offensive lineman Joe Napeahi (No. 16) said he enjoyed his weekend visit at Manoa and will likely walk on at UH. He said he thinks Red Raider teammate Tu Tui (No. 18) will do the same. "They've shown that if you prove yourself you have a good chance of getting a scholarship, lots of guys like Chad Owens got scholarships that way," Napeahi said. "I'll try it and see what happens." Napeahi said Nebraska showed a lot of interest in him until a shakeup on the Cornhusker coaching staff last month. ... Saint Louis defensive end Wilson Afoa (No. 7) visited Hawaii over the weekend. The soft-spoken state defensive player of the year won't let on if he is leaning toward Washington or UH. Both schools want him badly. ... Linebacker Matt Ah You from Utah was recruited by Hawaii but is headed to BYU.
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Prospect watch
The Star-Bulletin's top 20 college football prospects from Hawaii high schools are ranked by Jason Kaneshiro and Dave Reardon after consultation with coaches. Other prospects are listed in alphabetical order. Prospect information is compiled with assistance from coaches and recruiting analysts, including Doris Sullivan of Hawaii Athletic Prep Academy. The lists will be updated until Feb. 5, national letter of intent day, when high school players can first make their commitments binding. Asterisks indicate a player has been offered a scholarship by that college. Dates in parentheses are visit weekends.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COMMITMENTS
Player Pos. School Ht. Wt. Note Quin Ah You DL Kahuku 6-3 310 Anchored Raider defense Lenny Boatner SB Winston (Philadelphia, Miss.) 5-11 175 22 TDs Jeremy Inferrera OL Saint Louis 6-3 270 Strength, maturity Michael Lafaele OL Farrington 6-1 275 Mold of Vince Manuwai Reggie Maldonado DE Saddleback CC (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 6-5 245 Project did not play in 2002 Timo Paepule LB Saint Louis 6-0 210 Physical defender George Perry CB Kahuku 5-11 165 Outstanding cover guy Jason Rivers WR Saint Louis 6-2 193 Could start right away Jack Rolovich QB San Marin (Novato, Calif.) 6-3 210 19 TD passes Larry Sauafea OL Samoana (Am. Samoa) 6-3 260 Played LB, too
HAWAII'S TOP PROSPECTS
No. Player Pos. School Ht. Wt. Colleges 1. Tolifili Liufau DE Saint Louis 6-3 310 Canyons, San Francisco CC, Pasadena CC, Hawaii (Jan. 17) 2. Jason Rivers WR Saint Louis 6-2 193 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 18 3. Viliami Nauahi DB Kahuku 6-2 200 BYU* (Jan. 17), Hawaii* (last week), Penn St. (Jan. 31), Utah* (Jan. 10) 4. R.J. Willing OL Kamehameha 6-5 300 Committed to BYU on Jan. 20 5. Pat So'oalo OL Kailua 6-6 285 Committed to Oregon on Jan. 26 6. Brandon Rodd OL Aiea 6-5 275 Ariz. St.* (Jan. 24), Hawaii* (Dec. 6), 7. Wilson Afoa DL Saint Louis 6-3 260 Hawaii* (last week), Wash.* (Jan. 10), Wash. St.* (Dec. 13) 8. Michael Lafaele OL Farrington 6-1 275 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 8 9. Jeremy Inferrera OL Saint Louis 6-3 270 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 21 10. Timo Paepule LB Saint Louis 6-0 210 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 22 11. Quin Ah You DL Kahuku 6-3 310 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 20 12. Xavier Ho'olulu OL Kailua 6-4 290 Hawaii, Ore., San Diego St., Utah 13. George Perry DB Kahuku 5-11 165 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 8 (last week) 14. Bobby George QB Saint Louis 6-0 185 Hawaii, Michigan, Utah, Wash. 15. Frank Fernandez OL Saint Louis 6-2 275 Brown, Yale 16. Joseph Napeahi OL Kahuku 6-3 320 Hawaii (last week) 17. Taase Jennings OL McKinley 6-3 345 San Francisco CC 18. Tu Tui DB Kahuku 6-1 195 Hawaii (last week), Wash. 19. David Alisa LB Kahuku 6-1 230 Hawaii (last week) 20. Blake Wong DB Iolani 6-1 190 Nevada, Utah
OTHER PROSPECTS FROM HAWAII
Player Pos. School Ht. Wt. Colleges Ikaika Asinsin RB Nanakuli 6-1 245 Dixie, Nevada Aliikea Basham WR Campbell 6-2 180 Eastern Washington, Hawaii, Menlo Shane Butcher WR Saint Louis 5-10 165 Menlo (baseball and football) Shane Cazimero OL Kamehameha 6-3 305 Portland St., San Diego, San Jose St., UTEP Matt Culver DB Punahou 6-2 190 McShane Dator QB Pac-Five 6-2 205 Eastern Washington, New Hampshire, Portland State, UTEP, Western Illinois Stan Fisher DB Punahou 6-3 185 Vili Fonokalafi DE Kailua 6-1 240 Dixie James Kamoku DB Kealekehe 6-2 200 Committed to WISCONSIN Naymon Frank DE Roosevelt 6-5 226 Committed to OREGON STATE Kala Ka'aihue LB Iolani 6-1 228 Hawaii (baseball and football) Reyn Kaupiko OL Kamehameha 6-0 265 Air Force, Navy, Nevada, UTEP Nathan Lever RB Kailua 5-7 175 Humboldt State, Mesa State, South Dakota Tech Reggie Maldonado DE Saddleback CC (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 6-5 245 Signed with HAWAII Mapa Malupo RB Campbell 6-1 210 Menlo, Utah Brandyn McCall DE Pac-Five 6-5 202 Hawaii, Humboldt State, Lincoln Brandon Mitchell OL Pac-Five 6-0 265 Humboldt State Karl Noa DE Kamehameha 6-3 215 Hawaii (this week) Chris Perreira DL Saint Louis 6-2 270 Hawaii (Jan. 17), USC Caleb Spencer QB Kamehameha 6-1 170 Canyons, Palomar Tamatoa Swanson OL Kealakehe 6-5 360 Canyons Daniel Tautofi LB Kaimuki 6-2 230 Hawaii* (last week), Ore. Gino Venti TE Campbell 6-2 240 Pasadena CC Josh Vierra WR Kamehameha 5-10 160 Drake, Humboldt State, USC Matai Ware OL Aiea 6-3 270 Levi Wyman OL Aiea 6-1 240
MAINLAND AND SAMOA PLAYERS
RECRUITED BY UH
Player Pos. Hometown Ht. Wt. Colleges Ray Bass CB Corona, Calif. 5-11 165 Arizona* (Jan. 10), Cal* (Dec. 20), Colo. St.*, (Dec. 13) Hawaii* (last week), Wash. St, (Jan. 31) Lenny Boatner SB Philadelphia, Miss. 5-11 175 Committed to HAWAII on Jan. 21 Chris Cole LB Mission Viejo, Calif. 5-9 210 Hawaii (last week), San Jose State Jesus Gamboa LB Harbor City, Calif. 6-0 225 Colo. St., Hawaii, Fresno St., Wash., San Diego St., Ore. Maikolo (Mike) Liti RB Santa Ana, Calif. 5-11 205 Boise St.*, Colo. St.*, Hawaii* (Jan. 10), Utah, Utah State Amani Purcell LB Pago Pago, 6-5 265 Hawaii, Am. Samoa Jack Rolovich QB San Marin, Calif. 6-3 195 Committed to HAWAII Larry Sauafea OL Am. Samoa 6-3 260 Committed to HAWAII Joe Sample P/K Garnett, Kan. 6-0 210 Colo. St., Hawaii, Kan., Kan. St., Okla., Devin Stearns WR Gardena, Calif. 6-2 175 Ariz.*, Ariz. St.*, Colo*., Hawaii, UCLA* Eric Stewart DL Santa Cruz, Calif. 6-3 225 Ariz., Hawaii, Mich. St., USC, Wash.
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