Monteilh staying busy

A few aches and pains in the secondary have led to more work for Hawaii cornerback Keao Monteilh.

The Saint Louis School graduate worked his way into the rotation at safety as a freshman last year and got on the field for a few downs. He's back at corner this camp and worked extensively with the first unit yesterday.

Turmarian Moreland returned for yesterday morning's practice after resting a sore knee on Wednesday, while Kenny Patton continues to rest his knee. Ryan Keomaka, who had also been filling in at cornerback, rested some nagging aches yesterday, opening the way for Monteilh to get more action.

"It's going pretty well, getting my feet wet in there," Monteilh said. "I hope Kenny and them get better soon, I want them out there, too."

Monteilh, a Star-Bulletin All-State pick in 2003, quickly worked his way up the depth chart as a freshman and played some special teams and filled in at free safety when injuries depleted the UH secondary.

"Keao probably (Wednesday) had his best day," secondary coach Rich Miano said. "What Keao gives you is he's played a little safety, a little corner, a little nickel. So he knows every position on the field and he's getting a little better mentally and physically. I don't know what type of role he'll play this year, but he has a good future with us."

Monteilh didn't record a tackle last season, but said the playing time he received as a freshman has accelerated the learning process entering his second year.

"Confidence-wise it helped big-time because you know how fast the game is going and what to expect," Monteilh said.

"The first play I went in I was nervous. My legs were shaking. After that first play I just got more into it."

Catching on: Freshman receiver Davone Bess has already gained a reputation as one of the Warriors' most sure-handed receivers. So it was noteworthy when a couple of passes fell out of his grasp yesterday morning.

With 15 practices over the last two weeks, the grind of camp could be blamed for the lapses. But Bess wasn't using that as an excuse.

"I was just a little too relaxed and not focused enough," Bess said, "but that's something I can fix, so I'm not worried about it. I know the next practice it's going to be one of the main things I'll focus on."

Bess did come down with one of the session's more spectacular catches, making a leaping snag of a high throw over the middle. Aaron Bain's over-the-shoulder catch of a toss from Colt Brennan was another highlight.

With just about two weeks of camp completed, Bess said a Warriors offense dominated by new faces continues to make progress.

"Everything's starting to click together," he said. "The offense is starting to get on a roll, we're starting to read the coverages faster, the receivers are getting a lot of reps in, so everything's coming along."

Short yardage: Receivers Dylan Linkner and Ian Sample have returned to practice, while slotback Jason Ferguson continues to rest a back injury. ... The Warriors have one practice scheduled for today from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. They'll have their first practice at Aloha Stadium tomorrow. That practice will be closed to the public. ... New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme has named 6-foot-5 junior-college transfer Royal Gill as the Aggies' starting quarterback. UH hosts NMSU on Oct. 15. ... Athletic director Herman Frazier said he has lined up a nonconference opponent for the 2006 season and is "waiting for the contract," and is in negotiations with another team for the season's 13th and final game.