WARRIOR FOOTBALL
Hawaii gets help from Texas
Hawaii hopes it landed some football stars from the Lone Star State yesterday.
UH received oral commitments from three defensive players from Texas, two of them junior college transfers expected to contribute immediately.
Myron Newberry is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound cornerback from Denton, Texas, who played at Trinity Valley College the past two seasons. He said he has been timed at 4.36 in the 40.
He said he looks forward to playing in defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville's system.
"He's a great coach and he's aggressive," Newberry said. "I like that he lets his cornerbacks blitz."
Outside linebacker Jacob Patek also has the potential to thrive in UH's 3-4.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Patek led Blinn College with 87 tackles and six sacks last season and made the All-Southwest Junior College Conference team both seasons at Blinn. He was a preseason National Junior College Athletic Association All-America selection.
Lucius Henderson of McCallum High School in Austin, Texas, also committed to UH yesterday. The 5-foot-11 170-pounder played quarterback and cornerback. He will likely play defense for the Warriors.
"He helped his high school team overachieve this season," said Rick Cantu, who covers high school football for the Austin American-Statesman.
Spencer Smith isn't from Texas, but he did play for a team called the Longhorns -- of Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia.
Smith is a 6-foot, 180-pound safety who was his team MVP and a regional all-star. He also committed yesterday.
Receiver Mitch Farney from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix also committed. Farney is 6-foot and 185 pounds. Farney reportedly runs 40 yards in 4.4 seconds.
Several players who visited -- including Iolani quarterback Kiran Kepo'o, Cherry Hills (Englewood, Colo.) quarterback Kelsey Solkowski and safety Jonathan Batson and cornerback Morgan Taylor of Cisco Junior College -- may receive scholarship offers in the coming days.
"(UH coaches) said they're going to call me on Tuesday," said Batson, who has drawn interest from Arkansas, Texas A&M and Miami. "If they offer, I'll have to weigh my options."
Kapolei linebacker Po'okela Ahmad and defensive end Alasi Toilolo visited.
"Po'okela was offered, but he decided to think it over," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "They're looking at Alasi possibly as a grayshirt (to enter UH in 2007)."
Saint Louis School's Elliott Purcell committed earlier last week. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete said he is willing to play either outside linebacker or defensive end.
Purcell had committed to New Mexico State last month, but changed his mind partly because he has a relative on the Warriors team.
"Mel (Purcell) is my cousin. He didn't pressure me, told me to do what I wanted. But I'm looking forward to being his teammate," Elliott said.