HAWAII FOOTBALL
Football scholarships awarded
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Being awarded a scholarship will bring several changes for Hawaii defensive lineman Renolds Fruean.
Of course, having his tuition taken care of removes a sizable financial burden off his family and he can now partake in team meals.
But being included on the list of scholarship athletes, still won't alter the setting on his alarm clock.
The senior wakes up before dawn each day to catch the bus from Nanakuli to Manoa and suit up for the team's 7 a.m. practices. At least he'll now be able to fuel up at the Warriors' training tables after being put on scholarship this week along with sophomore linebacker Tyson Kafentzis.
"It's pretty tough," Fruean said. "I have to wake up early and then come out here and no breakfast to eat, I'm just working off dinner from last night. But it paid off at the end."
Fruean, a 2002 graduate of Waipahu High School, began his college career at Washington State and transferred to UH in 2004. After sitting out a year, he battled back from an ankle injury to play in seven games last season, starting three at defensive end. He registered 11 tackles and one sack in 2005.
Kafentzis, the eighth member of his family to play for UH, had 16 tackles last season and is listed first on the depth chart at outside linebacker heading into Saturday's season opener at Alabama.
"We had some other guys that we were going to give (scholarships) to and they didn't have the grades," UH coach June Jones said. "Those kids have performed very well in the classroom and they practice very hard."
Fruean said he "had all butterflies in my stomach" when he was told that he had earned a scholarship. He said he's living with his in-laws in Nanakuli, raising a young child with another on the way.
"It felt good, a lot of stress off my shoulders," Fruean said. "It makes me push even harder to be a player.
"It'll help a lot. I thank Coach Jones and the coaching staff for giving me this opportunity."
Charting the Warriors:
Although much can change before kickoff on Saturday, the pregame depth chart released prior to the team's departure lists
Jason Rivers and
Ian Sample first at the wide receiver spots. The top two players at both X (left) and Z (right) receiver figure to see significant playing time.
The competition for the starting spots has been tight throughout the month, with Chad Mock and Ross Dickerson, the starters coming out of spring practice, splitting repetitions with Rivers and Sample.
Rivers is returning after a year away from the game due to off-field issues and ankle surgery. Sample suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game last season and wasn't sure he'd be able to play this season until he was granted a sixth year of eligibility the day fall camp started.
Hurts:
Offensive lineman
Dane Uperesa was out for the second half of yesterday's practice. Jones said Uperesa had an injury to his toe that "he'll play through."
Kafentzis was sick and missed practice.
With Uperesa out, Keoni Steinhoff, a sophomore from Damien, and junior Larry Sauafea worked at right tackle in the team period yesterday.
Amani Purcell is listed as Kafentzis' backup at stub linebacker.
Road Notes:
With an expected sellout at the newly renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium (92,138), Saturday's game will set a UH attendance record. The biggest crowd UH has played before is 75,615 set at Nebraska in 1978. The Warriors played in front of 74,043 last season at Michigan State and 73,654 at USC in 2003. ... Hawaii has not won a nonconference road game since beating UNLV 58-30 in 1995. ... UH last opened the season on the road in 1992 with a 24-21 win at Oregon.